The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-02 00:00:00

VACANT GROUND NEAR ST. PAUL'S.

The following letters have been addressed to the Editor
of the Times :

Sir,—ln consequence of the convereation, in the
House of Cintrtons on the above subject; I request you
to allow me to explain the money part of the question,
wlaieh I fear, if not explained, may stand in the way
of this important improvement. Sir W. Molesworth,
in answer to the question of Mr. Labouchere, is reported
t♦ have said that the Corporation of London required
60,0001, for this laid, which sum the Government were
not prepared to grant. Ou this subject I beg to give
the following explanation, which will show that on the
one hand the Corporation of London do not require this
sum of money paid down for the land in question, nor
are the Government asked to pay it on the other, and
that, therefore, there must be some misapprehension on
the subject, which the Committee of Architects desire
to remove.

The improvements in the city of London since the
closing of the functions of the London bride, and its
Approechee Committee have been conducted by a new
committee, called the Improvement Committee ; and,
so far as the new Cannon.atreet is concerned, are
authorised by an act of Parliament passed in 1815,
which gave powers to raise 500,0001. for the purpos
to widen Ceunon-street and Queen-street. In 1850
another act passed, authoris:ng the raising of 300,0001.
additional for continuing Cannon-street westward
to St. Paul's-churchr:rd. The operation of these
!las is this—that under their authority the corporation
is empowered to pledge its annual income to raise these
sums of money on bond, and it is understood that the
Bank of England makes the advance in such sums as
may be required, and is ;lowered by the corporate seal,
thus authorised to be used.
It is necessary, however, now to explain an earlier
part of the process. In the first instance then, and before
any act is applied for, a plan of the improvement sug-
gested is. submitted to the corporation, and after disclas-
aion and approval a careful estimate of the cost of pur-
chasing the property, with all its trades and incidents,
including conveyanc:ng and other costs, is prepared. In
addition to this an estimate is also mado of the value of
the surplus
property to be sold after the street is widened
or opened, amid one total is set against the other, If as,

it is said, is the case in Paris, the new frontages and
surplus land would sell for as much as the cost of the
e-oeee-ty, then the eereer t^ b,---ev en eney ?mall only be
reqnired pending the actual operation ; and when the land '
was all sold, the borrowers would be paid and the transac-
tion at an end. In England, however, wo are not so fortu-
nate, and I believe in the main that those experienced in
such matters all agree that even under favourable circum-
stances the eventual deficiency is 33 per sent. ; and in
unfavourable circumstances, much more. Perhaps no
case may be quoted as more favourable than that au-
thorised by the act of 1850, whereby a series of obcsure
lanes were obliterated, and a broad thoroughfare, open-
ing in the very heart of London, created. Be that as
it may, such an advantage would probably be more than
counterbalanced by the cost of the improvement of the
eastern part of Cannon-street, authorised by the first
act of 1845. For the sake of illustration, however, I
assume the 33 per cent. of loss, and the case would tb en
stand thus :—the original cost of the property and ex-
penses of all sorts, including interest on the advances,
may be taken at 1,200,0001. ; deducting one-third or 33
per cent, deficiency, amounting to 400,0001., and the
remainder, or 800,0001., would represent the value to be
obtained by the resale of the now frontages and surplus
land. But then it is obvious that the Corporation of
London, who take the risk of the operation, would at the
close of the transaction be the losers of 400,0001., and
have to find it either out of the corpus of their estates,
or to pay it by instalments in the shape of annuities, or
otherwise. This, however, is not intended, and one of
the important tolls, granted originally by charter to the
city of London, and confirmed by acts of Parliament,
provides the annuity for paying off this loss. This duty
is the Coal Tax of is. id. per ton, which tax expires in
1862, and is thus divided-9d. goes to the Treasury to
pay for West-end improvements; ld. to the Commission-
ers of Woods and Forests for similar purposes ; and
the original toll to the city of London for paying off
this and similar charges.
If I have made myself understood, it will now be seen
that if the city of London give up this land, represent-
ing a sum of 60,0001., the deficiency must be made up
out of their own funds ; anel they propose boldly to take
the chance of this if the coienauty were continued for one
' year more, that is to 1863. This reasonable suggestion
is refused by the Lords of the Treasury, and the pro-
bable consequence may be, that "the act of Vandalism"
of covering their land—as it was termed in the house—
may be perpetrated. It is right, however, to add, that
it has been suggested, that the recent enormous prices
given for the land in St. Paul's churchyard and its neigh-
bourhood would enable the city of London to give up
this sum of 60,0001. without any call upon their private
resources, or without the additional year's duty on coal.
Of course, as the operations under both acts are now
completed, or nearly so, it would be very ea-1 to move
for a return, and see how the account stands. But in
justice to the city of London, I am bound to say, that
the committee have received more encouragement from
the Improvement Commission than (except in personal
courtesies, for whioh they are very grateful) from the
G-overnment.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
42, Lowndes-square. WILLIAIi

