The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-10 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

The f 'flowing General Order, with reference to
leave of absence, has just been issued :
Horse Guards, Oct. 8.

The Commander-in-Chief is pleased to approve of
general officers commanding districts in Great
Britain granting leave of absence to officers, and fur-
loughs to non-commissioned officers and soldiers,
under the following regulations and restrictions, viz. :-
1. The leaves of absence, granted under this order
to officers, may commence as soon as the half-yearly
inspection shall have been made. The furloughs
granted to non-commissioned officers and soldiers may
commence from the Ist of the next month.
2. These indulgences are to terminate on the 10th
of March next, when, in conformity to her Majesty's
regulations, all officers and soldiers are to be present
with their respective regiments.
3. One field officer, one-half of the captains, and
one-half of the subaltern officers, are always to be
present with their regiments.
4. No officer (except in the performance of duty,
or for the purpose of joining his regiment) is to quit
the United Kingdom without having first received her
Majesty's special permission.
5. The officers employed on the recruiting service,
or upon the staff' of the army, are not to be included in
the number hereby fixed for the constant duty of the
regiment.
6. The applications for leave for regimental pay-
masters and medical officers are to continue to be
made in the mode prescribed in the regulations and
orders for the army.
7. In cases of short leaves of absence being re-
quested by adjutants, riding-masters, quarter-masters,
or veterinary burgeons of regiments, it will be neces-
sary that a special report shall be made as to the mode
in which their duties are to be performed during their
absence, and that the commanding officer is satisfied.
8. The proportion of non-commissioned officers,
trumpeters, drummers, and private men, to whom
furloughs may be granted, is not to exceed ten per

troop or company.
When regiments are not stationed in garrisons or
military districts, the officers commanding are at
liberty to use their discretion in granting the indul-
gence of leave of absence, under the foregoing re-
strictions, to the officers and soldiers under their
command.
This order does not apply to the officers and soldiers
doing duty with the depot companies of regiments on

foreign service.
liis Grace expects that the general and other officers,
who are empowered to grant leave of absence under
the provisions of this order, will strictly confine that
grant to the proportion of officers herein specified.
By command of Field-Marshal the Duke of Wel-
lington, Commander-in-Chief,
GEORGE BROWN, Adjutant- General.

