The Press.
London, England, 1854-11-25 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

Da. JACOB, the newly-appointed Head Master of
Christ's Hospital School, has triumphed over the
Committee of Almoners to whom he was opposed, as
might have been anticipated from the moment his
sermon was published in the Times. The "row" is
not very creditable to any of the parties concerned.
Whatever defects existed in the school might, one
would think, have been more appropriately pointed
out in a memorial or statement to the committee
than in a sermon preached before the governors and
full school, at the annual festival, on St. Matthew's
Day. But by this plan the doctor would have missed
the notoriety of which he seems to have been ambi-
tious. On the other hand, the committee, when
these statements of defects in the school were made
on authority, would certainly have done better to
closely investigate them, than pass an absurd reso-
lution that " the sermon do lie on the counter."
Dr. Jacob is said to have acted in entire disregard of
the counsel of the under• masters, and, if so, has
hardly set the best way to work to effect the im-
provement he desires. The subject once mooted,
however, should not be suffered to rest. The
governing body should at once appoint a competent
committee of inquiry, and devise means to elevate as
high as possible the moral and educational character
of this noble foundation. There are sound truths
in Dr. Jacob's sermon, and we cannot wonder that
some indiscretion should be forgiven in favour of so
much zeal.

BY THE DEATH OF VISCOUNT LORTON, an Irish
representative peerage is vacant, and it has been
already announced that Viscount Donerail is a can-
didate for that honour. Lord Lorton was brother to
the late Earl of Kingston, and was created a
viscount in 1806. He was one of the witnesses
present at the romantic incident of his father
shooting Mr. Fitzgerald, under extraordinary circum-
stances, 'which led to the trial of Lord Kingston
before the House of Lords in Ireland, when he was
acquitted. The quarrel arose out of a love story,
in which one of the ladies of the King family (a
pupil of Mary Wolstonecroft, who had been governess
in Lord Kingston's family) was concerned. On Sun-
day, the Ist of October, 1797, the late Lord Lorton
(then Colonel King) fought a duel with Fitzgerald
in Hyde-park, in which each party fired six shots
without effect [vide Gentleman's Magazine for 1797,
p. 1121]. Lord Lorton was an excellent landlord,
and received lately addresses of congratulation from
his Roman Catholic tenantry. In his last address
to his constituents, he wrote : "I do not think that
I shall be long away, but if I think the war is likely
to be a prolonged one, or that I am killed, the seat
is at your dispo.,,al." Simple and touching words,
instinct with soldierly eloquence ! Elsewhere we
have alluded to this officer's gallant death. Fer-
managh county has lost Sir Arthur Brooke, a con-
sistent supporter for many years of the Earl of
Derby.

THERE has been some lively discussion about town
in the fact of two young noblemen having been ga-
zetted to commissions in the Guards, without pur-
chase. In the care of Viscount Hood, who belongs
to a family of naval and military renown (one of
whose members, the late Colonel Hood, perished
before Sebastopol) no popular objection has been
made, but many have asked, what are the special
claimes of the wealthy family of Molyneux, that the
Earl of Sefton's son and heir should be gazetted
without purchasel—a pecuniary compliment (as well
RR a personal one) worth 1,2001. It is very possible,
however, that the circumstance bears an honourable
explanation, anti we should like that it were given
publicly, as when so many families throughout the
land, with many claims on the War office are glad to
pay for commissions to serve the country (for which
several of their kindred died), it is not right to give
even pretexts for clamour amongst censorious persons.
The gazetting of Viscount Mob neux has been much
talked of in the most opposite circles, and we are in-
clined to the general feeling that explanations should
be given. But none such have yet been given.

In the case of Astbury and Henderson yesterday,
in the Court of Common Pleas, the Conservative
Land Society, which have fought for the principle of
the franchise being extended to all persons who
have purchased plots of land proved to be of the
value of 40s. per annum, have gained the unanimous
decision of the four judges (the Lord Chief Justice
Jervis, and Justices Mettle, Williams, and Crowder)
in their appeal against the decision of the revising
barrister on the Putney estate, who refused the right
of voting to seventeen allottees, on the ground that
the land was not let, and did not yield 40s. per year.
This important judgment decides that a plot of free-
hold land may he of the value of 40s. per year, and
thus confer the county franchise, notwithstanding
that the land may not be actually let on building
lease or otherwise, and is for the time unoccupied
and wholly unproductive.

