io Social Science Congress. 
pollute rivers. Dr. Macadam had proposed that some 
rivers should be given over to the manufacturer, but he 
could not conceive that such partial legislation would for a 
moment be listened to. As to the question of sewage, he 
believed that there was only one means of freeing rivers 
from that pollution. Various schemes had been tried. 
The sewage had been sent into the air, but that did not do; 
water had been tried, but it did not succeed ; land must 
now be tried, and that he felt certain would do. Inregard 
to Mr. Hawsley’s plan for earth-closets, he wanted to know 
where the earth would come from? Mr. Bateman, the 
eminent engineer, had calculated that it would require to 
supply London with the necessary earth for these earth- 
closets every year 400 acres of ground six feet deep. 
Where was that amount of soil to be got? He thought 
that was'a “stumper” to the whole plan. His lordship 
concluded by moving that it be an instruction to the coun- 
cil, “ That, while it is necessary to remove as speedily as 
possible excreta and refuse from houses, it is advisable to 
procure compulsory legislation against the pollution of 
rivers by refuse or the sewage of towns.” 
Mr. RAWLINSON remarked that, although it was well 
known that rivers were now polluted to a fearful extent, 
there were some things attributed to that pollution which it 
was just as well to clear away. All the ills that flesh is 
heir to were said to spring from this pollution, but, although 
a foul river was an intolerable nuisance, yet it must be re- 
membered that it was an advance in civilisation, and that 
we must start from the point that had been reached and 
advance further. The discharge of effete matter into run- 
ning water was a very great improvement on the ash-midden 
and the cesspool crowded in upon the cottage. Manchester 
had been searched by men competent to arrive at a correct 
conclusion with the view of ascertaining whether the most 
severe types of disease affecting the health of the popula- 
tion could be attributed to foul rivers, and they were bound 
to a contrary conclusion. Although rivers were very foul 
they did not work all those evils that were laid to their 
charge. In 1859, when the Thames was so foul that Par- 
liament sat with closed windows, the Registrar-General 
knew that the rate of mortality was small. He was happy 
to find that some of the manufacturers of Yorkshire were, 
without compulsion, doingm any things to perfect their sani- 
tary arrangements. The washings of wool, which used to 
pollute rivers in the most obnoxious form, could be so 
