6 JANUARY 1872, Page 9

Thyaity, as of late, is once more in front. The

state of

tiwd streets -ia footpaths in London is disgraceful, the former )ebig c^..red with a compost which makes them as slippery as jag, ,md the latter ankle-deep in slush. The municipalities pro. ass to clean the streets, but the cleansing of the footpaths is left to the occupiers ; and as nobody will do it, and you cannot sum- mon a nation, the paths are left uncleaned. Under these circum- stances, the City Commission of Sewers, moved by a Mr. Hors, has decided that, law or no law, it will clean the footways, and consequently they will be cleaned with the streets. Two or three years hence it is probable that the Vestries will imitate the City example, relieve householders of a useless annoyance, and add,

say, a farthing in the pound to the rates. Boys could do the whole of the work before nine a.m.