The Express.
London, England, 1861-05-29 00:00:00

THAMES EMBANILIBF-NT BILL

l'pon the order for the second reading of this bill,
COWP/At said that considering the position be
held he wsa sorry to interfere in any way with a pri-
vate bill. but he felt it to be him duty on
the present occasion to ask the house not to agree
to the second reading of this bill. The railway company
interested in the measure proposed to relieve themselves
from the burden of purchasing land by throwing the ex-
pense on votes of parliament. They proposed the Woods
and Forest. should, out of the money voted by parliament
for the purchase of boat necessary for the embankment,
buy and heed over sufficient to enable them to construct
their railway. Hs thought in allowing this clause to per
the house would be Admitting a very precedent.
oa these mamas he moved that the bill read a second
time that day six months.
Mr. AYRTON said he should oppose the hill, unless the
clauses in question were omitted. There never was such an
extravagant proposition as that which they contained, and
instead of the Chief Comm...loner of Works encouraging
the promoters, he ought to have told them that that propo-
sition meld not be entertained for a moment.

Mr. COWPER denied that he had given &synch eocou-
nissismit,
Mr. A lr" ETON said the house should not give themselves
up to the COMMiLDOII which had bees issued, end that the
undertaking ought to be left to be carried out by the
Metropolitan Board, under the control of the house.
Lord FEE NOY said the bill gave to a vate company
power to deal with public mosey, and "jobbing," against
which there was no security, might be the result. He
thought the home ought to wait until they had received the
report of the commission before they dealt with this bill.
Lord J. MANNERS joined with the First Commissioner
of Work, in opposiug the second reading. He also agreed
that they ought to wait until they were in possession of the
report of the commissioners, and thought it would be most
unfortunate if the hone:, pledged itself to the principle that
the Thames ernbasksseut should not be carried out except
by • railway company.
Lord H. LENNOX said all he asked was that the bill
should be referred to • select committee, where the details
might be considered. He intended to put the howls to the
trouble of dividing, in order that the public might know on
whom rested the blame of not carrying out a great public
improvement. He charged the government with a want of
alacrity in regard to the Thames embankment.
Kir C. C. LEWIS, in opposing the second reading, said
there was danger is going to a division without understand.
ing the real facts of the case. The select committee ap-
pointed to inquire into the subject remmmeoded that the
embankment should be executed under the control of the
Metropolitan Board of Works, and that the expense should
came out of the London coal dues, so that no adil i timid charge
should be Awed on the Exchequer. The government lost
so time in acting on that recoinmeodetion' and there
was no remissness or supineoess on their part. They issued
• royal commission to inquire into the best plan for the
embankment, sod be himself brought is • bill, the object of
which was to appeopriete the coal dues to that object. That
question was now pending for the decision of the house. If
the house decided in favour of the present proposal they
would create • nominal company, which would not mainly
he supported by the eulscriptions of the shareholders, but
by a large subsidy, to be provided by prospective votes of
the house, and by large coetributiom in the shape of rates
upon the metropolis, to be raised by the compulsory powers
of the Metropolitan Board of Works. Bach a decision would
not only amount to the virtual rejection of the go-
vernment mensnire, but be totally unprecedented.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE asked the noble lord who had
charge of the bill if he had any objection to postpone the
second reading until the commission had presented their
reed H. LENNOX said he would agree to that sug-
gestion.

C. LEWIS said the hill was so objectionable in
principlu, Orin, r it did, a brie sum of public money at
the disposal of a private oosapany, that he could not reset
So the course proposed. (Hear, bear.)
The socond reading was then negatived without a divi-
sion ; 2,1 the bill wsa consequently lost.