11 SEPTEMBER 1852, Page 2

St Rittrogntio.

At their last meeting the Metropolitan Commissioners of Sewers adopted this important resolution, and appointed a committee to carry it out- " That inasmuch as it appears to the Court that the cholera is rapidly ap- proaching this country and metropolis, and it is urgently necessary for the public health that foul open sewers and ditches should be covered over, and other aggravated nuisances removed; and inasmuch as the Commissioners have failed in their endeavours, under the existing law, to raise the sums required for the execution of such works by loan on the security of the sewer-rates, it is, in the opinion of this Court, expedient and necessary that immediate application be made to her Majesty's Government for a temporary advance of such a sum as will enable the Commissioners to execute the works of urgent necessity above adverted to."

It is reported that "two of the Superintendent Medical Inspectors of the General Board of Health have been directed to watch the progress and threatenings of cholera, as was done on its former progress—Dr. Sutherland and Mr. Grainger. The latter gentleman is now en route to observe and report on its progress at Magdeburg, or, as it is believed, at other points in the direction of Hamburg."

Dr. C. G. Grahs, physician, of Stockholm, in the public service of Sweden and Norway, had an interview on Tuesday with the General Board of Health, at Whitehall, on a mission of sanitary inquiry from his Government.

Tottenham sets a bright example to larger localities in the important matter of drainage and water-supply. There a local Board of Health has been formed, and has actually carried out the objects of the Public Health Act On Monday, Lord Shaftesbury, Dr. Southwood Smith, and Mr. Edwin Chadwick, officially inspected the works. They were met at the station by Mr. Purton the Chairman of the Local Board, Mr. Pilbrow the engineer, and others. After driving over the range of works, they were entertained by Mr. Parton at Tottenham Park, and a report of operations was read.

There are about fifteen hundred inhabited houses in the district ; and the necessary drainage and water-supply for these have been completed at a cost of 75001. The charge for water will amount to about 2d. per week per house on an average. Glazed earthenware pipes have been substituted for the old brick drains; a constant current of water at high pressure will keep these thoroughly clean, and sweep away all noxious matter before the process of decomposition has even begun. The supply of "pure soft water obtained from the deep springs will be neither exposed in open reservoirs to in the suspension.

the sun and the atmosphere,. nor exposed in cisterns and water-butts to the dust and other worse impurities, from which, under the old system, it is found to suffer so much contamination, but will be delivered into every house (and upon every floor if required) fresh, cool, well aerated, and constantly

ready to flow. And thus the vexations of ball-cocks, cisterns, and water- butts, will be wholly got rid of. In case of fire, hydrants are plentifully distributed.' The-report further states, that "the total expense of these ad- vantages of perfect drainage, with tie use of a separate water-closet, together with an abundant supply of pure soft water, with a separate tap for each house, will probably be somewhat less than 3d. per week for each house, such as those occupied by the working classes, viz. not exceeding 10/. per annum rental ; being, of course, higher for houses of greater value in propor- tion to the greater accommodation required." It is remarkable that the cost of obtaining the necessary legal powers under the Public Health Act was not quite 671. Lord Shaftesbury and Mr. Chadwick both spoke in approval of what had been done. Raffling to the use of liquid manure, Lord Shaftesbury said, he believed it would " work a revolution in English agriculture" ; and pointed out bow valuable it would be if applied to the marshy grass- land of Tottenham. Mr. Chadwick said, the " ally of the cholera, was the cesspool " ; and be hoped Tottenham would entirely rid itself of such an agent of mischief.

Mr. Secretary Walpole, accompanied by Mr. Waddington, the Under- Secretary of State, and Captain Williams, the Inspector of the Home District, visited several of the Metropolitan prisons on Tuesday ; including Newgate, the Middlesex House of Correction, Coldbath Fields, the new City Prison at Holloway, and the Model Prison at Pentonville.

Sanctioned in their project by the- Poor-law Commissioners, the Board of Guardians of St. Martin's have proceeded to complete the measures for the emigration of theirpaupers. They have selected a vessel to convey them to Adelaide; and on Tuesday last the emigrants were mustered in the school- room of the Workhouse, to hear farewell addresses from Mr. Cobbett, the Chairman of the Board, and the Reverend Henry Mackenzie. Many parishioners and several clergymen were present. The paupers, through one of their number, thanked the Vicar and the Board for what had been done. Bibles and Testaments, offered alike toRoman Catholics and Pro- testants, were distributed, and a religious tone was imparted to the whole of the proceedings. The emigrants are twenty-four men, eighteen women, thirteen children, and three infants.

The Cleopatra mail-ship—a magnificent new screw-steamer—left Black- wall for Australia on Saturday. She has some three hundred passengers, with a crew of eighty-two. Every preparation has been made for the comfort and enjoyment of the passengers. It is expected that the vessel will arrive at Sydney in sixty .days.

At the Mansionhouse, on Tuesday, about thirty young and ablebodied men were sworn in for the City of London Militia. The total number re- quired for the district is 600, and from the facility with which volunteers are obtained, it is anticipated it will not be necessary to put the ballot in operation. Of the number offering themselves for enlistment, only one wastrejected, and that because he was too drunk to be sworn.

In the first three days of the week, upwards of seventy young men were sworn in before the Marlborough Street Magistrate for the Mid- dlesex County Militia. At other Police Courts men have gone through the same foRnality.

Great additions have been made to the Museum of Ornamental Art at Marlborough House, the dwellingplace of "the Department of Prac- tical Art" It was reopened on Monday, and will in future be free to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays. The example of the Queen in lending her magnificent collection:of china for the use of the students has been followed by Mr. Thomas Baring M.P., Mr. Farrar, Mr. Minton, and other collectors. Works in metals have been increased. There is also a large number of ornamental caste of the so-called Renaissance period, which have been accumulating for some time.