Sir,—l trust you will indulge me with a small space
in your valuable columns for the purpose of making a
few comments on a letter from Mr. Tito, the emi-
nent City architect, and a principal member of the
committee of the Society of Architects, which ap-
peared in the Times of Wednesday last, on the sub-
ject of the abandonment by the corporation of a small
triangular piece of land—less than a quarter of an
acre—in the south-eastern corner of St. Paul's-church-
yard, which, having been cleared of the old buildings
upon it, affords the public a much better view of the
cathedral than they enjoyed before. A very genoral wish
has been expressed that this opening may be permanent;
and Mr. Tite, who speaks as the expeeent of the views
of the corporation, names, I presume with their autho-
rity, the sum of 60,0001. as the value of this triangular
plot, containing by computation 1,050 square yards.
Surely the corporation must fix this price for the sight,
and not for the site; for, otherwise, land in that neigh-
bourhood would be worth above 250,0001. per acre, in-
dependent of the buildings upon it, which is monstrous.
This piece of land may have cost a great deal for build-
ings, goodwill to occupants, and so on, which constituted
a charge necessary for the formation of the new street ;
but the present value of the vacant piece of land, which
is not in a good situation for shops, must, according to
my judgment, be far, very far, below the sum talked of.
I was struck by the observation in the latter part of
Mr. Tite's letter touching this question—" If I have
made myself understood"—for, certainly at that stage of
the perusal of it, I had felt that I never saw a very
simple case clnfounded and 'confused more effectually
than this was by the skill of Mr. Tite, which had been
employed to prepare the way for his extravagant pro-
position that the public should give in exchange for
this 1,050 yards of land a year's continuance of the
coal tax, which at present mulcts theta to the ex-
tent of 200,0001. per annum, and, of course, increases
year by year. lam rejoiced to learn from Mr. Tite's
letter that the Government refused their aid to this
job. I presume they thought that it was the affair of
the millionaires in the city, who were the possessors of
land worth, according to Mr. Tite's showing, 250,0001.
per acre, independent of the buildings erected on it, in-
stead of the poor inhabitants of Westminster, Maryle-
bone, Finsbury, the Tower Hamlets, Rotherhithe and
Lambeth, who would practically feel the enhanced price
of their coals, though they are probably very indifferent
about the proposed improvement.—l remain, sir, your
constant reader,

JOHN DICKSON.

Tnn VEXATIOUS BBER BILL.

On -Friday last William Orriel, landlord of the Red
Lion Inn, Meadow-lane, Leeds, was summoned before
the Mayer of Leeds, (Joseph Richardson, Esq.), and
John Wilson, Esq., charged with violating the provisions
of the Sunda) Closing Act, bykeepin:r his house open for
purposes of trade between half-past two and half-past six
on Christmas day.
Mr. Naylor, the solicitor to the Licensed Victuallers'
Afsooiation, appeared for the defendant.
Two officers, belonging to the reserve force, stated that
they went to defendant's house about 20 minutes past 5
on the afternoon of Christmas day, and knocked at the
front door for admittance ; no one came, and one of then
went to the back door, with no better success. Whilst
there a milkman went up to the door, and told the officer
he wanted some gin, but on the officer telling him that he
could not have any he went away. The officer then re-
turned to the front door, and on looking through the
keyhole he observed the landlord at the top of the steps,
and called out to him. The landlord then let him, 'and in
reply to their inquiries said he had four travellers from
Bradford in a room up stairs. The officers proceeded up
stairs, and in one of the rooms they found two men and
two women with beer before them, and some empty
glasses, which had contained spirits. They first said they
were travellers, and afterwards, on the suggestion of the
officers, they admitted they were pleasure seekers.
Mr. Naylor submitted to the bench that there was no
offence proved, as the officers had not seen the landlord
se!! any beer or spirits, hut if their worships overruled
him on that point, he maintained that the persons found
in the house of the defendant were Lona fide travellers.
He 1, new that a learned alderman had laid it down that
pleasure seeker: were not travellers, but he felt convinced
that the Legislature never intended to say that persons
travelling, say from Wetherby or Bradford to Leeds, for
the benefit of their health, or their enjoyment, wore
net travellers, and he therefore contended that the par-
ties in question were travellers within the mhaning of
the act-

