56 



was a man in the country who enjoyed better health than 

 himself, but he always felt the same thing when the wind 

 blew in that direction that he wanted a trip to Brighton 

 or something to set him up. Now as to the possibility of 

 remedy. He should like some one to answer the question 

 whether any municipality, or any man, or body of men had 

 the right to pour this sewage into a river and poison the 

 inhabitants on its banks ? The answer would probably be 

 We cannot help it ; it is a matter of necessity. If it 

 were, he would say no more. Necessity had no law ; but 

 was it a necessity ? He had taken the pains to investigate 

 the process of the Native Guano Company, and had to 

 thank Mr. Sillar and his subordinates for their courtesy in 

 explaining the system to him and some of his neighbours 

 from the vestry of Plumstead, who went to Aylesbury to 

 examine it. He was convinced from what he saw that the 

 company were able to do all that was required. It was 

 competent to take the whole of the sewage of London, 

 which was now poured into the river at Crossness and con- 

 vert it into useful manure. He had no interest in the 

 matter beyond a wish to improve the circumstances of his 

 parishioners and neighbours. He had tried the manure on 

 some of his own land, which was very poor, and found it 

 most excellent ; he had used it for potatoes, carrots, par- 

 snips and onions, and it produced crops such as he had 

 never seen equalled. In conclusion he gave it as his opinion 

 that an Act of Parliament should be passed rendering it 

 penal for anyone to put sewage into a river. 



Mr. WASHINGTON LYON said he also had had the 

 pleasure of going to Aylesbury to see the process in opera- 

 tion, and he drew the conclusion that sewage ought not to 

 be allowed to go into any river in the kingdom. Everyone 

 agreed as to the mischief it did ; it was not worth discussing 



