The Express.
London, England, 1864-01-02 00:00:00

THE NEIL' STREET IN SOUTHWARK.

Precisely at a quarter past three yesterday after-
noon Mr. Thwaites and his friends, including
Mr. Layard, M.P., Alderman Finnia, nearly the
whole of the members of the Board of Works,
and a large contingent of Southwark notabilities,
arrived at the 131ackfriars barrier, and many were
admitted by the police into the new street,. who
speedily descended into the subway, which is the
great novelty of the work. Many of the visitors,
however, who promenaded its entire length yesters
day were struck with the strategic uses to which
such • subterranean passage might be put
in case of a serious street riot ; and one gentleman
suggested that it might be made available for a
wide extension of the operations of the Pneumatic
Despatch Company. There is no doubt that a
regiment of soldiers fully accoutred might pus
from one end of the subway to the other without
the slightest difficulty, and it is equally certain that
the tubes of the Pneumatic Despatch Company couM
find ample accommodation. There are narrow aide
passages at short intervals leading to the various
pipes, and all is as fresh, clean, and airy as could
be expected above ground. The inspection was
most satisfactory, and everyone concurred in think-
ing that the works bad beeu executed in the soundest
and most durable manner.

The history of the new street is brief enough,
and its facts are very creditable to the energy and
perseverance of the Boanl of Works. For nearly
a quarter of a century the want of a main street
between Blackfriars and Landon bridges had been
felt and proclaimed, but it was not until the 10th
of August, 1857, that the board obtained their
act. Nnotiatious for the purchase of the property
to be pulled down occupied a year, and on the Ist
of October, 1861, the first contract, undertaken by
Mr. Downs, of Union•street, Southwark, and but
portion of the road—namely, from High-street,
Borough, to the Southwark-bridge-road—was
opened fur public traffic in July, 1862. In March,
1863, Mr. Pearson' of Keunington-cross, took the
second contract, and this having been completed to
Blackfriars-road, permitted the simple ceremony
which took place yesterday. Of the street above
ground there is little to be said. There is an ex-
cellent roadway 70 feet wide, but the houses on
each side are yet to be supplied by an
enterprising public. The site is certainly
a noble one, and first-rate commercial houses would
soon find tenants ; but it unfortunately happens
that the Board has been so economical iu its
purchases of property as to leave little or no
margin on either side of the roadway. The little
cross streets which have been cut in two for the
new avenue protrude their jagged ends to the very
edge of the pathway, and there is hardly at any
spot along the route space sufficient for a good roomy
house, such as would be required by a bauk or a
large mercantile firm. The little cross streets,
however, will have all the more fresh air, which
the inhabitants, judging by their hilarious demon-
strations yesterday, will be fully able to appre-
ciate. The coat the uew street has been
Purchase of proporty, kc., 480,0121. ; 10 per cent.
for contingencies, 27,9361. ; sewer, paving, &c.,
24,1531. ; Mr. Pearson's contract, 24,950/. ; total,
557,0511. being au excess of 37,6271. over the
estimated expenditure. About 400 houses have
been pulled down fur the formatiuu of the street,
and the space cleared, less the roadway, has been
divided into 200 plots, of which seventeen have
already been let. The Alliance Bank of London
and Liverpool have reared an imposing structure at
the Borough end of the new street. and several
other plots have been let to hop merchants. The
total length of the street is 3,450 feet, and the
breadth from front to front of houses 70 feet.

After the formal opening, which consisted merely
of the knocking down of the barriers in Iliackfriars-
road, and the indiscriminate admission of the
population of the locality. the Chairman of the
Board of Work. and his friends adjourned to the
Bridge-house Hotel, where Mr. Spencer, the new
landlord, had prepared an abundant and well-
arranged luncheon. In the course of the evening
Mr. Thwaites proposed as a toast, " Pmeperit
to the Board of Works," pointing out that
the new street wl.ich they had just opened was
one of their moat important undertakings. It would
give a new and wide avenue for the immense
traffic which was always flowing between Lowiou
and Westminster-bridges, and would ultimately
carry the traffic clear up to Vauxhall. The Board
had bought its land much cheaper than any railway
company had done, and had contested every un-
reasonable claim for compensation. His former
connexion with the district made him doubly glad
that he had been humbly instrumental in procuring
so great a boon for Southwark, but he believed that,
by the relief it would afford to the great arteries
of trade on the northern aide of the river, it would
be a boon to the whole metropolis. Mr. Thwaites
subsequently propose "The Health of the Corpo-
ration of London," and bore testimony to the
amicable spirit iu which its members had co-oper-
ated with the Boanl of Works in the exertions of
the latter for the improvement of the metropolis.

After one or two other toasts the company sepa-
rated, the majority having engagements which
cailed them away early.