Mr. Arnold, the Westminster Magistrate, was occupied for many hours on Tuesday in hearing the charges against the Poitevins and Mr. Simpson, of cruelty to horses which were taken into the air suspended beneath a balloon, a person sitting on the back of either animal. The prosecution was at the instance of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. There was no doubt about the fact of horses' having been slung by bands round the body to the cars of balloons was this suspension a cruelty to the animals? The chief witness for the prosecution was Mr. Dews, a veterinary surgeon. He said the suspension of. a horse to a balloon would cause " compression of the abdominal viscera, congestion of the blood-ves- sels in the hinder extremities, extravasation in the peritoneum lining the abdomen, producing internal bruises, and giving a great deal of pain and suffering to the animal." But when cross-examined, he said he believed the two horses in question were in good health. He thought if they were brought to him, as a veterinary surgeon, notwithstanding the " compression of the abdominal viscera, and the congestion of blood-vessels in the hinder extremi- ties, and the extravasation of the peritoneum," that he should certify that they were in good health. The compression and congestion of the blood- vessels would injure only for a time; for as soon as the cause was removed they would resume their pristine form. This witness did not appear in a very amiable light : he was a friend of Mr. Simpson's, and had spent the evening with him whilst be knew that this case was in preparation against him. A Policeman deposed that he saw one of the horses when it descended at Wimbledon : he passed his hand over the horse, and it felt very hot ; the perspiration was dropping down its shoulders; but the horse stood perfectly quiet ; the eyes appeared wild, and like anything in terror—like a horse that had run away. For the defence, Mr. Lewis made a long address ; in the course of which he said that the exhibition was not to be repeated. A commission had been appointed by the French Government to experiment on the suspension of horses by slings before M. Poitevin ascended : the commission pronounced that the suspension was not cruel. If it were considered cruel, it would be difficult to conjecture what might not next be deemed cruelty. The fairies and angels that flitted across the stages of our theatres might be embodied in the catalogue ; they were suspended in a far less comfortable manner, by a mere band. Mr. Arnold did not think it gallant to conceive that they came within the act of Parliament Mr. Lewis said that all domestic animals were protected by this act; and as ladies were highly domestic, they might claim to be included. The fair inference, at any rate, was, that they did not suffer by "the compression and congestion,' or there would surely be some complaint about it. A number of witnesses, including the Poitevins and several veterinary surgeons, declared that there was no cruelty

Mr. Arnold said, he should reserve his decision in this case, sine die, but would communicate with the parties when he had gone through the volu- minous evidence before him. Although the evidence had been to show phy- sical pain on the one side and to rebut it on the other, another question arose, to which Mr. Lewis, he thought, might have addressed himself,—that of a horse being placed in a situation of risk, and deprived, by his position, of the means of assisting himself in difficulty. It was a different matter if a rational being pleased to do it. If a man were to place a child in such a position that, in the moment of danger, it could not assist itself, it was a question whether it would not be cruelty ; and the question arose, whether an animal thus strapped up, in case of anything going wrong, would not be dashed to pieces.

A little "excitement" in ballooning matters was attempted to be got up on Monday. At Cremorne, Madame Poitevin was to peril her neck or limbs by descending in a parachute ; and there was a " lottery " for six seats in the Nassau balloon at Vauxhall. The lady descended in safety on the turf of Clapham Common—very near a pond. Only three persons ascended with the "veteran Green" from Vauxhall, though six free seats were bestowed on the crowd who entered the gardens—apparently, the hearts of three of the fortunate ticket-holders failed them. One man who drew a prize sold his chance, which was sold again at an advance of 2/. Madame Poitevin again safely descended in her parachute on Thursday.

Robert Cuthbert, the man who stabbed his half-sister, has been liberated by the Thames Police Magistrate, neither mother nor sister attending to prosecute the cruel fellow ; thus adding another kindness to the many for which he has proved so ungrateful.

The Clerkenwell Magistrate has sent Caroline Shaw, a young woman, to prison for fourteen days for begging of Mr. Solly. That easy-natured gentle- man gave her two sovereigns wrapped in paper. His butler stated that the nuisance created by beggars near his master's house is increasing : one morning some thirty female beggars assembled to waylay him. An old woman was charged with begging of Mr. Solly ; in this ease the gentleman repulsed the applicant. The Magistrate discharged her ; but remarked that Mr. Solly's friends should interfere for his protection, and to prevent such disgraceful proceedings.

Mr. Tuckfield, a watchmaker in Bridge Road, Lambeth, has been robbed by a clever rogue. A man drove up in a cab, selected a gold watch, a chain, and a key, said he was " Lord Howard," and requested Mr. Tuckfield to send a person with him to Lord Arundel's, and be would receive the money for the articles. A shopman entered the cab, and it was driven to Lord Arun- del's, in Carlton House Terrace ; where "Lord Howard" got out, entered the house, returned, and told the cabman to drive to the back entrance and wait. The vehicle and the shopman waited a long time, and then inquiries were made : "Lord Howard" proved to be a cheat, who had got momentary access to the house to deliver a fictitious message to Lord Arundel.

The premises of Mr. Braden, a sugar-refiner in Denmark Street, St. George's in the East, were totally gutted by fire yesterday morning. The sugar burnt with awful magnificence—rolling forth like streams of liquid fire, and throwing out a light visible at Gravesend. The property destroyed was worth many thousand pounds. Mr. Braden was only partially insured.

A scaffold fall from the front of a house in Grafton Place, Kentish Town, on Thursday ; and the workpeople with it. Two men have suffered to a de- gree which, it is supposed, will prove fatal.