The Express.
London, England, 1859-01-25 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 25, 1859.

MUSIC.

POPULAR CONCERTS, ST. JAMES'S-HALL.

Tbe concert of last night was good of its kind—
priekar esnigh, eertainly, for the most popular audience. It
being Kasen Vimetiot's ern appearance this season, we ex-
pected from this great performer something distingu, an air
from La atttttli.:o di Tiro being one of the things ret down
Ice her in the programme. But the fair singer, it would
miss, bad been persuaded that Mozart was too good—
ie perhaps not good enough—for the occasion ;
end so Mozart was thrown aside to mike room
foe Pacies hackneyed bravura, .11 soave e bel contento,"
and for another thing, Still more frivolous, which was Indeed
a mere string of unmeaning roulade' and nourishes. This
was not precisely what we could have expected from a lady
who is certainly one of the most accomplished artiste In
Europe. However, she received abundance of ►pplause,
though we doubt if she telt greatly flattered by it. Mr.
Sims Reeves was the hero of the evening. He tang two
ballads Freak Movire "Tell me, oh tell me," and

Hatton** "Good-bye, sweetheart;" and, them being encored,
he sang two others, "The hat mead summer," and a ballad
of Balls's. His efforts were rewarded by the most vehement
and vociferous applause. Then we had, as usual, the Swedish
singers, who have now taken to singing their ditties with
English words ; and Mims Bytes (who hap a very pretty
ming and Ogre Leeched sang seen eof the meet thread-
hen shu sad duple of Verdi sad Donizetti. Signor Re-
peal Payed a solo on the concertina; • comp:aid= of no
peat merit, but admirably executed. Itegondi has squired
such • mastery of this ungrateful Instrument, and
does such wonders with it, that we elwsye regret when we
Leer him that he hes not devoted his talents to the violin or
the pianoforte, on either of which he would certainly have
been one of the greatest perfordiers of the day. Mr. Maley
Richards played • pianoforte fsntesia on "Wards Last
Waltz." How this melody came to be so called we know
ad, for It le certainly not Weber's; but it is very pretty, and
served Mr. Richards am the subject of a masterly plies,
mishit he performed with remarkable bellies/3y mad peat
appi•ses. The ball was toll ; and certainly Uwe coaresee,
If they me of small importance in an artistic view, amen-
plisla at lead the object of getting money.

DRAMA.

ADELPHI.

A new piece, The Borgia .Ring, was produced last
night at this theatre. It bar one good situation and • chance
el two good effects, but of the latter no nae is made, and the
piece oast be described as dull and ineffective.
Mr. Webster sad Mre. Mellon did their beet with their
respective characters, end were honoured with a recall at the
611 of the certain. So was the author, who, whatever may
be his shortcomings as • dramatist, most sorely be an
estimable men la private life, for the theatre last night was
creamed with his frhads—ao paid claque, but well-►ppointd
geslse, who laailtel at what he intended for jokes, ap-
pleaded at his woks, and sang triumphal passe in We
boarar la the =dace

