The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-07-11 00:00:00

31.111G.-17'E.

This favourite place of summer resort is filling eery fast
with genteel company. A number of families of the first
respectability have lately taken houses, some of them for
the whole season ;in short there is now but very few large
houses to let. Howe opened his rooms for the season on
Sunday evening last, with a selection of sacred music, from
the oratorio of the " Intercession." composed by M. P.
King, upon which occasion several new performers made
their first appearance. Mr. Robinson and Master Barker,
pupils of Watson, and Mr. R. S. Taylor, sang with fine
effect. Miss Meek is much improved since last season ;
and our old favourite Tinney was in fine voice. The first
concert took place on Tuesday, which was respectably at-
tended, and the performances went off' with great eclat.—
' The finale was the Hunting Chorus from Der Freischutz,
which was ably performed, and warmly applauded. The
first ball on Thursday was very well attended, under the
direction of Captain Bayley, who officiated as M. C., Mr.
French being prevented by indisposition. Quadrilles and
country-dances took place alernately, and the company
departed highly p!eased with the polite attention and gen-
tlemanly conduct of the officiating M. C.
Among the arrivals at Howe's Royal Hotel, within the
last fortnight, are—
His Grace the Duke of Rutland, Mr. Stanley, Sir Bellingham
Oraitatn, Mr. Maxey, General Cnghlau and sell, General Light.
burn, Lieutenant-Colonel Sherwood and two daughters, Dr. and
Mrs. Hozarth and son, 31r.Siars and family, Mr. Mawhood, Mrs.
Huntley, Mr. Davidson, Mr. Harrington, Mr. Taylor, Rev. Mr.
Lane, Mr. Austin, Mr. Atkinson, Mr. QuiDinar., Mr. Sykes, Mr.
and Miss Potter, and Mr. Evans, Capt. Short, Mr. Money, Mr.
kyles and fancily, Mr. Smith, Mr. Wright, Mr. Thomas, Mr.
Jones, Mr. Heald. Mr. Berry. Mr. Johnson, Mr. Abud and
family, Mr. and Mrs. Bak,r, Mr. Shoubridge, Mr. Siordet, &c.
_ •
Such is the rage far union societies now, that the sea
ap-
prenticta at Sunderland, have actually had regular meet-
rugs every day this week, on the Moor, and have resolved
nut to go on board their ships unless the owners will allow
thvm tea and vigor!
The following is the Monthly Retuni of Patients in
Middlesex Hospital, for June, from the Ist to the 30th
I inclusive:—

- .
In-Patients admitted by letter - 91
Ditto, Accidents - 2tl
—ll7
Out-Patients admitted by letter . - 139
Ditto, Accidents - . 110
—279

-.-
ImPatients diseharg•J . • . 105
Remaining in the Hospital • . 1111
A number of the freemen of Chester have invited Gen.
C. B. Egerton, brother to the late Sir J. G. Egerton, to
car himself at the next election as a candidate for the ho-
nour of represtnting Clister in the new Parliament.
On Thursday two carters happened to quarrel at the
Canal Basin, when the one stabbed the other in the fleshy
part of the thigh. The same day a young fellow fastened
a quarrel upon his father-in-law, residing in Carrubber's-
close, and finished the altercation by stabbing him, though
not dangerously, in the side. The offender is in custody.
—Edinburgh Riper.
DE AT H Or I;ODEREY THE OF FICEE.—An inquest has
since sat on the body, and returned a verdict--" Shot him-
'self in a state of temporary derangement."
Tu a Rev. 11. lit:lPT.—The following are further par-
ticulars relative to the accidental death of this Gentleman, which
took place on Thursday last, at Stanwell Park, the seat of S:r J.
Gibbons, Bart. The Reverend flentleman had preached at Stan-
well Church on C.lutaday last, and on the morning when the fatal
accident occurred, had as usual breakfasted with the family party
in excellent spirits. About noon, the weather being hot, he pro-
ceeded to take a cold bath, when it is supposed that venturing out',
of bis depth, he was seized with cramp, and sank to rise no more.
His clothes were found on the bank where he had undressed for
bathing.
1 On Saturday night, about eleven o'clock, a fire broke
out in the extensive premises of 31r. Smith, cabinet-maker, King-
street, Smithfield. 'fhe lire listing commenced in the upper part
of the house, where there was a considerable quantity of light
wood, is was not subdued until the whole of the property on the
premises was destroyed.

