The Express.
London, England, 1862-10-23 00:00:00

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METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.

The following is the concluding portion of our
extracts from the annual report of this Board :
THAMES EMBANKMENT
•

The subject which naturally follows the report Is to the
main drainage is that having reference to the Thames em-
bankment. In the report of last year's proceedings the
recommendations and conclusions arrived at by the com-
mittee of the House of Commons appointed to consider the
subject were fully stated. They were briefly—That the
formation of a Thames embankment on the north side of the
river, from Westminster-bridge to Southwark-bridge, would,
relieve the present overcrowded thoroughfares and facilitate
the construction of the low level sewer ; that the estimated
maximum cost of the work, including that of the low !evil
sewer, was 1,500,000/. ; that the Bd. and ld. duties per ton
on coal and the 4s. per ton duty on wine, &c. which would
expire in 1861, should be renewed fora limited period,•
and that the cost of the whole or part of the
embankment should be made a first charge upon them.
That the construction of this embankment should be con-
fided to this board, and that for this purpose the before-
mentioned duties should be placed at their disponi for a
limited period, the guarantee of the Treasury bikini like-
wise afforded. That as, in their opinion, it would be most
difficult to ascertain, before the works were completed, the
amount of damage that might Ire occasioned, power should
be given to ascertain, after the completion of the works, the
amount of compensation that might be due ; and also that,
while the committee considered the embankment of
the south side of the river to be a necessary
part of any complete scheme for the improvement
of the river and metropolis, yet it was of less urgent
neceihity than the embankment of the northern aide.
The report of het year also called attention to the fact of
the passing of the London Coal and Wine Duties Continu-
ance Act of 1861, which provides for the continuance of
those duties until 1872, and for the Bd. and Id. duties per
ton on coals, and the 4a duty per tun on wises, dm (after
satisfying the charge on the London-bridge Approaches
Fund), being paid to an account to be opened in the Denies
of the Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury, at
the Bank of England, to be called the Thames Embankment
and Metropolis Improvement Fund, and to be appropriated
as parliament might thereafter determine. The report
went on to state that the board had, immediately on
the passing of that measure, directed their engineer
to prepare for their consideration the plans for a
Thames embankment, in order that the necessary
parliamentary notices might be given, and steps taken,
in the then ensuing session, for obtaining powers to carry
out the works. The engineer accordingly proceeded under
that reference. In consequence, however, of a communica-
tion from the First Commissioner of her Majesty'a Works,
&c., the board, on the 9th August, 1861, suspended that
order. It may be convenient here to state that the govern-
ment, early in 1861, appointed a royal commission to exa-
mine plans for embanking the river Thames within the
metropolis, so as to "provide with the greatest efficiency
and economy for the relief of the most crowded streets, by
the establishment of a new and spacious thoroughfare, for
the improvement of the navigation of the river, and which
will afford an opportunity of making the low levelsewerwith-
out disturbing the Strand or Fleet-street, and also to report
upon the coat and means of carryiugthe same into execution."
The commission reported the result of their labours io July of
the same year, recommending the construction of a Thames
embankment on the north side of the river, between West.
:Minster and Blackfriars bridges, the formation of a street
between Blackfriars-bridge and the Mansion-house, and
communications with the embankment at Whitehall, and
other thoroughfares. They estimated the cost of the
works suggested at 1,500,000/. They further recommended
that the works should be carried out by a special commis-
sion. In an interview with the First Commissioner of her
Majesty's Works, &c., the chairman of the board was in-
formed that, while the government did not desire to take
the construction of the Thames embankment out of the
bands of the board, there were many questions involved
which rendered it the duty of government to apply to par-
liament to legislate in the matter, such, for example,
as certain crown rights which had to be dealt with, which
might involve cohtroversies between different depart-
ments, and which :admitted of more facile adjustment
by the Administration than by any other body. A con-
siderable amount of correspondence took place upon the
subject. the Board, through their chairman, maintaining
their right to have the work left to their unfettered control.
The necessary parliamentary notices were given by the
government, and subsequently a bill was introduced into
the House of Commons. This bill provided for the forma-
tion of an embankment on the north side of the river, and
thoroughfares, with some slight modifications, identical
with those recommended by the commission. The bill,
however, contained clauses, some of which restricted the
free action of the board, and others required considerable
revision and amendment to ensure the practical working of
the measure ; and in order to obtain a locus standi before
the select committee on the bill, the board petitioned
against it, and without entering into a detail of the steps
taken, it may be shortly stated that their efforts have been
successful in removing those restrictions, and introducing
clauses to secure, it is hoped, the proper working of the
act. The select committee to whom the bill wax referred
sat many days, and made numerous amendments, among
the most important of which was one limiting the con-
struction of a carriage-way on the embankment to the
portion between Whitehall and Blackfriambridge, and
striking out the provision for making the proposed street
from Blackfriars-bridge to the Mansion-house. The House
of Commons, however, reversed the decision of the com-
mittee, so far as the roadway on the embankment
was concerned. The board will, immediately on
the royal assent to the bill being given, take
the necessary steps for proceeding with the works.
So far back as October, 1861, the board passed a resolution
to the effect, that in their opinion no plan for an embank-
ment would be complete which did not make provision for
a roadway and embankment on the south side of the river.
The government, impressed no doubt with the same views,
reappointed the commission for the purpose of considering
this subject.