STEAM BOAT .ACOOMMODATION AT LONDON-
BRIDOZ

Yesterday, a special Court of Common Council was
held for the purpose of considering several letters from Sir
Jahn Rennie in relation to works in progress at London-
=ander the direction of the Thames conservancy oom-
. There was a very large attendaucce of members
of the court as well es of wharengers, lighterusen, and othete
oennerted with property on the south-east end mouth-west
Abe of the hi idge.
lb Deputy Town Clerk read the following lettere
" Spring-garden*, London, Dec. 2; 1858.
" comptroller of the Bridge-house estate, I beg
leave to °all your nentedotte attention to the proosedings which
ere now taking place and are, I hear, contemplated at the
south west and south-eta lending stain of London-Midge.
A steam bust landing and embarking pier was established
I her. some ',ewe knee. It emulated pertly of fixed and pertly
• Meeting materials. This pier was indicted ea a memo,
end obstruction to the navigation by Mesas. Feinting, the
proprietors of the wharf immediately below the bridge. The
MUM woe tried at Kingston nearly four years ago, end the
above pier wee declared to be a nuisance and obstruction to
the navigation and in contravention of the act of parliament
under which London Bridge was built, and the greater
portion was directed to be removed. The pier has since coop
tinned chiefly as • floating bindinrstage on the upper or
sat side of the bridge, but even in its present state it is the
cause of considerable obstruction to the navigation and of
injury to the bridge, because the numerous steamboats ply-
ing_ there frequently lie under the south or shore arch of the
bridge with the tops of their funnels within a few inches of the
des Bend mane of the arch atones, sad emit large
columns of time and heated smoke spinet the stone, by
which it Is very liable to be splintered off in large pieces, by
which means greet injury and detriment, or even danger,
may arise to the bridge. This nuisance, therefore, ought to
be abated imusedlately, for it Is impomible to say how far
the injury may extend. lam now credibly informed that it
le intended to construct • permanent fixed landing pier here
immediately in front of both the south-west and south-east
leading stare of the bridge, to a much greater extent then
what wee declared to be illegal at the above mentioned trial
at Kingston. The pier is proposed to extend about 34 fest
into the river beyond the face of the abutment, so that ad-
mitten that two steam-boats are permitted to remain along-
side the pier at one time, nearly half the navigable
of the south arch will be obstructed aid
rendered unavailable for the general navigation of the
river ; and If It be tree also, as I have heard stated, that
im • slier pier is to be erected in front of the mat and wait
landing stairs of the north end of the bridge, the navigation
will be deprived of • similar extent of waterway, so that the
available waterway for the general navigation river
will
of the
will be reduced to 560 feet, or an abridgment of one-fourth
nearly, instead of being 690 feet, as strictly enjoined by the
act of parliament. This would be a most serious detriment
to the navigation, the more so as the inner portions of the
two side or shore aches are chiefly need for bargee and other
vessels going to and coming from the wharves for a con-
adorable distance both above and below the bridge. It is
mat sementisi, therefore, that these arches should be
elm of every obstruction as far as peactl-
eekla the proposed piers will greatly ob-
stinate the free admission and discharge of the tidal
semi had waters which are absolutely and indispen-
m* neommeary fur the conservation and maintenance
eff nevipthon of the river Thames and the healthy die-
=s, of the drainage of the metropolis and the adjacent
end which was one of the principal object& of incur-
ring such a large expenditure in removing the old and in
building the present bridge, and will be in a greet measure
debated if ouch etructures as those proposal are permitted to
be erected. The waterway of London-bridge, after very great
minsideration, was fixed at 690 feet se the minimum gauge
ender the eircemetances, for the admission and discharge of
the fresh and tidal waters and for the navigation. Any
diminution of thie, or thane/Lion, will therefore be attended
with corresponding injurious effects to the river and naviga-
tion both above and below London-bridge, and ought
apes no account to be permitted. The great Mimesis at
membe are too important to be trifled with. The dredg-
ing and piling operations of the proposed piers will
be injurious in other respects. If it be necessary
that steamboat; pusengers should be accommodated, let this
be done by constructing landing piers at mach • distance
from the bridge, and in such a wanner that the seams mils
above contemplated cannot take place and there are situa-
tions equally if not more convenient in the vicinity where
this can be done, and thus the most important interests of
drainage, navigation, and conservancy of the Thames will
not be interfered with, whilst the public will at the same
time obtain the desired accommodation,
" I shall feel mach obliged by your bringing this letter
before the proper authorities as early as possible, in order
that the requisite measures may be taken to prevent the con-
struction of the proposed works, and when the subject Is
properly exploitive and understood, I feel confident that they
will not be persisted in.—l am, sir, your meet humble servant,