Itt Pon r
FROM 'THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON METROI;OLIS
TURNPIKE TRUSTs.

The Select Committee appointed to inquire Imo the Receipts., Ex.
penoliouz, and Management of the several Turnpike Truro'
within a en Miles of London, mad to report their Opinion and
Observations thereupon to the House; together with the Mi-
nutes of Evidence taken before them ;.:o.liave inquired into the
Matters to them referred, and agreed to the following Report :
Your Committee proceeded to call for thedeaailed accounts of the
different Trusts, and to inquire into the ittality and price of the
materials tared by them, the number of turnpike gates, and the
general management of the funds.
Many of the accounts were found to be in a very confused state,
and the cl,:srks of the trusts utterly incapable of stihrding the in-
formation which de Committee required; and it appeared that in
some instances no regular accuants had been kept till within these
few yea:s.
'file evstience shows that the amount of income raised it much
larger than is necessary to keep the roads in the best state of re-
pair, an 9 that it thaw tan& had been skilfully applied, and proper
materials obtained and used for the last seven years, according to
the recommendation of the Committees of this House who Not in-
stituted inquiries on dais subject, the roads would have been in a
muchmore perfect state of repair, and the debt.% tat' the trust much
reduced, and die tolls consequenaly lower.
The Committee have no hesitation in stating it as their decided
opinion, that the aurtece of the Roads has undergone considerable
improvement since the first inquiry took place in 11119, and when
die attention of Parliament war particularly called to the expensive
management and defective state .f die roads in the vicinity of the
Metropolis.
Though the surface of the road is now of a better form, and (in
some places) better materials are now used, still much remains to
be accomplished ; in proof of which the Cointidute cannot refrain
from extracting put of Mr. Telford's Report of last year, submitted
to the House under the authority of the Holyhead Commissioners,
on 51141 portion of the London road (within the Highgate and
Hampstead moat) that C0111(11 within their inspection :
" This trust is still defective as regards the transverse sectional
shine of a perfect road ; the degree of convexity is scarcely in any
two places the same; the breadth of the road is nut sufficiently uni-
t, rni nr defined by proper side channels ; they are crooked in their
direction, and of every variety of form."
Your Committee deemed it also expedient to hare a storey made
by 11r. John London 311. Adam, and Mr. Cook, the surveyor of the
roads and palrement for the parish of St. Mary-la-bonne (to which
your Committee beg to refer). who point nut the present negligent
mode of superintendence, defeettveneas in the form of the road,
drainage, materials. &c., from which it is evident that great im-
provement might be nrode under a uniform and better manage-
'tient.

It is clearly prot•el by the evidence that Whinstone is decidedly
the best material for the formation of a good economical and durable
road, and that this material has been Wile used in the immediate
vicinity of London.
The drainage, of an much importance to the formation of a good
mad, requires to be directed by a more skillul and experienced exe-
entire department, and upon a inure extended, uniform, and com-
prehensive acute.
Dy due attention to these, and other points referred to in the evi.
dei.ce, additional cleanliness would be insured the quantity of
materials reintired for repairs very much diminished, and on the
whole the expenses very considerably reduced.
The frequency or repairs under the present system also camea
great interruption and inconvenience to passengers.
Your Committee have observed, in the accounts brought before
them, large items of disbursements fur watching and liglitivg,
to which they beg leave to call the particular attention of the
House.

