The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-27 00:00:00

VENICE.

THAMES HAVEN PIER.

The chairman and directors of the Thames Haven
Company (Limited) and numerous invited guests
proceeded from Penchurch-street station yesterday
mctlun by special train to Thames Raven, to in-
the works recently completed there. The
place is about a down miles below Gravesend, on
the opposite shore, and is too insignificant in
appearance to attract the attention of the excur-
sionist sailing down the river. If, however, the

expectations of the Thames Haven Company are
realized, it will be developed into one of the most
important stations on the river. The chief object
is to facilitate the transport of cattle frtkm the con-
tinent to the Metropolitan Cattle-marki3t, and this
desirable end is to be achieved bylanding the beasts
at Thames Haven, and conveying them at once by
the London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway to
the Islington market. The present system of land-
ing cattle at Blackwell not only involves risk, and
often absolute loss to the ship and stock owners,
but, as recent deputations to the Home Secre-
tary have shown, inflicts increased torture
upon the poor brutes driven through the
streets, and outrages the feelings of humane
passers by, who are compelled to witness
the cruelty of the drovers. When the advantages of
Thames Haven are better known a considerable
Wand passenger traffic is also
hat* the works hate been mainly c=4l.to
accommodation for cattle, and the inspection yes-
terday showed that it was ample and convenient.
The new pier is nearly 200 feet long, and so broad
that the superficial area amounts to something
like 7,000 feet. There are four landing-places con-
structed, to allow vessels to unload at any portion
of the tide ; and the peculiarity of the shore, not-
withstanding the comparative shortness of the
pier, gives 19 feet depth at the end at low water.
In connection with the landing-places are improved
hoisting cranes, and, tramways by which cattle or
goods may be transferred from the hold of the ship
to the railway waggons in a few minutes. Close to
the shore a slaughter-house has been built, where
50 carcases, in case of necessity, can be dealt with
at once. Several dozens of large cattle pens adjoin,
each beingprovided with water springing fromawell
sunk for the purpose by the company. Seventeen
acres of pasture land and some open yards com-
plete the provision made for cattle. There are
sidings communicating with the pens, enabling
three trains to be loaded simultaneously. The
merits of such a station as this are obvious. In-
stead of cargoes of cattle lying be-fogged off the
marshes higher up the river for hours, and some-
times days together, they can be taken direct per
rail from Thames Haven to the market in an hour
and a half. The portion of the voyage most fatal
to cattle, and destructive to shipowners, will thus
be avoided. From this new pier passengers and
goods can be conveyed to Fenchurch-street station
in an hour. Vessels can reach Thames Haven in
six hours from Boulogne and Calais, and twelve
hours from Rotterdam. Both visitors and share-
holders in the concern were yesterday much
pleased with the premises, and the sanguine
opinion of all was that the undertaking could not
fail to prove of immense advantage to the public,
while it paid a handsome per centage to the pro-
moters. In the evening the company dined at
Mr. Lockley's hotel, Gravesend, under the chair-
manship of Mr. Capper, M.P.

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.

