The Express.
London, England, 1868-03-28 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.

The usual weekly meeting of the members of this
board was held yesterday, at their °Mom in Spring-
gardens ; Sir J. TlWArfal in the chair.
The finance committee brought up their mak statement,
from which it appeared that there were the following
sums in the bands of the treasurer, vim :—ln the London
and Westminster Bank, 170,4801. 2s. 4d. ; in the Bank of
England, 138,382/. 4s. id. ; total, 3088624 6s. fki. Cheques
not presented, 94,8711. 7s. Id. Main drainage advances
(deposit account), 200,0001. The investments were—
Mortgage debt sinking fund, 36,17131. Be. 4d. New Three
per Cant. Annuities ; Sr. brigade superannuation fund,
1,9401.145. Three per Cent. Reduced Annuities. The
sums received from the 9th to the 21st March, 1868, la-
elusive amounted to 9,6381. Os. 6d., whilst the pey-
manta itfoommended amounted to 18,1681. fe. 2d.
The report of the finance committee recommended that
the offer of the Zoonomic Life Assurance Society to ad-
vance the sum of 100,0001. required by the board for de-
fraying the expenses of covering over main sewers at 4}
per cent. be accepted, the principal and interest being
repaid by equal half-yearly instalments within a period of
30 years. After some discussion as to the rate of interest,
the recommendation wes agreed to, as was also, "That the
sum of 30,0001. be borrowed from the Royal Exchange
Assurance Corporation for the purposes of the Sr. bnrpide
at 41 per cent., the amount being repaid at the end of
three ears from the date of advance." The application of
the Wandsworth district board, for permission to borrow
20,0001. for a period of 30 years, at a rate of interest not
exceeding Ave per cent. per annum, the sum being for
sewerage purposes, was also *weed to, together with that
of the vestry of Rotherhithe, for permission to borrow
B,ooof. for paving purposes, at a rate not exceeding Ave per
omit., for 20 years.
A report was presented from the Works and General
Purposes Committee stating that they bad issued an ad-
vertimment for tenders for footways and fames on the
Thames Embankment, north, contrasts Nom 1 and 2, sub-
mitting specldeation for the works. Is reference to this
subject the following report from Mr. Bafalgette, the chief
engineer
to
ef
thee beeed,board o7ThePrillVdt:.—tolure7.llLtZot.h!
to make arrangements for opening the Thames
Embankment road or footway during the ensuing summer,
I beg to report that to form the carriage way along the
face of the embankment would not at present be prudent,
because it would have to be taken up for the construction
of the Metropolitan District Railway underneath it. The
speoilloation and drawings now submitted by the commit-
tee for the approval of the board provide for the founds-
tion of a paved footway 20 feet wide along the face of the
embankment from Westminster-bridge to the west end of

the Temple-gardens. Two approaches will be eon-
nected with Westminster -b , one down the
steps and along the DITIr Westminster steamboat-
pier, and the other at the back of the pier, by • gradual
incline from the level of the bridge down to Wit of the
embankment. A subway for foot passengers is to be formed
from the Houses of Parliament, underneath Bridge-street
to the station of the Metropolitan District Railway, and I
am now in communication with Mr. Barry with • view to
submitting for the consideration of the board a design for
the continuation of that subway to give moms to the
Westminster steamboat-pier, and for allowing foot pas-
sengers to pais from the footpaths on the Thanes Embank-
ment to any part of Westmuistor without encountering
the carriage traffic in that locality. A temporary paved
feet approach is proposed to be formed from Villien-strost,
Strand, to the Embankment roadway and Charing-arms
steamboat-pier. Some arrangement will have to be
made with the Booth Eastern Railway Company in order to
maintain the full width of this approach at the
upper and, and it would be to the public advantage and
their own interest that they should also form an approach
by sto from the footway at the aide of the Charing-
cross Railway-bridge down to the embankment footway.
A third temporary paved footway approach would be
formed from the steps of the side of Waterloo-bridge,
' giving moms between Wellington-street and she Waterloo
steamboat-pier. The fourth temporary paved footway
approach weald be from the steps at the end of &sex-
street, Strand. to the Terephi sisamboat-pier, whilst& fer
the t would be the 11111114•111 cad of the Thanes ow-
et promenade. A coeunenkatics may also be
made with the fenipiirgerdewe if desired by the represen-
tatives of that body. The whole of the feehesys will be
famed elf by temporary wooden fearing, sad may be
opened to the public in the mane of the email% summer."
Mr. FIZINAI tooted the adopt on of the report of the
cootedtbse, and she the repeat of the eogiseer, which,
after acme dhiesies, was awned to.
Seine ether berissms of a petiliae ebareetor hewing lase
Os bowl sijesessd.