These are matters more directly belonging to the different pa-
rishes, and ought not to be levied upon the pubiic at large in the
shape of toll..
But so various is the practice in this respect upon the London
roads, that your Committee have found that whilst some :math arc
watched and lighted by a parish rre, the expense of others, in
' similar situations in popular tieighbourinwils, is defrayed out of the
money collected by the tolls.
The misapplication of money collected by the tolls is manifested
in many ease., anti in sonic instances large sums are paid nut of
them for the maintenance of pavement, which ought to be defrayed
from the rates.
St. George's parish, for example, receives 1.000!. per annum nut
of the Kensington trust for the repair of a part of Piccadilly, a sum
more than adequate to keep that portion under the management of
St. George's parish in a perfect state of repair; its present de-
fective and dangerous condition ought not therefore to be con.
tinned.

The parish of St. Mary-la-bonne likewise receives 500/. per
annum from the Mary-la.bonne trusts for the repair of Oxford.
street.

These compromises and arrangements for paying a part of the
funds of the turnpike trusts in aid of particular parish rates, and
committing the care of a part of their street to a separate direction,
appears to be very injudicious, and is attended with the bad conse-
quences of placing the road under the direction of a body not re-
sponsible to the public, and of affording a pretext for placing gates
in the streets of the metropolis.
The payments to these parishes are highly otjectionable in point
of principle ; but of all the parishes in London, thoseof St. George
and St. Mary-la-bonne have the lent claim for extra assistance to
such contributions, inasmuch as these parishes are the most wealthy
pate of the town, and are consequently tully capable of paying
the necessary rates tor maintaining their own streets in proper
repair.
Your Committee beg to observe, that a great portion of the mo-
ney borrow. is still at 5 per cent. ; and your Committee cannot
but disapprove of the practice of borrowing money en annuity at so
very exorbitant at a rate. The security which the revenue derived
from ;liege tolls affords, under proper management, would certainly
enable the amount of the debts to be raised on such advantageous
terms as would soon effect its final extinction.

One of the nuniernits advantages that would arise from the can.
solidation of these trusts is, that the whole of the revenue might he
lodged in the Bark of England, by which the many dit.jointeil in-
terests of the several treasurers would he annihilated, and that pro-
crastination of payment which now appears under the head of
" Floating Debt,' tr.J is a source of further waste in the public
Fund, entirely prevented.
Your Ginninitiee have learned with surprise, that three of the
trusts have estates independent of their revenues from tolls ; and,
that in the instance of the Harrow Road, the income mill, in a
short time, be ;more than sufficient for the maintenance of the
road. _ _

The judicious application of these funds would also enable the
Commissioners immediately to diminish the number of gates on
every Ode of London.
The impolicy of the system of granting separate Acts of Parlia-
ment for short lines of road, and thereby dividing them Into small,
unconnected, and °lien opposing communities, without co-opera.
'ion or mu•ual interest, is particularly glaring in its effects on the
London Road.

Your Committee observe, that no less than four several Acts of
Parliament, constituting four separate trusts, viz. city Road, Old.
Street, Bethnal Green, and Shoreditch, with different bodies of
trustees, and all the expenses attendant on four distinct establish-
ment., comprise within them only a distance of four miles and •
half ; thereby giving rise to numerous gates and vexatious delays
for collecting the tolls, upon each of these several roads ; the
amount of which appears far more than necessary for their main-
teoonee.

our Committee deem it proper to refer to the several Reports of
the IPintunittees of 1819, 1820. and 1821, in till of which it is
strongly rccommended to consolidate the whittle of the trusts round
London.

