Lord John Russell; like Lord Palmerston, has had his depute-
ti°111 but of a more legitimate kind,- though scarcely so cordially
received. The representatives of the Metropolitan Sanitary Asso- ciation, who waited upon the Premier to remonstrate against the postponed abolition of intramural interments, could only extort from him a promise that Government will be prepared to " state their views" when Parliament meets ; and that though the sub- ject is important, " the manner of carrying it into effect is a mat- ter for consideration."
This was cool even beyond the limits of Lord John Russell's habitual coolness • verging, it might almost be said, towards effron- tery. When Lord John came into office on the resignation of Sir Robert Peel, a conviction of the necessity of sanitary reform had made considerable progress, and upon no point was the Metropoli- tan mind more decidedly made up than upon that of putting an end to the practice of burying the dead within the walls of London. The new Premier sought to strengthen his position by offering his services to the sanitary reformers. A prominent place was given to their question in his first Ministerial manifesto, and sanitary reform has been one of his best stalking-horses in his canvasses of the City. But now he is only prepared to " state views," hint at doubts, and hesitate mistrust.
The position of Government in relation to this matter is in- deed pitiable. They found on coming into office a strong and respectable agitation organized—a glorious "pressure from with- out" to prop their patriotic fume. Their Board of Health was created for the guidance and management of the movement. That body, however, was totally bewildered between the eager, smiling, lavish acceptance of its plans at the outset, and the steady development of " difficulties" in the progress—as if it had been drawn into an ambush. It was induced to suppress inter- ments in some of the established places, and to open negotiations for other burial -grounds ; and then it was discovered that no money could be advanced, nor divers other of the usual official facilities accorded. Lord Seymour picked one of his supercilious quarrels with the Board, and the Premier seems disposed to wash his hands of the business. It has served its turn. For a time, as we all re- member, the cholera panic gave to the Government an appearance of sincerity and activity ; but that "pressure from without" has- passed. So have the five years since Lord' John's City manifesto, with its hinted pledge of a new diligence in sanitary reform ; and . still we are without extramural interment, systematic drainage, or water-supply. Again he buries the ugly question—in the old rot- ten burial-grounds; and he washes his hands of it—in the old' Thames water.
