11 



" mtisance, it interferes with the convenience and comfort 

 " of all classes of the people, it damages various and 

 " important interests as manufacturing establishments, 

 " canals, ^sAmes, and so on; it deteriorates property to a 

 " large extent, and as interfering with a main source of 

 *' water supply is of serious importance to the public 

 " healthr 



In 1862 the Inspectors of Salmon Fisheries, at page 27, 8th Feb., 



report that among many other rivers — such as the Istioith \^i Annual 



and Rheidol, Pontypool Miver, the South Tyne, and the R^poi't of 



Eden fat Carlisle), &c. — found to be grievously affected tors of 



by various forms of pollution, p- h^°" 



" The Colder is so polluted by dye and print works, 

 " that the fish in it have been nearly, if not quite de- 

 " destroyed." 



And in 1863, after referring (pages 59 to 63) to the 2nd March, 

 way in which the Kent by paper works, the Dovey, Wye, 2nd Annual 

 Teign, Tamar, Tavey, and South Tyne by mines, the Report of 

 Tawe by copper and other works, and a tributary of the Salmon 

 Usk by chemical works, are severally poisoned and the f'p T^^^' 

 fish destroyed, the Inspectors conclude their 2nd Annual and Wales). 

 Report by saying : — 



" We are confident that the injury done to such rivers 

 ' as are polluted is capable of great reduction, and that 

 ' if, by mechanical means, the great proportion of the 

 ' poison from mines or factories can be extracted before 

 ' the fouled water reached the river, the small quantity 

 ' that escapes would be neutralised by the body of pure 

 ' water that receives it. Such means do exist, and in all 

 ' cases, in our opinion, are a source of profit to their 

 ' employers." 



August, 1863, 



In August, 1863, a deputation from the Sanitary Deputation 



Associations of Great Britain and the " Fisheries gon^tarv^s- 



Preservation Association," waited on the late Lord Pal- sociations of 



merston, on the subject of the pollution of rivers and ^nd the 



its prevention, when his Lordship fully recognizins' Fisheries 



•^ ' . . ^ -^ . Preservation 



the extreme gravity of that evil, and the necessity of Association 



putting an end to it, expressed his intention of hringiyig palmerston 



