56 Transactions.—Miscellaneous. 
takes place, the conflict not anticipated in the early years of its application, 
but in the course of years becoming palpable. It is no other than the ord- 
nance versus iron-plate warfare; if the one increases in force and magnitude, 
so the other must be fortified in ratio. Thus, if ships have to be protected 
from their assailants, so must the rivers, estates, parks, seats, and castles be 
protected from the other. Hence Corporations, in initiating sanitary im- 
provements for themselves, are not justified, as hitherto, in neglecting the 
interests outside of their precincts; and, as justly observed by the Glasgow 
Deputation, those cities having a natural outlet apart from all other 
interests, are fortunate. 
This latter condition is oftener the case with seabound towns than 
with inland ones. Certain it is that the idea so often prevailing amongst 
sanitary engineers that their works are for ever, and all time to come, must 
be abandoned, and their judgment must be exercised, not as now to create 
works of magnitude far beyond present wants, but to institute systems to 
which least objections can be taken ultimately, or for the time being. The 
wants of the present population must not only be estimated, and of the 
future, but their capacity to bear the burden of taxation, hence, though 
working to an end, and on just principles, the consideration should be as to- 
what was actually necessary, and no more, leaving their successors to 
continue the same. Without being attentive to these facts, the city 
populations may pay too dearly for the luxury of improvements or quasi 
improvements, and property may be overburdened by works which could 
perfectly well be held over. 
As an example of the conflict between interests, that takes place conse- 
quent on the modern introduction of town cleansing by water-gravitation, 
we turn to the greatest city in the world, where it has perforce had largest 
development. The outfall of the sewage, till recent years, was into the 
Thames, within the precincts of the city. This created nuisances which it 
was found desirable to remove; hence those measures were taken which 
have already been described in the preceding part of this paper. But, 
besides the Metropolitan Board of Works, there exists a Board of Conser- 
vators of the River Thames, having other interests than the population of 
London to take care of, and on which the operations of the former Board 
were felt to act detrimentally. In consequence of this, Captain Calver, 
R.N., F.R.S,, was, by the secretary, directed to investigate and report on 
the subject”. That gentleman acknowledged the receipt of the instructions, 
to wit; that he should direct his attention to some recent surveys which had 
been made by the officers of the Board, of that section of the River Thames 
extending from Woolwich to Erith, as well as to analytical examinations by 
* Thames Commission, 6th June, 1877. 