CITY COMMISSIONERS OF SEWERS.
On Tuesday a Court was held at the Guildhall, Mr
Deputy Peacock in the chair.
Some conversation took place between the Com-
missioners upon the subject of the vote of 30/. for the
analyzation of water, but was dropped upon the sug-
gestion of the Chairman that it might as well be
postponed until the arrival of the medical officer of
health.
When Mr. Simon entered the court,
The CHAIRMAN requested that the medical officer
would state whether he had taken any steps with
regard to the analy zation of water, and the expendi-
ture for that purpose of the 301. granted to him by the
vote of the last Court.
Mr. Simore said he had taken some preliminary
steps in the matter.
Mr. BLARE—Steps for which you believe you will
have to pay ?
Mr. SlMON—Assuredly.
Mr. H. TAYLOR was most anxious to be satisfied
as to the necessity for any steps at all on the occasion
by the officer of health. He wished for further in-
formation. At present he thought the amount asked
for was excessively high.
Mr. Simore considered it most desirable that he
should have proper analyses made of the water of the
two companies which at present supply the city, and
of that of all the available sources of supply, so that
he might be able to give a positive opinion upon the
subject.
Deputy Hour thought that if the officer of health,
by the expenditure of the small sum proposed, were
certain he should be able to arrive at a satisfactory
conclusion upon the point, the mosey would assuredly
be well spent.
Mr. SustoN intimated that be did not entertain a
doubt upon the subject. His only object in asking
for the grant was, that he might be in a better posi-
tion to furnish to the Commissioners accurate infor -
mation with regard to the quality of the water, by
which they might be enabled to guide their decision
upon any future occasion. As to the amount of money
which might be expended in obtaining the analysis
that should not prove an obstacle, as he was reacly, to
defray that sum out of his own pocket, rather than
place himself in a questionable position before the
Commissioners. He was content, however, to leave
the matter in their hands.
Mr. LoTT—They were bound to supply the medi-
cal officer with the means of enabling him to make a
satisfactory report. He thought they were hardly
acting fairly towards the medical officer in the course
they were pursuing in requiring him to furnish
them with information as he proceeded step by step.
After some further conversation the matter ended.
The vote was not recalled.
DEODORIZING OF THE CITY SEWERS.
Mr. HAywoon, the surveyor of the City sewers,
brought up his report upon the subject of the effect of
Collins's deodorizing powder in destroying the effluvia
generated in the sewers. The report stated that the
proposed mode of applying this agent was to place at
intervals throughout the whole length of the sewers
pots, or other vessels, containing certain quantities of
the powder, which would require to be periodically
inspected, stirred, and replenished. The chlorine
evolved from these vessels, it was stated, would com-
bine with and neutralize the sulphuretted hydrogen,
ammonia, and other gases and volatile products, &c.,
forming the ordinary stench of sewers, and thus render
their atmosphere comparatively sweet, and the chance
emanations from gullies harmless. It appeared,
according to the data furnished to Mr. Haywood,
that the distance apart at which vessels would require
to be placed would be about 15 yards. This would
give 117 per mile, and assuming the aggregate length
of the City sewers which could be entered for this
purpose at 44 miles, the total number of vessels re-
quired would be 5,148, and it was stated each of these
would probably require replenishing every eight or
ten days, and stirring up once during the interval. A
tender had been made for providing the vessels and
a sufficient quantity of the powder effectually to pre-
vent effluvium at 1/. per mile per week. Assuming
the aggregate length of the sewers at 44 miles, the
cost per annum would therefore amount to 9,288/.,
with an estimated additional charge for supervision
and labour in replenishing the vessels (not included in
the tender) of about 4001. per annum, making the
total annual cost of the system 2,6881. The cost of
adapting the sewers in the first instance for the re-
ception of the vessels was also estimated at about
400/. Mr. Haywood stated that he had no doubt the
powder in question possessed remarkably deodorizing
powers. Experiments had been made with the powder
in some of the sewers, but the evidence given by per-
sons who had been deputed to observe its effects led
to very contradictory opinions, and Mr. Haywood
had been unable to gain such experience as he consi-
dered would justify him in recommending the adop-
tion of the plan. From experiments he had made
upon the effects of the powder out of the sewers, he
was of opinion that it was inapplicable for the pur-
poses suggested, and that, however useful it might
be under immediate inspection and control in its ap-
plication, it would be extremely difficult, if not im-
practicable, to apply it effectually to the public
sewers. He stated that the powder evolved chlorine,
though whether in sufficient strength to cause danger
to life or health he was unable to say; but as seve-
ral eminent chymists described chlorine gas as
highly deleterious, and as some of the work-
men felt such repugnance to an atmosphere im-
pregnated with gas from this powder that they
had even refused to work in it, he thought upon
that head the propriety of its application to the
sewers might be questionable. He considered it
right to state, however, that at the place where
the powder was manufactured upon a large scale no
inconvenience appeared to be felt by those engaged in
its preparation, And that he did not think the objee-

do to to its application to the revere existed with
ual force against its usage for other and for private
purposes.
Mr. HAY WOOD then read a report, advising the
commissioners to permit him to make some additions
to and improvements in the map of the towns, by a
further survey, as such a plan might be called for by
the metropolitan commissioners when the great ques-
tion of the drainage of the northern side of the me-
tropolis should form the subject of inquiry.
The COURT agreed to the suggestion.
Mr. MORRIS gave notice of a motion with reference
to the drainage of the north side of the metropolis,
special reference to be had to a scheme for that pur •
pose which had been submitted to the corporation by
Mr. Beardmore, a civil engineer.