Something in the way of material improvement has been done
out of doors, and something has been undone. Lord Palmerston has received a numerous deputation in sequel to that suggestion which originated amongst "Friends in Council," and which we already described to our rp,o1,..-- *• win— be remembered that the plan consisted in raising a sum of money to be devoted to carrying out a sanitary arrangement of some particular district, as a model and incentive to other parts of the country. It was desirable, however, first to know what Ministers were doing ; and the imme- diate result of the deputation was to discover two negative facts. First, that Lord Palmerston either did not know, or did not wish to seem to know, much about the matter; and that he referred on all points to Sir William Molesworth, who was not present. Se- condly, that the thing most immediately wanted is to know what are the powers, existing or deficient, that would be requisite to carry out a complete sanitary arrangement of the Metropolis and the country P And the deputation broke up with the understand- ing that a statement on that question of powers should be laid be- fore the Home Secretary.
Meanwhile, Lord Palmerston has blown the Metropolitan Com- mission of Sewers to destruction, by turning upon it the full force of tabular drainage; which he required the Commissioners to adopt according to the decree of Mr. F. 0. Ward, though the Commission had already adopted a plan totallydifferent. Theytake umbrage, and flight—resigning in a body; and Lord Palmerston promises a re- construction of the Commission, "in connexion with local au- thorities," to carry out the plan of the late Commission on the pattern of tubular drainage ! In reply to another deputation Lord Aberdeen announced a measure of not less crying importance—the annual collection of agricultural statistics, in order that the country may know what it is doing to provide for the national subsistence.
• ride " Some Thought for next Summer," Spectator, January 28.
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