The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-23 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN' BOARD OP WORKS.

The weekly meeting of the Metropolitan Board
of Works was held yesterday in the new offices, Spiior
gardens • Yr. J. Tawariss is the chair.
The 41:1111111114 statement was preseeted, whisk gave the
follow* cash balances in the head" of the treasurer :
Current accounts, 44,8121 lls. 10d. . • deposit accounts,
70,000/.—Total, 114,882 f. lls. 10d. Governmeut securities,
New Three per Cent. Annuities, 32,9691. sa. 4d. Cheques
ordered but nit presented :—lssued, 3,0271. 17s. lOd. ; not
issued, 26,7191. 15e—Total, 29,747/. 12s. 10d. The sum to
be set aside this year for repayment of mortgage debts
amounts, up to the present time, to 2,5121. 6s. 3d.
A report was brought up from a committee of the whole
board, which recommended that the offieed standing counsel
should not be filled up.
Mr. Pecurrr moved that the recommendation of the cone
matte should be agreed to.
The motion having been 'wooded, was put, and unani-
mously agreed to.
A further recommendation was brought up from the same
committee, stating that is the opinion of the committee it is
expedient that all the legal business of the board should he
transacted io the office of the Metropolitan Bound, and •
solicitor appointed who should devote the whole of his
time to the duties of the office. They also recommended
that the salary of the solicitor to the board be 8018. per
annum, unless the board can obtain the advantage of the
services and long experience of their present solicitor, Mr.
William Wyke Smith, at &salary of 1,0001. per annum.
Mr. Preaerr moved that the recommendation of the
committee be agreed to.
The motion having been seconded, some discussion ensued,
in the course of which Mr. Sorra expressed has willingness
to continue his services on the terms proposed.
Eventually the motion was carried by a large majority.
Mr. Tan M.P., in reference to the return which had
been moved for in the House of Commons as to the amount
of the contracts for main drainage works, the amount of
work done, the cost of new streets, the settlement of claims
and the cost of the new offices in Spring-gardens, denied
the charges which had been brought by Mr. Locke, the
member for Southwark, against the board. He repeUed
the charge that they exercised an undue extravagance with
the ratepayers' mooey sod with respect to the allegation
that they had spent 110,0001. in Will:hag themselves • palace
that was • gross exaggeration. He moved that Mr. Pollard,
their clerk, do make an official return in compliance with
the terms of the order, sod then the figures would speak
for themselves.
_

The, motion was put and agreed to.
Mr. flavton moved that a clause be inserted in the bill
No. 1, now before parliament, for the Amendment of the
Metropolis Load Manmement Act to extend the time for
earrylog out the ceovamons of the !inebury-perk Act, 20
and 21 Victoria, cap. 150, for the period of three years.
The motion was wad to and the board adjourned.

BLACKTRIAINI-NNIDOL—The committee for letting
the Bridge-hoses estates have just presented to the Court of
Canino* Council a report, recommending the demolition of
Riackfrieratridge, and theerectieu of a new can, and asking
for authority to obtain designs and estimates for the con-
struction of the proposal edifice. The report is signed by
all the members of thecommittee, 22 in number, including
among others Mr. Valiance, the chairman, Sir Hoary Mug-
geridge, Aldermen ALhiss, Rose, and Medd, and Mr. Sheriff
Lusk ; and the whole subject is to be discussed on TIM.
day at a Court of Common Council especially convened
for the wpm.
Tun %WM IN LONDON. —A mooting was bold
ea Thursday evening, at Jewin•stevet Chapel, to consider
the desirability of erecting AO additional suitable place of
worship for the Welsh residents in London and its suburbs.
Richard Lewis, Req., occupied the chair. The chairman
said that the number of W ash people resident in London
and its neighbourhood wee calculated at 40,000. For that
line WS of persons there WY only religious accommoda-
tion, in their own language, for 5,000. Such a lamentable
state of things contrasted most usfavourably with the
means of religious worship possessed by the Welsh people
in their own country. There, with a population of a million
and a quarter, they had sittings in their churches and cha-
pels for a million of persons. Out of every hundred
persons in Wales it was estimated that fifty-two attended
a place of worship every Sunday ; but in London not twenty-
four Welsh persons in every hundred attended say Welsh
church or chapel. It wail a distressing fact that out of the
35,000 Welsh people thee left, comparatively speaking, in
a state of religious destitution in their own language. a large
proportion of them were found by our city invasions and
others in • most degraded state. Although the humbler
dames of the Welsh people might acquire sufficient kuow-
ledge of the English language to perform their secular
callings satisfactorily, yet it was well known that a large
majority of them were incapable of worshipping profitably
in it. The object of their meeting that night was to pro-
mote the erection of a suitable place of worship, more espe-
cially far the Welsh Wesleyan' resident in London. A sum
of about 1,11001, wee required to accomplish that desirable
object ; and he (liis &airman) had no hesitation in saying
that on the kwfarge Imbed nand beam* more generally
known to the hdlusema Welsh people resident ia London
and throughout the smoky, that amount would not long be
wanting. The was afterwards addressed by the
Revs. T. Asleep, T.Edey , Wm. Davis., and other gen-
tlemen, sad ohm perking a vote of thanks to the chairman,
the proosediqp dosed.
Mr. A. Baonon, Wine and Spirit Merchant, of
se, &trend. bee altered hie prices is seccedanee with the farther
Mull= of the wine duties. lie is now selling excellent Post
and Wen at lilt per dozen. and a good sound Motet et Ido pie
doses, bottles included.—[Advertisessent.]