xl 



presented by Sir Henry Wrenfordsley, which were on the table. The 

 jugs and cups were copies of European work, but there was one 

 original specimen of ceramic art. 



SPECIAL MEETING. 



A special meeting of the P^oyal Society was held on Monday even- 

 ing September 27, for the purpose of continuing the debate upon Mr. 

 A. Mault's paper on an underground drainage system for Hobart. 



Mr. .Tas. Baknasd occupied the chair, aud there was a large attend- 

 ance of Fellows, besides several visitors from the other colonies. 



The debate was resumed by Mr. R. A. Bastow, who read the 

 following paper in reply to Mr. Mault's : — 



Mr. Chairman and Fellows of the Royal Society, 



At the monthly meeting of this society, held on the 10th of last 

 month, a paper was read by Mr. A. Mault on the drainage of Hobart. 

 It was then intimated that I might have some remarks to make on 

 that important subject, and I have now the honour of placing them 

 before you. 



In that paper many statements were made, which, if true, would be 

 anything but pleasant to the residents of Hobart as matter for contem- 

 plation, notably, that all the once limpid watercourses of the city 

 are now converted into common sewers, a fact that is patent in all 

 cities and towns of any importance ; that we have in our midst about 

 3,500 horrid cesspits, stinking, pestilential, seething masses of corrup- 

 tion, continually giving off gases of a most disgusting nature and 

 poisonous in a high degree, but we are pleased to be able to say that 

 the tenure of such state of affairs is rapidly shortening, and will soon be 

 determined ; that the contour of the city is such, that it is impossible 

 to drain many properties without passing throuj.h the adjoining owner's 

 premises, but here again, if no other course can be adopted, we have an 

 excellent provision in section 137 of the Public Health Act, whereby 

 drains may be made through private premises, and that the profitable 

 conversion of the contents of pails into manure is problematical. These 

 deserve serious consideration and most careful inquiry from every point 

 of view, peradventure wc may at least find out one system, or parts of 

 many, that may be the simplest, the cheapest, the most efficient, for 

 the preservation of the public health. 



The official report to which Mr. Mault refers contains an elaboration 

 of an extended system of sewerage, which, if it could be carried 

 out, would undoubtedly be an immense improvement on the existing 

 state of affairs. Inspecting the streets of this city, as it is my duty 

 every day, in wet as well as in fair weather, if one fact stares me 

 in the face strongly amongst others, it is that we require good under- 

 ground drainage, and if the system of drains without the trough closets, 

 as are laid down on the map accompanying the report, could be con- 

 structed for £60,000, and if the corporation had £60,000 laid by, and 

 had nothing else to do with it, I do think that the citizens of Hobart 

 would desire, and I scarcely think the corporation would then refuse 

 to carry out, that great scheme of sewerage ; or if the Central Board 

 would take upon themselves to provide us with such a system of 

 drains without trough closets, and would pay the costs, no doubt the 

 citizens would be very much obliged to them ; or if they could induce 

 our Government to take the risk and foot the bill of such an under- 

 taking, the inhabitants of Hobart would for ever bear them in grateful 

 remembrance. 



I have been careful to introduce the four " ifs" in the preceding 

 paragraph, for the; eon hangs the possibility of the scheme being carried 

 out. But the municipality has not £60,000, the system cannot be 



