The Express.
London, England, 1860-06-09 00:00:00

EAST INDIA.-DISARMING NATIVES.

Mr. H. BAILLIE moved an address for copies of all
oorrospondence with the several governments of India re-
garding the disarming of the natives, together with any
minutes and opinions recorded by members of the late board
of directors previously to the transfer of the Indian govern-
ments to her Majesty, and subsequently of the Council of
India, having reference to the same subject.
The motion was agreed to.
STIPENDIARY MAGISTRATE&
_ _ • •

On the motion of Mr. ir. B.tfiiiiiiAire;;wes given to
bring in a bill to enable cities, towns, and boroughs of
30,000 inhabitants and upwards to appoint stipendiary
magistrates.
AGRICULTURAL SERVANTS. . .

On the motion of Mr. Lions leave was given to bring in
a billto amend the law ratting to the hiring of agricultural
servants.

SERVICE..

Sir J. ELPHINSTON E rose to move for leave to bring in
a bill to establish a test for anchors and chain cables for the
merchant service, when
An Hon. Meseta moved that the house be counted.
There beingonly 38 members present, the house adjourned
at 10 minutes to 9 o'clock.

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES.

OF THZ THAMES.

The select committee appointed to inquire into
the best means of providing for the increased traffic of the
metropolis by the embankment of the Thames, re-aasembled
yesterday, Sir J. PAXTON in the chair.
Kr. JONATHAN THORPE, common councilman and chair-
man of the Thames Conservancy Board, on behalf of the
conservators, explained the jurisdiction of the conservators
and the various improvements which they were now carry-
ing out. The conservators were strongly favourable to the
embankment of the Thome*, provided it were not carried
so far into the river as to interfere with the tidal water.

Mr. Roupell—What is the nature of the river improve-
ment you are carrying out!
Mr. 'Thorpe—We are dredging the entrance to some new
docks and have the dredgers employed opposite Lambeth
Palace, and at Staines Lock and Twickenham. We have re-
cently placed a portion of the shore opposite Lambeth
Palace upon an incline. The work was simply done as an
experiment to fill up some mud holes, and try whether it
would have the effect of preventing the accumulation of
mud on the foreshore. The result has been perfectly seta-
factory.
By lard J. Manners—The river between Vauxhall and
Chelsea-bridge has been embanked on the Middlesex side
but not on the other side. By narrowing the bed of the
river a greater scour would be given. The conservators
would not object to an embankment sufficiently wide to
carry a road 100 feet in width.
By Mr. Walter—Such a line would leave a portion of the
bed of the river uncovered at low water. He would not
state at present what line the conservators would prefer.
Captain Batista', R.N., was the next witness. He said
lie was secretary to the Thames Conservancy Board, and
had been intimately acquainted with the river since 1832.
He had been employed upon many of the Admiralty sur-
veys, and had been engaged in ascertaining what change
had taken place with reference to the foundations of West-
miester-Wvigo. There had been a general deepening of the
river above London-bridge, and a lowering of the water-
surface of the river. He had established a series of obeer-
vatimw for the purpose of ascertaining whether the high
water level attained the same height at various places
between London-bridge and Woolwich, and the result was
that the tideway reached the same height at all places. All
the observations be had made went to show that the velocity
of the stream varied with the sectional area.
The Chairman—Have you ever directed your attention
to the pt iety of embanking the Thames!
Captain Bnn4l replied that be had, and that he did not
Welt it would affect the rise of the tide. Whether it would
be for the advantage of the river must depend upon the de-
scsiption of embankment, and how far it projected into the
river. If sufficient room were allowed for the ordinary
waterside traffic, he did not think it would be objectionable,
but should not like to give any opinion in the absence of
plane. In any scheme. as much tidal water as possible
should be reserved. He did not think any harm would be
does to the wharfingers if suffloient space were allotted to
them outside the embankment. If sufficient space were
provided for them within the embankment, they
would be more safe than they were at present. Ile had
no doubt that if the embankment were made sufficiently
wide, the traffic of the Strand and Fleet-street would be
greatly relieved. If the river were oontraeted by an em-
bankment, the tide would run at the rate of about three
miles an hour. There would be no occasion for • solid
embankment ; but if the mud were allowed to accumulate
in as open erukonkment, it might become very offensive.
A solid embankment, with sufficient accommodation for the
waterside traffic, would be the best.
Kr. Scott, chamberlain to the City, was then examined.
He stated that the produce of the cool duty in 1857, after
allowing the drawback, was 128,1488/. ; in 1858 it was
131,650/. ; in 1859 it was 135,3881. There had been
a steady increase since the duty was first levied.
The charge. upon the duty were 30,188/. for
improvements at the Wastand ; 88,00 W. for improvements
in Clerks:amen ; and 35,000/. for tie Metropolitan Board of
Works in relation to improvements in Caveat-garden.
In Nay, 1861, the Bd. duty would be hen treat
charge, sad the duty would erase unless parliament
placed some fresh charges upon it. There was some doubt
whether 4d. out of thud would not he continued, Mao.
much as it was imposed by the act of William and Mary for
ever. Since the ditty imposed_
been levied very large BUMP bad