The weekly meeting of the board took place
at the offices in Spring-gardens, yesterday ; Sir JOHN
Tnwarras, the chairman, presided.
Mr. POLLARD, the chief clerk, read a letter from Mr.
Miller, M.P. who represented Westminster at this board,
resigning '
his seat on account of illness.
A report was brought up from the finance committee,
submitting for approval a statement showing the annual
value of the City of London and other parts of the metro-
polio, estimated according to the estimate or basis on which
the county rate is assessed, or according to a like estimate.
together with the sums to be assessed thereon in respect
to the metropolis main drainage rata of 3d. in the pound,
1866-7 ; and recommending that the necessary precepts be
' sealed and issued. Under this revised plan, the metro-
polis main drainage rate of 3d. in the pound would produce
the following amounts :-City of London, 26,374/. 3e. 941.;
St Maryleboxe, 13,171 f. 171. ; St. Pancras, 11,573/. fs. ;
Lambeth, 7,962/. 10s.; St. George, Hanover-equare,l3,4s3/.
Be. ; St. Mary, Islington, 9,7201. Bs. ; St. Leonard's, Shore-
ditch, 4,8251. lls. ; l'uddington, 9,4791. tie. ; St.
Matthew, Bethnal-green, 2,401/. 9s. ; St. Mary, Newing-
ton, Surrey, 3,0001. ; Camberwell, 3,125/. ; St. Jame,
Westminster, 5,7751. Bs. ; St. James, Clerkenwell, 3,c311:
lls. ; Chelsea, 3,748/. 7a. • St. Mary Abbott, Kensington,
6,264/. :is. ' • St. Luke, Middlesex, 2,330/. 13e. ; St. George,
Southwark, 1,825/. ; Bermondsey 1,875/. ; St. George4n-
the-East, 2,4611. 9s. 311. ; St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 3,316/.
i4s. ; Mile End Old Town, 2,388/. 4s. ; Woolwich, 1,037 f.
10s. ; Rotherhithe, 1,043/. 15s. ; St. John, Hampstead,
1,145/. 6e. Whitechapel District, 3,456 i. 12s. lid. ; West-
minster, 4,2451. 15s. ; Greenwich, 3.437/. 4s. ; Wands-
worth, '4,517/. 10s. ; Hackney, 4,632/. 14s. ; St. Giles,
3,467/. 13s, ; Holborn, 2,432/. 14a. 9d. ; Strand, 3,51301, Is.;
9,141. Pt. ; IN. Pophic
4,304/. ; St. Saviour's, 2,030/. ; Plunistead, 2,29/4. 2s. fad. :
Lewisham, 2,842/. 12s. 6d. ; St. Olive, 1,383/. 15s. ; The
Charterbouse, 241. 7s. ; Gray'e-inn, 1.58/. 3e. ; the Close of
the Church of St. I'eter, 18t. 4s. ; Inner Temple, 248/. 6a.
lid. ; Middle Temple, 162/. 10a. ; Lincoln's-ins, 215/. 11e. ;
Staple-inn, 28!. 2s. ; FurnivaPs-inn 39/. Ils.-total,
190,6591. IL. 9.1.
Another report was also brought up from the Finance
Committee, recommending that a communication be ad-
dressed to her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Horns
Department, calling attenti,n to the length of time which
has elapsed since the county rate for the county of Surrey
was revised, and the consequent inequality of the weer
ment as compared with the other parts of the metropolis, and
suggesting that the attention of the justices for the county
of Surrey should be called to the matter, with a view to an
early reassessment of the property within that county,
and more particularly that part within the metropolitan
The motion wee agreed to.
A report was brought up from the Works and General
Purposes Committee on the question of the concession of
the sewage of the southern side of the Thames. The re-
port detailed various interviews the committee bad bud
with Mi. Ellis, whose plan had been favourably received,
and it stated that various communications bad been
received from him stating that as there had
been a panic in the money market he had been unable to
raise the money necessary for the prosecution of the scheme.
'livery indulgence had been 'Oven to Mr. Ellis to mature his
plans, but as there appeared to be no respect of his being
able to go to parliament, the committee recommended that
the board should re-advertise for tenders for the concession
of the sewage of tbe southern side of the Thames. A
letter was received from Mr. Ellis, enclosing bonds for
5,0001., asking fora delay of fourteen days, and stating that
at the expiration of that time he should be able to increase
the amount to 10,600/.
Mr. FREEMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
said the time was conic when the interests of the rate-
payers should be consulted, and the indulgences granted
to Mr. Ellis should be brought to an end. If they adver-
tised for fresh tenders Mr. Ellis could again send in his
plan, and if he was in a position to carry it out then he
would be rather improved than damaged by the coarse pro.

Mr. Mr. Coutivins seconded the motion.
Mr. WesrEirrnicthourht the delayof fourteen days asked
for by Mr. Ellis was only a reasonable request, and he
moved an amendment to the effect that the consideration
of this subject be deferred for a fortnight.
After some discussion, however, the amendment was
negatived, and the report of the committee was agreed to
by a majority of 24 to a.
After some routine business the board adjourned.

A Smotridat Occunr.ENce.—As a gentleman
was driving along the Cheam-road a few nights since,
about 200 yards from the Cock Inn, at Sutton, be noticed
something before his horse's path, and in a moment found
a scuffling close under the animal's feet. The next instant
he perceived a bare making oil on one side the road and
a large cat on the other. The latter b evidently seized
the hart and was dragging it along, but either
proved too gnat, or the resistance of the captive too strong,
and the horse's feet came swiftly up and divided him and
his prey. That cats will destroy rabbits and poultry is
well known, bat we have never before heard of sae giving
chase to a hare.—Surrey Standard.
QUZIJINTOWN, OCT. 26.—The Inman steamship
City of New York, from New York on the 13th inst.,
arrived here at 3.20 a.m. to-day, with 360 passengers and
49,200 dollars in specie. She landed 68 of the former, and
proceeded at 4 a.m. for Liverpool.