The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-03 00:00:00

COURT OF SEWERS.

-
A Court of Sewers for the City and Liberty of Westminster,
and part of the County of Middlesex, was held at the Sewers-
office in Greek-street, Soho, yesterday. The Court was a
general one for transacting the routine business, such as the
receiving of the Collector's report, the Clerk's report, to order
certain payments, hear appeals, receive petitions and memorials,
to consider the cases of parties summoned, and various other
business.

Our readers will recollect that Tuesday next was specially
appointed for the resumption of the inquiry into the accuracy of
the documents upon which the Court paid to the contractors in
the year 1843 the sum of 21,7671. 10s. 4d., and to ascertain the
authority of the Court to pass any " laws, ordinances or con-
stitutions," in opposition to the General Laws of Sewers as laid
down in the statutes and the judicial decisions thereon. In
consequence, however, of the continued interposition of Mr.
Dowley, the principal surveyor of the Court, Mr. Leslie con-
sented to postpone the further consideration of the matter till
Tuesday week.
After some further discussion, Friday, the 23d of February,
was fixed for the consideration of certain correspondenoe re •
lative to the covering in part of the King's Scholar's Pond
Sewer, and as to the reservation of a portion of the Crown
land near the outlet. In consequence of a letter that had
been addres,ed by the Clerk of the Court to the Chartered
Gas Company, stating that vveral accidents had occurred to
many of the servants of the Court from the escape of gas into
the sewers, a gentleman attended from that Company, and
stated that it was impossible for them to prevent leakage',
that extreme cold and beat caused the pipes to contrad
and expand ; and it was often the operations of the Commis-
sioners of Sewers themselves that so disturbed the pipes of the
Company as to cause them to be faulty. Added to this, he
was afraid that in some instances sufficient caution was not
used by the officers of the Court.
Mr. LESLIE wished to know what caution he would recom-
mend ?
The GENTLEMAN observed that he was constantly in the
habit, in many places where there were escapes of gas, of using
Sir H. Davy's safety lamp, and he had never found any acci-
dent occur from the use of it. _ _

Mr. JENKINS, one of the clerks of the works, said that the

lamp could not be used in sewers ; that it had been tried, and
was always found to go out if not carried in an upright direc-
tion, which was impossible in some sewers.
Some considerable discussion tot.k place, which ended in an
arrangement being made that the new assistant-surveyor, Mr.
Jenkins, and the gentleman who attended for the Charter Gas
Company, should try an experiment with the lamp to-morrow.
Upon the reading a report of the surveyer, that the sewer in
Grosvenor-street had broken in, that the dirt had been cleared
out, and the sewer made ready for reparation,
Mr. LESLIE inquired what quantity had been cleared out,
and whether that quantity had not been paid for?
Mr. DouLL said that it had.
Mr. LESLIE said we shall have to pay over again when the
contractors' account comes in.
Mr. Dont'. believed that they would.
Mr. LESLIE asked whether that was a state of things which
ought to continue ? He did not wish to discuss the subject at
present, as he should have another opportunity of doing so.
His object was to put an end to such things, and he believed
he had done so now.
Many of the Commissioners expressed their surprise, that
digging and excavating should be paid for daily by the Com-
missioners, and charged again in the contractor's accounts.
The CHAIRMAN then put the question, that the repairs
necessary for the sewer should be proceeded with, which was
agreed to.
On the motion of Captain Bague, the following resolutions
were agreed to :
" That George Sydney Hatton, the second Office Clerk, be
promoted to the vacancy occasioned by the dismissal of
Charles Thompson Wake, the first Office Clerk, at a sa-
lary of 1501. per annum ; that the salary commence from the
date of C. T. Wake's dismissal.
" That Thomas Coggin, the third Assistant Clerk, be pro-
moted to the situation held by George Sydney Hatton
from
tma
...salary of 100/. per annum; that the salary commence
the date of C. T. Wake's dismissal.
to That John PoofllagotiohLl=l:,r,idatMeassetinagiaerr
y,
he
ef
promoted
to
annum.
The Court them adjourned to Tuesday week.