The Express.
London, England, 1862-12-12 00:00:00

COURT OP CO.VMON COUNCIL.

t ('onrt of Common Conned was holden yeater-
v in the Council (lumber. Cuddled].
`lle Right lieu. the Logo 2AI ON pitbitita.

THE METROPOLITAN ILAILWAY.

Mr. HARRIS put a question to Deputy Fry, the chair-
man of the Improvement Committee. u, to when the open-
iog of the Sletropo:it...,l Railway might :set expected to talic
pleoe.

Deputy Far said he was happy to inform the court that.
unless S4ll netb ing unf ovation happened, :mil he was not aware
at auything cf the kind that was likely to occur, the rail-
way would be opened no Monday, the =lid Mat. (Heal,
herr.) The delay had arisen owing to the necessity for
p, r!reting the signals, and dojos other things that were
sect...eery for the protection of the public. (Hear, hear.)
Alderman Hat; who is oue of the directors of the
Metropolitan Railway, confirmed the statement of the
worthy deputy, and said he briieved that them would be
an iuspection of the line on the iistur.lry previous to the
opruing to the public. (Hear, hear.) He added that
he had no doubt the line would be opened on the day
Named.

CrrT IMPROVILVENTS.

Deputy FRI moved that the report of the Improvement
Committee, having reference to the eltablishment of a central
railway station in the City, the mskini; of the intended
new street from Chatham-plaoe to the Mansion-bone, and
for authority to take such steps as may be necessary for the
cootie mince of the foarpenny coal duty for a certain period,
should be agreed to.

Mr. T. l'iicatc, chairman of the Coal. Corn, and Finance
Ccrainittre, seconded the resolution.
The 1110a011 was agreed to unanimously.

TRAFFIC OF LONDON-BRIDCL.—BNIDGZ-HOGS[ i?►nL

Mr. H. HEATH then moved that it be referred to the
committee to consider whether any and what measures
shouhl be adopted to remedy the evils arising from the
great increase in the traffic over London-Midge, and whether
it would be advisable to make any alterations in London
bridge for such purpose.
MT. GIBBONe seconded the motion. observing that all that
was desired was to see whether anything could be done to
remedy the very great inconveniences that existed at present
by the enorrnmia traffic passing over the bridge.
The motion was speed to.
DWELLINGS FOR THE LABOURING POOR IN THE CITY.

Mr. ft H. WATIERLOW then moved that it be referred to
the Improvement Committee to consider whether a sum of
money forming the Finsbury Estate Surplus Fund should
Is applied to the purpose of providing improved lodging
houses for the labouring poor,
.and that this committee
should also be empowered to inqui
re and report as to
the extent to which the dwellings of the poor in the
City of London bad been destroyed by the various
schemes for metropolitan improvements. The hen. member
in the Connie of a lengthened and able speech urged the ex-
tant to which the labouring population of the City of Lon-
don bad been displaced from their horned by the railways
and the other improvements that had been effected in the
metropolis, and he urged that the corporation was bound to
endeavour to do something to improve the condition of the
kbonriug classes in respect to this important matter.
(Wear, hear.) He then referred to the interest that bad
ken taken in this subject by the late lamented Prince Con-
sort and the Prince of Wales, both of whom had erected
model lodgings for the poor at their own expense ; end he
said that it appeared to him that the corporation of London
were imperatively called upon to take steps in the same
direction. He said that an opinion had prevailed that the
labouring population would not live in these model lodging-
houses, but from the inquiries he hod made he had formed
an entirely different opinion. and all those he had visited
were fully occupied, and the arrangements gave great satis-
faction to the inmates. (Hear, bear.)
Dr. ABRAHAM, in seconding the motion, said that the
overcrowding of dwelling-biases was a very great evil, and
the overcrowding of the dwelling,-houses in the City of
London was greater at the present time than ever was
known. He bad seen seven persons living and sleeping in a
room not more than 10 feet square ; and in another case a
man and his wife and six children, one of whom had just
died of fever, were all huddled together, the living and the
dead, in out small room. (Hear, bear.) This state of things
was created to a veey considerable extent, if not entirely, by
the demolition of • large number of houses in order to carry
out the various improvements that bad been effected, and •
most serious evil was created in the very Inert of this
wealthy City. (Hair, bean)

Mr. AND;iTON cud Mr..R. N. PIIIUPPS supported the
motion ; and the latter gentleman said be felt satisfied that
the corporation of London would not be backward in doing
its duty to the labouring poor. (Hear, hear.) He also amid
that be had received several communications from Liver-
pool and other corporations in the country, showing that
they had paid the greatest attention to the subject, as one
which they coasidered of paramount importance.
The motion was then put and agreed to unanimously.