The Mayor said the bench were quite of opinion that
the case was proved, and as there was no evidence to
show that the parties were travellers. they should fine
the defendant 10s. and costs.

Mr. Naylor said that in this case he should advise the
licensed victuallers to test the judgment of the bench by
an appeal.

HISTORY. OF THE ARMY MEDICAL

DEPARTMENT.

The earliest mention made ia history of the pay of sui-
heJas in the British army is in 1557, when those employed
at the siege of St. Cuintin received Is. per diem, being
the same amount as cbaplain%, serjeants, drummers, and
filers, with whom they appear to have been classed. At
this early period a surgeon was attached to each com-
pany, which usu4lly consitded of 100 to 120 mon.

In 1620, we find that, in addition to the surgeon to
each company, every regiment of 2,000 had a head sur-
geon, whose pay was 44.; and a surgeon-major was ap-
pointed to the whole camp, who received 53, per diem,
and had two " mates or servants" under him, at 4s. each.
The pay of the surgeon of a company continued to be is.
in the infantry, but in cavalry-regiments was 2s. 6d. In
Cromwell's army, in 1665, the appointment of a surgeon
to each eompany or troop was abolished • the head sur-
geon of the regiment continued to draw the same pay as
formerly, viz., 4s. a day ; but, in the infantry, was
allowed a mate to assist him, whose daily pay was 2s.
61. ; while in the cavalry he received 2s. a day, in ad-
dition to his pay, to enable him to keep a horse.
The surgeon's mate was not a commissioned officer,
but was appointed by a warrant granted by the colonel
of the regiment. In 1759 his pay was increased from
21. 6d. to 34. Gd., at which rate it continued till
1796, when the rank was abolished, and replaced by
that of assistant surgeon, who held his appeintmont by
commission from the King, and received ss. daily pay
in time of peace, and 78. 6cl. during war : this dis-
tinction of pay, hawever, was removed in 1804, and the
amount finally settled at 7e. 6d. On the staff of the
army, hospital mates continued to be appointed by war-
ratite signed by the Head of the Medical Board till 1813,
when they also were raised to the rank of commis-
sioned officers, with the title of hospital assistants ; but
in 1804 their pay was increased to 6s. 6d. when serving
at home, and 7s. 6d. abroad.
Prior to 1783 a small sum was paid annually to the
surgeon by each officer and soldier, under the name of
" Medicine money," out of which he was bound to pur-
chase whatever medieiue might be necessary for them
when serving at home. In 1783 this was abolished, and
Government allowed in lieu thereof a r,um varying from
70/. to 1201. per annum to each regiment. Out of this
"Medicine-money," the surgeon frequently, in years
savea•bend
fnr
om xsot rt. otrod7i foT.ywahrhurit increased () sic tie sis psayo
tcoc urre
aboutd,
7s. or Bs. per diem. This system was found to be at-
tended with many disadvaateges, and, in 1797, the
alle,vance was, iu consequence, discontinued ; but, to
compensate for it, the surgeon's pay was raised to
11s. 41. in cavalry, and 93. 4d. in infantry regiments—
edieca Times and Gazette.

A THRIVING TOWN.—On Sunday last, the Rev. Henry
8r00k... christened 104 children in St. Peter's Church, in
this town—the largest number ever known in one day
in the parish.—Liverpool Courier.

