The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-04 00:00:00

bei,eitit on his i-.lliiw-(-itiz,ns, to testify
Ltr•ii• by ,upp...i-ung 011 s in thi-
vi•pii).re :.1 21.1oximy I,lt a.n int rest'
tririte rfsp,ct rpi,rits
v thri h !ou.l
c.orie:u.,;T,on of Mr. Cank,-:,'s Lord
SANDON wished the company good night, quitted
the room.

The chair was then taken by Boyes Thornton, Eq.,
the Secretary, and the festlvities of the evening were
kept up until nearly midnight.

ASSOCIATION FOR CLEANSING

TO WNS.

The anniversary meeting of this association was held yester-
day at the Hanover-square Rooms, the Duke of Grafton, in the
absence of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, took
the chair, supported by the Marquis of Lorne. Mr. Ruckieg-
ham, Mr. P. Borthw ick, M.P., Mr. Rathleigh, M.P., the Earl
of Devon, Lord Rattelaeh, Mr. Wakley, M.P., Mr. B. B,
Cabbell, the O'Conor Don, Mr. H. L. Keeling, Mr. Wyen
Ellie, and several other gentlemen of rank and distinction.
On being called to the chair,
The Duke of GRAFTON said that he regretted, on account
of the meeting as well as on his own, that the numerous en-
gagements of his Royal Highness prevented his attendance to-
day. The same excuse was to be made for Lord Ashley, Lord
Winchilsea, and other gentlemen who had promised to attend.
Mr. COCHRANE said that, as an inexperienced speaker, he
had to pray the indulgence of the meeting for his inability, and
perhaps he might say for his imprudence, in occupying the po-
sition which he had consented to take. He was prepared to
show that, in the first place, the streets could be kept so clean
as to prevent the accumulation of any dirt or mud whatever;
in the second, that the accomplishing of this desirable object
would give employment to at least forty thousand persons; and,
thirdly, that this would be done without any expense whatever
to its promoters. During the last winter fifty persons had
been employed for the purpose of clearing the streets, anti the
object had been so effectually obtained, that the leading per-
sons in the great thorousthfarts hsd been ready to bear the
whole expense themselves, rather than it should he neglected.
He felt that the secial comfort of the community and the hap-
piness of many thousands were involved, and he must persist in
the discharge of the duty which the Committee had im-
posed. Another experiment had been made this year in the
Strand, when seventy individuals had been engaged, and the
result hail been equally satisfactory. 'I he Government,
however, had far ttutd-,ne them in teeir efforts for
this great publte besefit, and it was an established
fact that great unpleasantness was experienced, and
very serious less v. as su-twined by the accumulation of
dirt in the streets. 'Ft e Ideal; h wns Commission had
shown Ito -e detriments' thss accumulation of filth was to the
well-being of the community. From calculations which had
been made, o the basis that a single man could cleanse one
thousand stiuttre feet daily, on •his basis the large towns
of the city could: occupy at least 40.000 labourers ; and if
they were to take the v hole, not leas than 100,000
persons would find constant employment in promoting
the hsalth of the community. From other calculations
it appeared that in the metropolitan district, which was of
course the worst of all, the average expense to each house for
a thorough cleansing of all the streets would he 7s. a-year, or a
*d. a-day. In the parish of St. James's the rate was some-
thine; higher. but the cost was so small that it was not only
advisable but absolutely incumbent on the iahabi•aots of this
great city. They had had a meeting on the 14th of last
month, which was but thiely attended, but through the able
reports of the tress the attention of the public had
been so turned to the subject that on the 25th of
the same moo th an advertisement had aptieared in
the Morning Post annouocing that the Commissioners
of Sea ere for the City of London had determined to have
every street, and alley, and court, swept—the poor man-s
street as wed as the rich man's—thoroualtly swept and
c chrism' every day. ouch was one of the effects of the efforts
which bad been wade. The great incoevenience of the evil
which the Assoc:ation was desirous, to remove was familiar to
all who knew how much pieses of furniture, anti articles of