"F. limed, Req.""Joan Rearms
"Spring-gardens, Dec. 24, 1128.
"St n,-10 reply to your letter of the 23rd Met., acknow-
ledging the receipt of mine of the same date, I beg leave to
my that I regret thee it was net in my power to bring the
writer referred to in mine of the 23rd before the Common
Council earlier, aa I only received tne desired information on
the 22nd inst., but I had that they have already begun to
dredge clue to the stairs on the south-west end of the bridge,
the tendency of which is extremely injurious and ought to be
stopped • immediately, together with the other proceedings
mentioned in my letter of yeeterday, and I hope that no
delay vrill tak place—l am, sir, your mod Mashie servant,
Brande ,
Esq." " done Rutrus.
" Spring-gardens, Jen. 7, 1869.
" Sir,— I beg leave to inform you that I have again
examined the operations carrying on on the south-west land-
ing-stairs of London-bridge, mentioned in my letter to you
of the 23rd uhiteo, and find that they are adll proceeding to
the detriment of the bridge. They sbould be stopped imme-
diately ; and I hope that you will excuse ins again drawing
your attention to this important subject —I am, sir, your
humble servant, "JOHN MINNIE.
" F. Brand, Bsq , Comptroller of the Bridge-house
Ertates,
Mr. JAMES Low presented • petition from wharlingms
and occupiers of property on the north and south sides of the
Thames spinet the erection of the pier and works now in
p under the arch of London-bridge.
Mr. W. BARNES presented a petition to the same effect,
signed by 600 weternien and llghtermen of the River l'hamen.
In answer to question, put by the court, Mr. FLEMING
and Mr. Near, petitioners, stated that they had neither
wade any communication themselves, nor were they aware of
any having been made to Sir J. Rennie, with • view of in-
clueing him to write the letters above given.
Mr. Pr REINS, the late Chairman of the Bridge-borne
Committee, said—He had felt it his duty to Inform the Con-
servators of the Thames of the danger likely to arise to the
bridge, which bad cost the corporation upwards of a million
sterling, if the proposed work. were carried into execution,
that being the opinion of Sir J. Rennie, who had superin-
tended its construction throughout.
ANDERTON—WiII Sir J. Rennie employed by the
committee to Inspect these works lately
Mr. Pzanires—No, be use not.
Mr. ANDIITON—To the knowledge of the committee has
Sir J. Rennie been employed by any other person connected
with the court t
Mr. Pees ties—No, as far as the Bridge-house committee
are concerned, it was a voluntary act on his part. (Hear.)
Mr. An DERTON—IIe ia the ant engineer then who ever
did such • teem!.
The LOUD MATOI3.-1 can may of my own knowledge that
Sir J. Rennie, on one or two occasions, when he thought the
bridge...ea endangered by reason of storks being done, thought
it his duty to write to the committee, of which I was a mem-
ber, and that hie commit:deadens proceeding from a desire to
profit the structure, have always been received with courtesy.
Mr. Low said that as London-bridge had been built
by all Corporation under the Bridge House committee
and was held by them in trust, it was their bounden duty to
watch over It with the greatest possible care, and to see that
its stability was not endangered. (Rear, hear.) They were
told by Sir J. Rennie, who was better acquainted with the
construction of the bridge than any one elm, that the effect
of the proposed pier and works will be to deprive the public
of one-fourth of the present waterway. It had been declared
in a court of law that the erection of a pier of smaller dimen-
sions than the present was a public nuisance, and it was
ordered to be removed ; and why, after this verdict, enCroid7
should proceed to erect a pier and other works on a
scale he was at a total lose to imagine. He watched the
movements of the Thames Conservancy Commissioners with
a great (lest of anxiety, lest those gentlemen should arbitra-
rily exercise the powers given them by the legislature. In
the opinion of Sir J. Rennie, and other persons well quali-
fied to speak upon the subject, the proposed works would
greatly endanger the stability of the fourth abutment of the
bridge. He therefore moved that the letters of Sir J.
Rennie, and the petition, be referred to the Bridge-house
Committee, and that the committee have authority to con-
sult
engineers thereon, and to report to that court.
Mr. BAHNES seconded the motion.
Mr. THOUP—The oonyervators believe that the projected
pier will tend greatly to the public convenience, and they are
satisfied, from the information of pawns well-qualified to
give an opinion that it will cams very slight, if any, obstruc-
tion to those engaged in commerce or otherwise on the firer.
Mr. ANDERTOX hoped that the pier would be erected.
Considerable discussion having taken ;Ism the motion
was then put and carried, and, open ablation being taken,
there appeared 38 fur the affirmative sad 38 for the negative.
The Lord Mayor then gave his emoting vote against the
motion, which was consequently lost, amid much cheering.
The coat adjourned.

SouTH lintingoTon MtleElTY.—During the week
ending January 22,1859, the visitors base been as faltered, .
On Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, by days, 3.874 ,• cm
!donday and Tuesday. free evenings, 2,819. On the three
students' days (admission to the public 6d.), 780; one
students' evening, Wednesday. 430; total, 8,903. From
the opening of the museum, 7621611,