. • INSURANCE COMPANIES.
•
. Dividend Amount
i Name of Compatiy. per of Paid. Price.
Annum. Share.
)
X s. d. X s. d.
Albion .............. V. 10s. 500 I 0 50 0 0 -
• •
Alliance Brit. and For. 71. 14s.6d.bs. 100 0 0 11 0 0 IS
Ditto Marine ....... 61. p.c. & bs. 100 0 0 25 0 0 -
Anchor .............. 6 per cent. 5 0 1 0 0 -
Atlas
Argus Life .........•• 4/.per cent. 100 0 0 25 0 0 22
British Commercial .. 7s. 6d. 50 0 0 5 0 0 7
Clericl.Med.3s Gen. Life spr et. & bs. 100 0 0 10
c,,,,,,,., .............. ..c. lOU
U v 10 0 0 125
Crown .............. 178. Od 50 0 0 3 0 0 174
i Eagle . -
Equity and Law...... 44 per cent. 100 0 0 1 0 0 54
European Life . 11. 20 0 0 all -
Genera 1.............. 6/. 5 0 0
PI 54
1 Globe .. •• ...• 61. per cent. Stock. 1274
• Guardian ............ 51. per cent. 100 0 0 45 0 0 5514
Imperial Fire......... l2/. per cent, 500 0 0 50 0 0 330
Imperial Life
Indemnity Marine.... 11.34 k 31. 100 0 0 20 0 0 65
Law Fire ............ 25.& 2s. bs. 100 0 0 210 0 4%
Law Life •• •• - 100 0 0 10 0 0 56
Legal and General Life - 50 0 0 2 0 0 6%
London
London ohip.... -
Marine ..... .......... 18s.per share 100 0 0 18 0 0 23
Med.lnvlid& Gen. Life 44 /. per ct. 50 0 0 2 0 0 3%
Minerva ........ •• .. sp. ct. & be. 20 0 0 2 0 0 5%
Monarch .....• •• .. - 5 0 0 1 0 0 -
National Loan Fund.. 51. per cent. 20 0 0 210 0 -
Palladium Life... -
Pelican - - - -
I Phcenix - - - -
Professional Life."... 5/. per cent. 5 0 010 • %
Provident Life........ 11. 58. & bs. 100 0 0 10 0 0
Rock Life ............ ss. 5 3 0 010 0 7%
Royal Exchange .....• 61. p.ct. & be. Stock. all -
Sun Fire ...... 6/ 10s. - VP .'
Ditto Life ..... 1/ 10s. - 574
United Kingdom .... 41. p. ct & be. 20 0 0 4 0 0 4%
Universal Life .•. -
1
Victoria Life - 412 6 5%
-- - - --- - ---- - 1
---
MISCELLANEOUS.
Dividend Amount
Name of Company. per of I Paid. Price.
Annum. Share.
4 s. d. i X s. d.
Assam Tea -
;
Auctien Mart •• •• •• - -
Australian Aericulturl 11. ls. 100 0 0 17 10 0 36
Australian Trust • • - 25 0 0 -
Australian Royal Mail 51. 10 00 I all 44
knglo-Mexican Mint ii. 105. 10 0 0 1 an
i British Aro erican Land 15s. -
40 0 0 -
Canada ...
Do. 5 per cent Bonds 51. per cent. -
Ditto, 6 per cent. • • 61. per cent. -
City Navieation Bonds
Electric Telegraph (A)
1ntt0'.....• .... (11)
Equitable Reversionry
Ditto New . .... .
Gen 1; -
- 1
-
-
110
7 per Cent. 25 0 0 21 -0
0 18
-
51 pr. cent. 12050 0 0
. evers. &.Invest. 5 c& bs 100
am•SteamNavigation P.
. 15 0 0 -
100 0 0
50 0 0 17 10 0 -
, 0 0 100 0 0
.10 p ct. 15 0 0 14 0 0 -
illtdaon's Bay - Stock. - -
liumesrford -
Leedon Institution - - - -
London Reversionary 4% per cent. 15 00 I a'l -
Russell Institution - - 12 10 0
Pric,l'sPatentCand.Co 10/. per cent. 20 0 0117 10 0 25%
Reversionary Int. Soc. 441. pr cent. 100 0 0 ;100 0 0 -
Royal Mail steam.... 4/, p. share. 100 0 0I 60 0 0 -
south A ustral ian..... 6/. per cent. 25 00 I all 38
Trust and Loan Comp.
Upper Canada .... - - - -
LIST OF SCOTTISH COMPANIES' PRICES.
Dividem. Amount
Name of Company. per of Paid. Price.
Annum. Share.
X s. d. £ s. d.
?tank of Scotland -•• 71. per cent. 100 0 0 100 0 0 173110
British Linen Company 8?. per cent. 100 0 0 100 0 0 201/ 0
Caledonian Bank
City of 01asgow Bank Si. per cent. 10 0 0 10 0 0 10115 s
Clydesdale Bank .... 541. p cent. •2O 0 0 10 0 0 12 Os
mmercial Bank .• 71. per cent ..5 0 0 0 100 0 0 200/I's
' Eastern Bank.... •• - 61. per cent. 25 0 0 10 0 0 10115 s
Edina) & Glasgow .... 341. p cent. 5 0 0 5 0 0 41. 14e
Exchange Bnisof Scot _ - - -
National Bank ...... 64 percent. 'lOO 0 0 0) 0 0 165108
North of scotland Bank el per cent 20 0 0 210 0 11. Ins
Royal Bank of 0 cotl. .. 51. per cent . 1,0 0 0 100 0 0 12511
Union Bank of Scot... 8/. per cent. 100 0 0 50 0 0 40! o.s
Western Bank •• .. -.• U. per cent. 50 0 0 50 0 0 77110 e
•111anee Fire and Life B4l.pr cent. 100 0 0 11 0 0 19112 s
British Guarantee .... V. per cent. 10 0 0 2 0 0 11. Os
Caledonian Fire Incur . 101. per cont. 100 0 0 10 0 0 251 Os
City of Glasgow Life , 61. per cent. 25 0 0 2 0 0 41. 11 s
Colonial Life ... ..
Edinburgh Life Incur 6/. per cent. 100 0 0 15 0 0 25/10s
Eng. & Scot, Lass Life 01.ptrcent. 50 0 0 3 5 0 144 7,
Life ssoc. of 3.,14L.And 61. per cent. 10 0 0 110 0,5. Os
National Fire and Life 61. per cent. 10 0 0 1 0 0 11/. 131
North British Basun
Scottish Union Insrnc. 741. precut. 20 0 0 1 0 0 ,u, !Is
Standard Life •• .... -. 51. per cent. fso 0 0 7 0 4 171 Ca
United Dep. Assurance 5/. per cent. 10 0 0 1 n 0 v -

