PREFACE. V 



the member for Sunderland Mr. Candlish, that " he was 

 " not prepared to legislate on the subject this Session,'* 

 (see Appendix, page 52) and the Home Secretary fol- 

 lowed up that declaration by appointing during last month 

 a fresh Commission to continue the inquiries which in the 

 preceding August he then considered had gone far enough, 

 so that it seems but too manifest, that as far as the Govern- 

 ment is concerned all legislation in the matter is indefi- 

 nitely postponed. 



Be that however as it may, and be the action or inaction 

 of the Government what it may, the Council on their part 

 will continue their best and most energetic efforts in the 

 cause, until a law has been obtained potent enough to 

 grapple with and put an end to this monster evil, but in 

 doing battle for an object which so vitally concerns the 

 health and interests of the public, the Council feel them- 

 selves entitled to look for the active aid and co-operation 

 of the puhlic, without which they fear they can do but 

 little, and they would here impress it on all Towns and 

 Constituencies suffering from these pollutions that besides 

 holding public meetings on the subject, in no way can 

 that aid and co-operation be so effectively rendered as by 

 \ki&\x petitioning the Legislature for relief and instructing 

 their representatives in Parliament to support such peti- 

 tions hy every means in their power. 



In order to make the fearful state of the rivers of the 

 country more generally known, without the necessity (to 

 acquire that knowledge) of toiling through the volumin- 

 ous Blue Books, &c., the Council have extracted from 

 those unimpeachable testimonies all the necessary facts of 

 the case, and have embodied them in the compendious 

 form of the pamphlet which they now issue. 



This pamphlet is circulated by them in the earnest hope 

 that it may help to evoke such a powerful and decisive 



