[Illustration: A Simple Clearance under Protest.]
We learn from a report of the proceedings of the City Commissioners of
Sewers last week, that those vigilant protectors of the health of our
ancient City had before them a case that fairly puzzled them, and in
its strangeness and difficulty would probably have puzzled even a more
judicial body than they probably pretend to be. It would seem that
they had received a note of warning from the eminent firm of FRANCIS
PEEK & CO., that a large parcel of tea was about to be submitted
to public auction which was "simple filth," and utterly unfit for
consumption.
A Commissioner stated that he was present at the Sale that morning,
and that the whole quantity, consisting of 1000 Chests, had been
sold, duty paid (it must have been cleared at the Custom House with or
without protest), at one halfpenny per pound! The natural expectation
was that the "simple filth" as it had been termed by experts, would
be at once seized by the officials and destroyed, but this strange
difficulty arose. The Medical Officer of Health stated that he had
analyzed a sample of the tea in question, and could not swear before a
Magistrate that it was unfit for use! He stated too, as a specimen
of the wisdom of our legislators, that, by Act of Parliament, Tea
was specially exempted from the operations of Public Analysts! So the
willing Commissioners found themselves powerless to act, but referred
the whole matter to their Sanitary Committee, who, we understand, will
at their next meeting take tea, instead of luncheon, made from the
remains of the sample, and report the result.
In the meantime _Mr. Punch_, ever ready to assist in a good cause,
dispatched one of his City young men to make further inquiries, who
reported that he had visited the Auction Mart on three successive days
at lunch-time, and had asked one or two of the sharpest-looking of the
crowd, as possible purchasers of the wondrous tea, to lunch with him,
which they had willingly done; but, although he says he lunched them
copiously, they one and all denied any knowledge of the tea sale in
question.
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"SHEPHERD _V._ KEEVIL."--_Mem_; Christian maxim for a Pastor or
Shepherd, "Do not think eevil of your neighbour."
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