§ MR. T. GREENEput the following question, of which he had given notice, to Viscount Ebrington:—"Whether there is any intention of erecting a steam engine at the corner of Palace-yard, for the purpose of forcing the contents of the sewer to a higher level. If there be such intention, whether it is proposed that such steam engine shall permanently remain, or is it only to be placed there for a temporary purpose: if for a temporary purpose, how long may it be probably required to remain there? Also, how far it was likely that an injurious effect would be produced by stirring up the sewerage at this time of the year."
§ VISCOUNT EBRINGTONsaid, that if his Colleagues in Parliament and himself had allowed to pass without notice the numerous misstatements and charges which had been made against the Commissioners of Sewers, it was not because they acquiesced in the justice of those charges, or were unprepared with an answer to them at the proper time, but because they did not wish to interrupt the regular business of the House by raising incidental debates. In answer to the first question, he had to say that it certainly was the intention of the Commissioners to place a steam engine in Palace-yard. The drainage of that district of Westminster, in which the Commissioners were proceeding to make great improvements, had been for some time under consideration. The district was a very low one; most injurious consequences had resulted from the want of drainage there; and several unforeseen circumstances, amongst others the unexpected illness of their chief engineer shortly after he was appointed, had delayed the proceeding with those works until a period which the Commissioners regretted. The object with which the steam engine was placed in Palace-yard was for the purpose of raising the water up to the level of the existing sewer in York-street. It was obvious that in driving a much deeper sewer to enable the men to work, all the sewerage must be diverted into a neighbouring sewer; and this sewer being on a higher level, the steam engine was necessary to lift it. The engine would remain until the sewer was finished, which would be about four months from the present time; then it would be removed and the ground made up. The stirring up of the sewerage, he feared, was unavoidably incident to the execution of any new work; but in order 1160 that the residents in the neighbourhood might suffer as little annoyance as possible from the smoke, directions had been given for the use of Welsh coal and anthracite, which produced very little smoke.
§ MR. T. GREENEwished to know why the work was proceeded with at this particular period of the year?
§ VISCOUNT EBRINGTONsaid, the greatest complaints had been made by the Commissioners for the Improvement of Westminster, who represented that all their operations must be suspended unless this sewer was made. The Commissioners of Sewers were aware that it was undesirable to execute such works during the hot season; but if this sewer was not proceeded with, the drainage of the district would be indefinitely retarded. The present sewer was part of a general plan for draining the metropolitan districts on the north side of the river.
§ MR. HENLEYfeared the health of those who resided near must suffer from this pumping up of the sewage water. Not long ago that neighbourhood had suffered very severely from a similar cause, and those living near the spot were now under considerable apprehension of the outbreak of some fearful malady.
§ VISCOUNT EBRINGTONwas not aware that any further precautions could be taken. It was obvious that if, during the summer months, works were to be stopped entirely, the execution of improvements in the metropolis must be indefinitely postponed. The execution of these works almost unavoidably occasioned temporary inconvenience; and the question was, whether it was better to incur the permanent evil of delay, from arresting the works, or the transitory evil occasioned by their execution.
§ SIR B. HALLsaid, he should be glad to know why, as this Commission had been in operation several months, they could not have chosen some other time than the hot season for raking up all this offensive matter. This was no time for opening sewers and erecting steam engines. He also wished to know whether the matter had been brought under the consideration of the Board of Health; also, why it was necessary that this sewer should now be made—was that end of the town so low that it was impossible to find an outlet for the drainage? The preceding day, in coming to the door of that House, he had been assailed by an almost intolerable smell. The drainage of the Houses of Parliament was most imperfect.
§ VISCOUNT EBRINGTONsaid, the subject had been under consideration for a length of time; but when hon. Members found fault with the slow working of the Commissioners of Sewers, they should remember that that body had worked from the beginning under an extremely complicated system of law, which obliged six members of the board to be present to hear even the most trivial complaints of ratepayers—that the attendance of the Commissioners was frequent—that it was also gratuitous—and that the greater part of them, having many other duties to perform, could only give a portion of their time to the business of the Commission. The subject of this sewer had been entertained for some time. It was only recently that the plans and estimates for the works now in progress in Palace-yard were in a sufficiently advanced state to allow of a commencement being made. With respect to the drainage of the New Houses of Parliament, he certainly did not consider it to be in a satisfactory state. He did not consider the sewers to be properly constructed; but that was a matter for the consideration of the Commission who were charged with the superintendence of the New House. The sewers were a great deal too large, and if they acted as such sewers usually did, as elongated cesspools, as long as there was ordure at the other end they would give out offensive smells. But the Sewers Commission were not to blame for a matter which was not under their superintendence.
§ SIR B. HALLsaid, the particular question he wished to put with reference to the Houses of Parliament was this:—Had the sewer which had been constructed under the superintendence of the clerk of works been placed in such a low level that it would not work; and was it necessary for the sewage to be pumped up?
§ VISCOUNT EBRINGTONsaid, that he should not like to trust himself, without previous notice, to answer a question as to figures and levels.
§ LORD ASHLEYsaid, that all that could be done in the matter by the Board of Health had been done; there was scarcely an inch of the ground to which their attention had not been called. With regard to the sewerage of the Houses of Parliament the board was sitting or was shortly about to sit upon the three great cesspools.
The EARL of ARUNDEL and SURREY1162 said, that as the two boards over which the noble Lords respectively presided appeared to be powerless, so far as the remedying of this defect was concerned, he hoped that the right hon. Baronet the Home Secretary would step in and do something for the protection of Members of the House. Subject dropped.