The Express.
London, England, 1852-06-24 00:00:00

PROPONED CENTRAL CITY TERMINUS.

Lost evening Mr. Charles Pearson delivered the
first of "two familiar lectures" on his proposed people's
highway and Central City 'terminus, at the London Me-
cheeks' Institution, Southampton- buildings,Chanisery-iane.
Mr. l'earson commenced his lecture by observing that he
had long felt the necessity et equansing the means of tom-
munication between the great highways of the metropolis.
The city of London might be called the centre of a large
circle, and it could not be doubted that as the passengers by
the thoroughfares which led to that centre increased, so
would increase the crowded state of the streets. Great sad
important changes had taken place of late years is the
political and moral and social influences of our country ;
and he was so fully impressed with this fact, that he had re-
fleeted on the manner in which, by reason of these changes, he
could employ the remainder of his days in being useful to his
generation. Now, amongst the evils he desired to remedy
woe the overcrowded state of the streets by day; but there
was another consideration of paramount importance, vie.,
the fatal and fearful—he would not say the overerawdMg,
nor even the oveteramming, but the overerushing of the
dwellings of the poor by night. lie had the honour to
serve the corporation of the City of London. It was the
meet wealthy city of the most wealthy country in the world,
and he might inform his auditors that in a large portion of
the City the land was valued for building purposes at from
51,0001. to 250,0001. per square acre. Why was this?
Because the City of London was the " habitat " of the
great commercial and monetary establishments of the
country, and they would find that the importance and
value of property were mare particularly felt in the
great arterial channels of circulation. The sani-
tary improvements and reforms which had lately been
effected had been of absorbing interest to the country, but
the public mind had not yet been routed to the necessity of
sowing those seeds of improvement which must prove of the
highest utility to the nation. It was admitted that the
habitations of the poor were overcrowded; but he had
examined the decennial census which had lately appeared,
and he had tonne, upon comparing the population with the
houses throughout the country, that the houses had been
slightly gaining upon the population, whereas, in the
metropolis the reverse had taken plate—there the popula-
tion had been gaining upon the number of houses. In the
City of London the population had increased 33 per cent.
as compared with the houses, and the rate of mortality had
increased in the same ratio in those localities where over-
crowding was known to exist. He had obtained the re-
turns from the Inland Revenue °Moe during the last
15 years, and he found from these returns that the over-
crowding
of the streets had ineremed ten per cent. per an-
num—that was to say, 150 per cent. in lb years. What
were the causes of this ? The peorle of England, sines
railways earns into fashion, had changed their character
sad habits. Those inhabitants of the metropolis who were
formerly stationery were now locomotive, and the same ob-
servation applied to residents in the country, muses of
whom now visited London who never attempted the jour-
ney before. His object in the project new before them
WIN to supply a remedy fur those defects which the over-
crowded state of the metropolis (owing to the causes he
alluded to) had produced; and this he proposed to do by
converting a site which was now wholly unproductive into
a source of benefit and profit. Ills project was to bring into
Forringdon-street by a trunk railway all the great northern
lines that might choose to come there, and then to estab-
lish one grand centre of communication between the City of
London and some of the most important towns in England.
This would, doubtless, involve the necessity of removing •
certain amount of property, but it must be borne in mind
that it was property of • very inferior kind, and the govern-
ment had already advanced to the corporation serious sums
of money to dear the roads and improve the thoroughfare.
He proposed to make • street of 100 feet wide from Hol-
born valley to the Caledonian-road, and thus to afurd to
the people the meats ol breathing freely and relieving
themselves from the noxious influences of an overcrowded
eosdition. If the railways he had mentioned did not see
fit to aid him in the undertaking he could do without them,
for he was quit. sstisfied that there was • larger amount of
profit to be made out of the scheme without any connexion
with railways than from any project which lied been started
' during his recollection, it the public would only support
him.—Mr. Pearson proceeded to point out the many ed.
vantages that must accrue from the succeuful accomplish-
, meat of his object, and illustrated by means of models,
maps, and diagrams, the practical manner in which his pro-
ject might be carried out with infinite advantage to the
• public. 'the lecture was listened to with much attention,
and was received with considerable epplause.

GREAT NORTHERN 11,111LWAT.--Eg4llTh of traffic
for the week ending June13,18,52.--Passengen, parcels, oar-
nag' horses 113. 4d; merchandise
andei' minerals, dogs. and mails 6,343,
5,2301. 3.. 4,1. ; 'cattle, 2191. 13.. 10d. Total,
10,8331. 13.. td. Correlpending week,lB6l, 11,6221. 16s. 11d.
BELFAST AND COUNTY DOWN ItAILWAY.—The
trait. no the shove railway ws., for the smelt ending
l'asstolo. rs, ;70/. 3.. Gd. ;
301. lb. rd. ; goods sad parcels, 331. 190. Id. Total,
2101. 111...1d. For the:week ending .1 une 22,1861 :—Passen-
g' 0, 1711. 8.. ; 241. IM.. Ed.; goods
sad partelt, 431. 64. lt/d. 'iota', 2491. 14a. 3d.