SUNDICRLAND.—FLOG GING A SOLDIER,—MucIa public
feeling was excited by the news that a soldier had been
flagged in the barracks here on Tuesday last, and upon
inquiry this was found to be true. It seems that a few
weeks ago a young man, a bottlemaker at Southwick,
had enlisted in the 85th here, but becoming tirel of the
everlasting drill, he at last suddenly threw his musket
down upon the ground, d—g the whole army, from its
head, the Queen, down to the humblest recruit. A
court-martial was summoned at Y,-,rk, and the mutineer
sentenced to receive fifty lishes, and undergo a term of
six months' imprisonment in gaol. The first part of the
sentence was cal-lied out on Tuesday, and the second
will ere this be gone on with.
[ADVERTISEMENT]. —llOl it) way's Pills an Effective
Medicicine for Epilepsy and Apoplectic Symptomr.—
Mr. Smithson, it retired publican, residing at Arbour-
terrace, Norwood, who was of a very full habit of body,
suffered to a fearful extent from an overflow of blood to
the head, giddiness, and every symptom of apoplexy ;
so bad at times that it was considered unsafe to trust
him alone. His medical attendant failed to do him any
good ; therefore as a last resource, he began to take
Holloway's pills, which he continued regularly for several
weeks, and they have been the means of restoring him
to sound health, feeling now as light and buoyant as a
youth,—Sold by all dealers in medicine, and at Pro-
fessor Holloway's establishments, 244 Strand, London,
and $O, Maidendane, New York,