The Express.
London, England, 1860-07-04 00:00:00

METROPOLIS LOCAL MANAGEMENT_ ACT.

The committee continued its sitting on Monday ; Mr. F. Peel
in the chair. The other members present were Sir J. Hammer,
Mr. Hamm* Mr. Childers, and Major Stuart. The consi-
deration of the 7th clause in connexion with the 20th, was
resumed, and after some additional evidence had been
given, the committee expressed an opinion that the most
convenient course would be to take the first portion of the
7th clause, and decide the general question whether all parte
of the metropolis should bedeemedto be equally beneetadby
the expenditure of the general board. Mr. Hops Scott,
Q.C. who appeared for the Regent's Canal Company, the
Grand Surrey Dock and Canal Company, the Commer-
cial Dock Company, and the Vauxhall-bridge Corn-
piny, addressed the committee at considerable length,
contending that the principle of benefit ought to be main-
tained, and that it bad been almost the invariable custom to
ammo the description of property which he represented at
only one-fourth the amount at which property of other
descriptions was ass:aged. The committee then adjourned.
The committee re-assembled yesterday—Mr. F. Peel in
the chair—when Mr. Hope Scott, Q.C., concluded his
address on behalf of the various dock companies for which
he appeared.
Mr. Rummell Gurney, Q. C.,then addressed the cota mitt°. on
the part of the corporation of London, stating that upwards
of fifty miles of sewers had been constructed at the expense of
the city ; that it could not be benefited by the main system
by the Metropolitan Board, and therefore that it
not to be called upon to contribute in the same pro-
portion as the other parts of the metropolis.
Mr. Rodwell, Q.C., submitted to the committee, on be-
half of several parishes for which he appeared, that no such
inconvenience existed under the present system as to cell
for the substitution of an entirely new pnnciple.
Mr. T. Smith having 'been heard on behalf cf the parish
of St. Botolph, Aldgate, the room was cleared, and the
committee deliberated.
_ _

On the readmission of the parties,
The Chairman mid the committee had decided upon
taking a middle course, 'and would leave it to the general
board to decide from time to time on what principle the
contribution to the expenses under the act of 1a53 should
be made—whether by the whole metropolis equally or by
the several parties according to the benefit which they may
be considered to derive, and proposed to alter the clause
accordingly.
The committee then adjourned.

SOUTH KENSINGTON musErm.
The select committee of the House of Commons ap-
pointed to inquire into the conditiou and capataities of the
South Kensington Museum met yesterday for the find
time, Mr. Lowe in the chair. The other members of the
committee are Sir J. Shelley, Mr. Emmet, Mr. Adderley,
Mr. Bentinck, Mr. Blackburn, Mr. Cole, Mr. Alderman
Cubitt, Lord W. Graham, Mr. Hankey, Mr. Hutt, Mr.
Kinnaird, Mr. John Locke, Mr. Jos. Locke, and Mr.
Stirling.
The committee having arranged their course of proceed-
ing, proceeded to examine Mr. Cole, the superintendent of
the museum. The examination during the time the corn.
mittee sat was directed solely to the met of the museum to
the public as a whole, and the contributions it had re-
ceived, with their value. Mr. Cole stated that the total
amount of the area occupied was i)9,280 square feet. The
I annual cost of the establishment voted by parliament was
in 1857-8, 43,339 r.; io 1858.9, 52,380/. ; and in 1859-00,
57,7001. The cost which had been defrayed be the nation
for ornamental art examples since 1838, and which had
come out of the estimates, amounted to 38,209/., and for
architectural its and ornaments 2,0001. The vulue of the
loans since the establishment was 460000 f., exclusive of
the Kob-i-noor. The total cost of the building from 1855
to 1860 amounted to 167,805/., while the total amount of
the private gifts was 88,592/. The whole value of the
loam since the establishment was 467,4641. The witness
then went into particulars respecting the cost of the
different galleries, such as the Sheepshanks Gallery and
others, as well as into the cost of several other departments
of the museum, and had not finished this portion of the evi-
dence when the committee adjourned.