12 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



sure were carried, the people in the districts affected by it 

 would be enormously benefited. Thousands of acres of land 

 in the Valley of the Thames, now worth only 1 Os. per acre, 

 would, if such a measure were carried into full operation, 

 become worth 50s. There was scarcely a valley in England 

 that did not require a remedial measure of that kind (Ilear^ 

 hear). 

 The following gentlemen were then appointed to act as a 



committee, and to form the deputation to the Home Secre- 

 tary :— The Earl of Romney, Sir John Shelley, Sir Henry 

 Vavasour, Mr. John Glutton, Mr. Ileathcote (Connington 

 Castle), Mr. Langston, Mr. Bailey Denton, Mr. Algernon 

 Clarke, Mr. Grantham, Mr. Fisher Hobbs, and the Rev. J 

 Clutterbuck. 



Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the meeting 

 sjparated. 



RIVER REFORM. 



Arterial Drainage and River Reform has 

 now a prospect of coming really before the public mind 

 in a tangible shape. The Committee appointed in 

 Hanover Square to take measures for advancing the 

 views of that meeting and to go as a deputation to 

 Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home De- 

 partment, v/ere received by Sir George Cornewall 

 Lewis, on Friday, Dec. 21 ; and, from what we learn, 

 the following is the upshot of this rather auspicious 

 interview. Out of the eleven gentlemen appointed on 

 this Committee, two only were unavoidat)ly absent; one 

 being the Earl of Romney, whose sound judgment and 

 clear method of enunciating the complaints and desires 

 pertaining to the cause, were largely depended upon 

 for placing the views of the drainers ably and fully be- 

 fore the Home Secretary ; while the other absentee 

 was the Rev. J. Clutterbuck, a man experienced in 

 relation to that worst of all mill-and-navigation 

 drowned district, the valley of the Thames and its 

 feeders. The gentlemen present were — Sir John Vil- 

 liers Shelley, Bart., M.P., who introduced the deputa- 

 tion; J. H. Langston, Esq., M.P.; Sir Henry Vavasour; 

 Mr. iHeathcote ; Mr. W. Fisher Hobbs ; Mr. John 

 Glutton; Mr. John Algernon Clarke; Mr. J. Bailey 

 Denton, C.E. ; and Mr. K. B. Grantham, C.E., Hon. 

 Secretary to the Committee. The interview was not 

 very protracted, but sufficient time was given for in- 

 forming Sir G. Lewis of the extent to which landowners 

 are now damaged by their legal inability to command 

 better outlets for drainwater — the loss to the com- 

 munity involved in the neglected or impeded con- 

 dition of river mill - streams and simjjle water- 

 courses — and the amazing benefit in all cases to 

 agriculture, in many cases to navigation and mill 

 property, and in general to the sanitary state of the 

 population of town and country, which would follow 

 a comprehensive general measure of relief, permitting 

 aud enabling both district or individual proprietors to 

 readily ^amend natural and artificial channels for 

 waters. 



Sir Henry Vavasour read a short general state- 

 ment in reference to the point. 



Sir John Shelley showed the necessity existing 

 for an immediate remedy for the improvement of 

 minor drains, and tlie obtaining of outfalls through 

 intervening properties, as well as for a more compre- 

 hensive means for large streams. 



Mr. Langston stated the case of the city of Ox- 

 ford, showing that not mere landowners only, but 

 townspeople and many other interests are concerned, 

 and should be considered in any general measure. 



Mr. J. Bailey Denton replied to various inquiries 

 of Sir George Lewis, explaining what was meant by 

 the large question of the consolidation of all district 

 drainages under one central control, so as to supersede 

 the innumerable existing bodies of trustees, commis- 

 sioners, &c. — what was meant by a general measure 

 for enabliug the majority in any new district to bind a 



dissenting minority to assist, and to deal with mills, 

 navigation, kc. — and what was meant by a minor 

 measure for the immediate wants of underdrainers, so 

 tliat a water-course might be obtained through the land 

 of intervening owners without the obnoxious proceed- 

 ings prescribed by Lord Lincoln's Act of 1847, and 

 without the burden of having to pay compensation 

 (under the Land Clauses Consolidation Act) before the 

 work can be begun. 



Mr. John Algernon Clarke explained that there 

 were two entirely separate and distinct subjects 

 now brought before the Government. One was the 

 passing of an Act for enabling individual or associated 

 proprietors to obtain a new or better outlet for drain 

 works through one or more estates intervening between 

 them and a public watercourse, which might be secured 

 by an amendment of Mr. Ker Seymour's Bill of 1854, 

 with the provision that the operation of the Land 

 Clause Consolidation Act should be suspended where 

 the compensation required does not exceed £100. The 

 second object was the obtaining of a comprehensive 

 General Act to take the place of separate local acts in 

 future district drainase, enabling proprietors of land 

 and also proprietors of mills and canals, the inhabitants 

 of towns, and any other water rights and interests, to 

 combine for mutual improvement of their respective 

 properties, or the major interests as compared with the 

 less important, as the case may be— giving a certain 

 majority power to bind the minority to assist, and es- 

 tablishing a local board in each district for the con- 

 servancy of the works. In many districts land was 

 damaged to a greater amount than the value of 

 the mills or navigation ; in other districts the naviga- 

 tion or the mills, the reservoir, fisheries, or ornamental 

 waters were of more consequence than the small fringe 

 of meadow alongside the stream; and hence an Act, 

 like the Earl of Carlisle's, framed simply with a view 

 to the drainage of land, could not meet all the evils 

 and necessities of the present condition of the river. 

 Mr. Clarke said that no general Act could be 

 framed which would be satisfactory to the country 

 unless full knowledge was first collected as to the 

 nature and relative importance of the various interests 

 now existing in different localities ; and that while the 

 smaller measure of temporary relief would be at once 

 acceptable, a Government inquiry was necessary, in 

 order to furnish a base for the greater legislation. 



Mr. W. Fisher Hobbs described the great evils 

 which agriculturists were extensively suffering in con- 

 sequence of the present excessive downfall, while our 

 outfdlls remained without possibility of amendment. 

 He instanced the losses of hay, of corn never sown, of 

 animals by disease induced by the floods — stated his 

 own experience, how he had cut half a mile of open 

 drain through a neighbour's property, because fortunate 

 enough to obtain his permission to do so ; and though 

 that owner was benefited more than himself, ho could 

 neither demand any part of the expense nor secure the 



