The Express.
London, England, 1864-01-09 00:00:00

THE 'EXPRESS, BATIIRDAY EVENING, JANUARY 9, 1864.

SRI PROPOSED Innr RAILWAYS IN TER MITROPOLIS.

A very numerous deputation from the Hackney District
Board of Works, introduced by Mr. Tanner, attended the
board to pretreat a memorial on the subject of the proposed
railway schemes which will par through that district.
Mr. Ellis, one of the deputation, read the memorial,
the substance of which wag, that according to the
standing orders of parliament plans for no lees than
seven long lines of railway are proposed to be constructed in
the parish of Hackney, which will be nearly 15 miles in
length. and would altogether demolish about 1,200 houses
occupied almost entirely by the poorest cisme, adwould
more or less injure and deteriorate 1,200 more. It we.
proposed absolutely to stop up three of the moat important
thoroughfares, and would injure many others by altering
the level of the endue, and two of the proposed lines ;
would cut up and utterly destroy the breathing lungs of I
II
Hackney—the Hackney Downs, To carry on some of their
works it would be necessary to construct viaducts, com-
prising dark arches, Fere aad parapets, forming barriers,
shatrieg out light ad air. and seriously interfering with the
lighting of the streets. The City branch of the North
Loudon Railway bad already obtained powers, and in its
progress it would cause the destruction of about 200 houses
to Dalston. which added to the number proposed to be taken
by these schemes, would make a total of 1,400 hours, and '
produce a sensible effect on the Hackney rating, and prove a 1
serious inconvenience and a source of annoyance to the in-
habitants. They therefore preyed the board to &mist the
Hackney Board of Works in opposing these bills before par-
liament
by every means io their power, es the whole of the
inhabitants deemed that such a destructioa of their property
would be most detrimental to their interests, and for which
no public benefit would be received.
member of the deputation said be thought be need
' scarcely add anything to what was stated in the memorial,
' but be moat say that these err projected lines of railway
were opposed by the inhabitants of Hackney to a man.
They would demolish, as the memorial stated, upset* of
1,200 houses, sod many of the parishioaere were men who,
by perseverance and industry, had been enabled to purchase
their own houses, to which they had taken their funihes
and everything they held as sacred, sad to them to be
tweed out on the ground that they would receive a pecu-
niary compeesation would, indeed, be really DO compensa-
tion stall. Hackney wee a beautiful suburb of the metro-
polis., and if 1,200 persons were to be deprived, by the
removal of their brume, of their residence in the
parish, the remaining property would become com-
paratively valueless. It was alto intended to form
long lines of arches, and he need scarcely say that where
these arches were made they became the scenes of the
greatest immondity and enme, and they would also take
away the Hackney Downs, which was the only open space
is the district which was left for the promotioa of the
health and rereatioa of the people. As he had said, the
parish to a men were opposed to then. mad scheme of rail-
way projectors, and he hoped the board would strengthen
the hands of the datrict board in their opposition to schemes
from which they would derive so benefit.
The CHAIIIIAX said the board looked with great anxiety
at the various attacks that these raderay schemes were
making on the metropolis, and se these different plans had
already been brought under the notice of the board, they
bad referred the subject to the consideration of a committee.
That committee would room make its report, and when they
did so the board would give it all the attractive it deserved,
end cordially cooperate with the district board upon the
subject.
On the motion of Mr. TANICKE, the memorial wag referred
to the Street, Committee for consideration and report.