SATURDAY,

THE TOLL BRIDGES OF LONDON.
SOME curious details respecting the original con-

struction and financial position of the several toll
bridges over the Thames in or near London ha%
lately been collected by a select committee and pub-
lished in a voluminous report for the use of Parlia-
ment. From this document the following summary
has been prepared :-
Southwark-bridge was opened in 1819, at a cost of
666,0001. Its income at present is about 2,9001. per
annum, and its outgoiugs 1,2001. Before the opening of
New London-bridge, in 1831, it had an income of 7,0001.
but from that period the receipts rapidly declined. The
original shareholders have never received any dividends.
but 150,001)1, of the capital consists of 1,700 preference
shares of 501. each, and 5,000 of 131. each, on which 1 per
cent. is at present paid, as much as 31 per cent. having
been paid in 1830. At the time of the project to bring the
North Kent Railway over the Thames there was an in-
tention to purchase this bridge for 300,0001. Waterloo-
bridge was built ou the authority of an act obtained in
1808 or 1809, at an aggregate cost of 1,050,0001. The sum
originally subscribed was 500,0001., and on this not a
farthing has ever been paid. The remainder was made up
by an issue of annuity shares of 81. per annum, for 99
years, at 601. each, to the extent of 300,0001., and others
of 71. per annum, at 401. each, to the extent of 200,000/.,
There is also a mortgage of 54,0001., which takes precedence
of every other claim, that amount having been borrowed of
Lord Crawford, on condition that it should not be redeemed
for 999 years. The average income at present is 18,0001.
and the expenditure is about 3,5001. During the last three
years the income has increased at the rate of about 9001.
per annum. After payment of interest on the mortgage
debt, the annuity holders are the only persona who receive
anything, and the payment, even in their case, is not more
than 4s. in the pound of their claims, or 325. for every 81.
annuity, while the arrears due to them amount to
2,399,9371. 109. Charing-cross or Hungerford Bridge was
opened in 1845, at a cost of 113,0001. The capital raised
was 137,0001., including a small sum still in hand for an
extension. The receipts and expenditure are not stated,
but the average annual traffic is 3,121,980 passengers, ex-
clusive of that from the steamboat pier. The revenue has
increased yearly by about 1001., and last year the augments.
tion was as much as 8601. The company contemplate widen-
ing the bridge for a carriageway, st a further cost of 150,0001.
by the issue of preference shares, and they estimate that the
gross revenue would then reach 20,0001. to 30,0001. per
annum. They propose carrying the Middlesex approach
through Hungerford-market, widening Hungerford-street.
Vauxhall-bridge was built at a cost of about 370,010/., the
capital consisting of 5,840 shares of 64/. each, besides
which the company owe about 7,000/. The receipts
amount to 11,0001. per annum, and the expenses to 2,2501.
enabling a dividend of 265. to be paid on each 64/. share.
For seven years before the removal of the South-Western
Railway station from Nine Elms the receipts were 12,7001.
per annum, and for a short time a dividend of 21. per share
was paid. Subsequently a great decline took place, but
for the last four or five years there has been a recovery at
the rate of about 15! per week. Battersea-bridge is eighty-
three years old, but in good repair. Its original cost seems
not to be known, but it belongs to thirteen proprietors, who
divide between them 4001. or 501'1. per share. The last
sale of one of these shares was about ten years ago, and the
price obtained was 6,5001. The tolls were then about
5,000/. per annum, but for the last four years they have
averaged 6,1001., and they are still increasing, while the
expenses are only 7501. Putney-bridge was built in 1729,
and cost about 30,0001., the capital consisting of thirty
shares of 1,0001. each. The average gross receipts are
about 8,5501., and the net receipts about 2,1171. The
dividend paid for the last three or four years has been 641.
or 1351. per share, and the last price per share was about
2,0001. Hammersmith-bridge was built in 1824, at a cost
of 85,0001. The revenue, which increases at the rate of
1501. a year, was last year 3,7001., and the annual expendi-
ture is 1,5001. The company had a small debt, which has
been paid off, and their entire capital now consists of 1 578
shares of 50/. each, on which they divide 28s. a share.
Kew-bridge is a private one, and its cost is not stated. It
belongs to a person who bought it some years ago for
20,7001.. subject to a tontine annuity cf 3301. on a life of
70. Its income last year was 2,7501., and the outgoings 2301
Richmond-bridge was built by tontine in 1774, at a cost of
30,0001, The receipts were about 8001. a year till last May,
when the toll on foot passengers was taken off', and they
are now about 600/. There is a fund of 14,0001. invested
in Consuls for annual repairs, and the bridge will become
entirely free on the death of an old lady of t-0, who originally
put 1001 into the tontine, and who now, as the survivor,
receives 1001. per annum. Kingston-bridge cost 48.0001.,
and was built about twenty five years ago. The money was
obtained by the corporation as a loan from the Exchequer,
at 3i per cent„ to be discharged out °ism-plus tolls, if any.
About 81,0001, remains due, but the liquidation is going on
at the rate of 800!. yearly. The bridge will therefore ulti-
mately be free. At present it is let at a rent of about 2,00 W. .
to '2,2001. Hampton Court-bridge was built under authority
of an act of the year 1749, with the condition that it should
be redeemable by the t rows in twenty-six years at cost
It was purchased by the present proprietor about twenty-
five years ago fur 7,0001., and is in very unsound repair
but the tolls are exorbitant, and the receipts are believed to
range from 1,0001. to 1,5001. a year. It is let by its owner
at 7001., but since the lease was granted the tolls have
largely increased in consequence of the railway. Of
Moulsey i
-bridge nothing is stated, except that the toll s a
Is. each way for every waggon ; and of Walton-bndge all
that appears is, that it is farmed to a person for 3001. per
annum, that hie in good repair, and that the traffic, which
would be great if it were free, is very small.