1 our Committee cannot convey their sentiments in stronger or I
more appropriate language than by repeating the observations con-
tained in the Reports of those Committees.
The RI port of 11119.—" A full consideration of the evidence
relative to the defective state and injudicious management round
the metmpolis, and of the advantages that would arise from a con-
solidation of the Numerous small tmsts, into which they are most
inconveniently divided, induce your Committee to express to the
' House their strong recommendation, that a special Act of Parlia-
ment may be passed for uniting all the trusts within ten miles of
London under one set of Commissioners."

The Committee of IB2U confirmed the recommendation contained
in the precious Report ; which was further enforced in 1621, when
the necessity of the measure became more apparent, and the
Committee accordingly expressed themselves in the following strong
terms :

..... _
" Of the expediency (indeed of the ultimate necessity) of pro-
viding some legislative remedy for the snore efficient and more eco-
nomical atrilication of the immense revenue which is collected
from the public on the roads round London, your Committee still
entertain no doubt whatever; a multiplicity of trusts encumbered
with numerous trustees, Competitors against each other in the mar-
ket for road materials, and without any combined or scientific ',vs-
tern of management, cannot, in the opinion of your Committe',
effect in the most desirable manner the object for which the present
heavy tells are raised upon the public."
Your Committee consider that the peculiar local circumstances
in which these roads are placed require a very comprehensive plan
for their regulation, in order to obtain the desirable objects of du-
rability in the material and economy in the management of the
finances, and removal of the injurious and vexatious obstructions
which the present tell gates occasion, both to the general traffic and
the internal communication of the suburbs of London.

The very insignificant extent of each trust would prevent, under
any circumstances, the proper superintendence on smuts subject to
such constant and severe use, and which require to be maintained',
by materials which the district of the country in the vicinity of these
rinds does not afford, and which must consequently be linpoyted.
The funds are consumed and wasted by each petty trust having
sn expensive establishment of officers, and by. the competition of
so many purchasers of materials advancing :lieu cost against them-
selves. _

four Committee are of opinion, that a consolidation of all the
trusts adjoining London, is the only effectual method of introduc.
ing a proper and uniform system of management in the math, ern-
nomy in the funds, and of relieving the public from the present
inconvenient situations ■nd obnoxious multiplicity of turn-
pike gates, with which the inhabitants are now fenced in every
direction.
The important object of procuring a durable material for con-
structing the roads in the suburbs of London, and parts imme-
diately adjoining, can only be obtained by dealing on an extensive
scale-
Your Committee beg leave to refer, on this head, to the evidence
of Mr. Stephenson anJ Mr. James :II 'Adam, who state, that suf-
ficient materials migh; be procured, at a reasonable price, from the
roast of Northumberland sod the Island of Guernsey, at a much
lower rate than at present, if imported in large quantities.
The very small extent of the trusts, their particular situations,
std the necessity of placing the toll-gates of cash separate trust

xiQtia its own little jurisdiction, Ilan had the cffe.4 of fixing tilt
toll gotcs round London in situatons the most inconvenient and
vexatious to travellers ;an inconvenience which has ingthented
with the great increase o the suburbs of London. whose intercourse
and commerce within the limit, of 51iddiesex, has become as great
as upon the streets of provincial Maros. Hence the frequent pay-
ments, stoppages, and vexatious delays, have become very serious
grievances, which still continue to incrtase, to the great diminution
of the value of property.
By consolidating the trusts into one, the Commissionerr. would be
enabled so to place the itntes as would remove the prescut inconve-
nience of ti•eir number alid situation ; while a sufficient amount of
money would be levied for the repaiis of the ruatf at a dinti-
nished number of gates, and at much less exphse.
Having stated the loss and inconvenience ariett from the pre.
sent very detective system, tinder which the roads in and rodnd the
metropolis are managed, your Commi•tee strongly recommend a
consolidation of the v.huie of the trusts (sixteen) 111 the County of
3lithlime, under one Act of Parliament, to be conducted by
one uniTonu system of management. The whole to Ire annually
reported to Parliament . • and that leave be given to bring in a Bitl
for that purpose.-51 ay 27, MI.