T'Homson,—On the Cleansing of Towns. 39 
their local circumstances and wants. These I found, as will be seen in the 
sequel, to be very various and often discordant. 
First of importance was the drainage of London, and to this I had free 
access given me by the officers of the Metropolitan Board of Works, whereby 
I was enabled to inspect the arterial, side, and house-drains, as well as the 
outfalls some miles below the city. I had also several papers given me 
describing the same, and to these I shall now refer, quoting first in order 
from a paper by their engineer.” Here we are informed that the “ subject 
of sewerage received the attention of the Legislature at an early date ;" 
and that ‘amongst others, a proposal by Sir Christopher Wren for improved 
drainage, nearly two hundred years ago, is preserved in MS. in the records 
of the ancient Westminster Commission.” 
Again: “Up to about the year 1815 it was penal to discharge sewage 
or other offensive matters into the sewers. Cesspools were regarded as the 
proper receptacles for house drainage, and sewers as the legitimate channels 
for carrying off surface waters only ; afterwards it became permissive, and 
in the year 1847 the first Act was obtained making it compulsory to drain 
houses into the streets." 
Again: “ Prior to the year 1847 sewers were under the management 
of eight distinet Commissions," who “carried out (each) its drainage 
works, frequently regardless of the effect thereby produced upon the 
neighbouring districts through which the sewage flowed." 
Again: “In the year 1847 these eight Commissions of Sewers were 
superseded by one Commission termed “the Metropolitan Commission of 
Sewers,” who made “the adoption of the new system of drainage com- 
pulsory, so that, within a period of six years, thirty thousand cesspools 
were abolished, and all the house and street refuse was turned into the 
river." 
Again: “ Similar systems were, about this period, to a large extent 
adopted in the provincial towns, by which means their drainage has been 
vastly improved, but the rivers and streams of the country have become 
very generally and seriously polluted.” 
Again: ““In 1852 the fifth Commission was issued, (when) fresh plans 
for intercepting the sewage of the metropolis still continued to be heard 
before the Commission, and were from time to time examined and reported 
on without any practical result. In 1854 the author (Sir J. W. Bazalgette) 
was directed to prepare a scheme of intercepting sewers intended to effect 
the improved drainage of London.” 
ain: “ The sixth Commission, formed in 1855, continued to discuss 
the subject, but without coming to a practical result.” “ But it was not 
alone the anomalies of the old Commissions, &c., which compelled the 
* * Main Drainage of London," by Sir J. W, Bazalgette, M. Inst, C.E, 