vertu were injured from the dust which was blown into the
house, whenever the windows were left open even for a short
time. The passengers in the street, the ladies especially,
he was quite sure, would go with him, for he had no doubt that
those present had many an unpleasant reminisc nee of a valuable
dress being spoiled by crossing the streets after a shower of
rain. The inconveniences within doors w°re evident, yet,
notwithstaneing all this, they had serious obstacles to en-
counter from the authorities, who had more especially the care
of the paving of towns The Sanatary Report of the Parlia-
mentary Commissioners contained a series of frightful facts,
showing that the loss of life incurred by bad ventilation and
uncleansed streets absolutely amounted to double the number
of those who had been killed by the allied armies at the battle
of Waterloo. He was obliged to the audience for the patience
with which they had listened to him, but he was quite sure that he
had no other object than that which was connected with hu-
manity when he stated that there were 200,000 individuals
constantly requiring employment.—( Hear, hear.) He be-
lieved that the character of the people mainly depended en the
lower classes being fully employed, and if they could by assist-
ing in the employment of this large number of the people
prevent 41,1,000 persons, perhaps of the best portion of the lower
order of the population, from leaving the country. He deeply
felt the importance of this subject, but he thought that
when a man strongly recommended he ought to be ready to bear
any portion of the risk. Now, so firmly was he convinced of the
truth of the principle.: which the Association wished to set forward
that he was ready, if the autsorities of the parish of St.
George would engage to employ one man for every 1,500
yards—that is, from 130 to 140 men for six months—he himself
was perfectly ready to guarantee the whole of the expense. He
concluded by moving a restitution to the effect that the cleansing
of the streets and alleys was of consequence to the health of
the inhabitants, and must ultimately prove advantageous in a
pecuniary view to the public.
G. JONES, Esq., seconded the resolution, and said that the
object of this association was one of the noblest which could be
devised, naivety, the ee.ploy (nem ef the poor. In a free coun-
try the+ e ought to be no such thing as a workhouse, and espe-
cially when that worksouse was a bastile. Give employment to
the poor, and the workhouse would be rased to the ground or
converted into an asylum for aged helplessness and infirmity,
where its inmates might enjoy the advantages of the free air and
a healthful residence, instead of those abodes of misery which
the workhouses of the present day had become.
Mr. P. 13okT0iwicK moved the second resolution, and Vetch,
in the course of les obssrvations, that the cost of cleansing
the city of Ediuliurgh was absut 12,000/., while the gain from
the sale of the refuse was 10,0101. It was a fact, as lament-
able as it was certain, netwithstanding the almost measulous
wealth which pervaded every town of the country, at leas, one-
teeth of the population was in a state of pauperism. This was
owing t, no indolence or indisposition on the part. of th'.se in-
dividuals to use every exertion to obtain an honest livelihood.
The object of this Society, though it begun no higher
than the cleansing of the streets, was not less than
to reduce the number of 300.000, who were it,
this state of helplessness by 40,000 individuals, and was inti-
mately connected with the progress of civilisation and h ippi-
ncss. He then proposed a resolution to the effect that the
cleansing of the public thoroughfares went(' not only tend to
employ the poor, but to the preservation of buildings and works
of art, and be beneficial to the housekeeper, the shopkeeper,
and the passenger in the streets.—( Cheers.)
Or. LUKE HANSARD, after a neat speech, seconded tie
resolution. which was adopted uttanimously.
Air. .1. E. -;'ANTER moved the third resolution, that it was
of greLt importance to prevent the numerous accidents which
occurred from the defective paving and cleansing of the streets
of the metropolis.
'Die resolution was unanimously adopted.
In the absence of Lord Ranelsgh, it was moved by
a gentlsman whose name we could not learn, " tha
it was in the highest degree edviseable that the hate.