15 



the Colder, Dee (at Chester), by gas and petroleum 

 works ; Dovey, Toweij, Tate, Tify, Wye, and South 

 Tyne, by lead and other mines, which have injured the 

 Tify for fourteen or fifteen miles, and in the case of the 

 Dovey, taken ten years' purchase from the value of every 

 acre on its banks, and caused an injury to the neighbour- 

 hood estimated at £50,000 ; the Usk, by tin, gas, and 

 iron works, vitriol, paper mills, tan and skin yards, and 

 a creosote manufactory ; and the Exe, by gas, sewerage, 

 paper mills, &c. The inspector (the late Mr. W. J. Ffen- 

 nell), remarks, page 22 : — 



" The question of a remedy for pollutions is a very 

 " large one." 



" In the 1st Report of the Royal Commission on the 

 " Sewage of Towns, 1858, allusion is made to the pol- 

 " lution of rivers in the following terms, p. 11 : — 



" ' Other evils of a less public, but still important 

 '' nature are caused by the pollution of watercourses 

 " by town sewage. Even in the absence of large towns 

 " below the outfalls, many small villages, &c,, are 

 " situated on the banks of streams. When such streams 

 " are largely polluted by sewage, the comfort and 

 " health of the inhabitants are interfered with, and the 

 " value of their properties greatly deteriorated. 



" ' The destruction of Jish is another and very im- 

 " portant consequence of the conditions described. 



" ' The salmon fisheries of Scotland and Ireland not 

 " only represent a large annual value, but they form 

 " the occupations and livelihood of a very considerable 

 " population. Apprehensions are already entertained 

 " of serious injury by the daily increasing quantity of 

 " sewage thrown into the rivers. Efibrts have been 

 " made with a view of arresting the evil ; and that it 

 " can be arrested by means within our reach, is shown 

 " in the case of Leicester." 



Mr. Ffennell then quotes from the same Report the 

 conclusion arrived at by the Sewage Commissioners 

 (before stated at page 7), and here repeated, viz. : — 



" That the increasing pollution of the rivers and streams 

 " of the country is an evil of national importance which 



