The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-12 00:00:00

STREET TRAMWAYS.

A report was brought up from the Streets Committee on
the subject of suburban tramway omnibus communication,
which recommended that the board express no opinion
relative to that question until the plan shall be laid before
Parliament.

The recommendation was adopted.
PURCHASE OF LAND FROM THE BOARD OP WORKS.
Mr. W. TITER M.P., moved—" That the letter of .Messra.
Bircham and Co., with a proposal for leasing and purchasing
the plots of land remaining unsold in Southwark-street, and
for purchasing all the plots in the new street from Black-
friars to the Mansion-house, be referred to the Streets
Committee for consideration and report; and that the pro-
posers be allowed to attend the committee to explain in
detail the nature of their proposal." He said the company
was composed of highly-respectable French capitalists, and
their object was to purchase land in large quantities, and
re•sell in smaller portions. The proposal had been before
the Streets Committee and rejected, but he thought there
would be an advantage gained in sending the matter back
for reconsideration.

Mr. FREEMAN said he could not understand why the
motion was brought forward, because it had been referred
to the Streets Committee and reported upon, and there WAS
no reason why it should be referred back to them.
The CHAIRMAN said there was a mistake on that ques-
tion. It was thought that the committee reported against
it because they objected to selling the land wholesale instead
of in lots; but that was not the reason the committee re-
ported against the proposal. The sole reason was, that the
offer made for the land was totally insufficient, and there-
fore it had been rejected ; but if they were disposed to ad •
vance on their oiler the committee would entertain it. He
thought the question might be referred to the committee.
After some discussion as to the terms offered the motion
was agreed to.

THE THAMES EMBANKMENT.
The CHAIRMAN said the time had arrived when the Board
must consider the subject of raising a loan for the Thames
Embankment, and he thought the question was of such im-
portance that it ought to be considered in a committee of the
whole Board. There were many questions they would have
to discuss, and it was very desirable that they should con-
sider them in a committee of the whole Board, in the deci-
sion of which the Finance Committee and Thames Embank-
ment Committee would concur. He therefore suggested
that the mater should be referred to the Thames Embank-
ment Committee (which is a committee of the whole Board)
for consideration and report.
The motion was formally moved and adopted.
PROPOSED METROPOLITAN RAILWAYS.
The Streets Committee brought up their report, stibmit•
ting the report of the engineer of his interview with the
engineers of certain metropolitan railways, and recommend-
ing that he be instructed to attend the further conference of
t
view to theanm maintenance
localnanceod
andb bodies,
protec-
tion
of
theg inuebewlri works
interestsk‘ with
ot h
f he Board d h
generally.
The adoption of the
report having been moved and seconded,
h thee onf
public
Mr, SAUNDERS moved as an amendment the following
addition to his motion :—" But that it bo distinctly under-
stood that his acts or demeanour shall not pledge the Board
to any of the schemes proposed."
A long discussion ensued ,during which the powers of the
engineer were severely criticised, and on the amendment
being put to the Board it Was lost by a majority of 18 to 12.
Mr. LEGGE then moved as an amendment, "And that
such suggestions and acts of the engineer shall be admitted
as approved of by the Board."
He contended that as the Board would not agree to the
amendment protecting it from being pledged by the acts of
the engineer, they could not refuse to being pledged by him.
Mr. ROCHE seconded the amendment.
Mr. FREEMAN Opposed it, and said they had rejected the
words only because they were unnecessary.
The amendment was then put and rejected, and the ori-
ginal motion was agreed to.
The routine business was disposed of, and the Board ad-
journed,

LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS FOR THE
ENSUING WEEK.—Moraday—Royal Academy at 8;
" Sculpture," Professor Westmacott ; Architects, at 8;
Geographical, at 81, " Notes on Vancouver's Island," Dr.
Forbes ; " Fraser and Peace Rivets and Gold Fields of
British Columbia," by Lieutenant Palmer; Society of Art°,
at 8, " Art applied to Inclustrp—Furniture," Mr. Burgos.
Tuesday—Royal Institution, ut 3, "Animal Life," Profes-
sor Marshall; Statistical, at 8; Anthropological, at 8,
" Ethnographical Casts," Mr. 11. von Schlugintweit ;
" The Dornber," Dr. Shortt; " Mind, Language, Man,"
Mr. Owen Pike; " Negro Race and Civilisation," Mr.
Guppy; Engineers, at 8, "Resistance to Bodies passing
through Water," Mr. Phipps. Wednesc'.ay—Meteorological,
at 7 ; Society of Arts, at 8, "Organist.tion of the Corps Im-
perial des Pouts et Chaus6as in Prance," Mr. Burneff.
un 7 ;
Thursday—. Chemical, at 8," Theory of Organic Peroxides,"
Sir B. Brodie; Zoological, at 4; N n smatic, at Anti-
quaries, at 8; Linnean, at 8, " Variati or( and Geographical
Distribution, illustrated by the
Royal, at 81; Royal Institution, al
Papilifmaid,,,,
3, " Animal Life,"
Mr. 'Wallace;
Professor Marshall, Friday—pliiic
iogical, at 8 ; Royal
Institution, at 8, " Contributions t o 8.101,32u1ar Physics,"
Professor Tyndall. Saturday—L.
yal Institution, 3, " Me-
tallic Elements," Zr. Fraiikla.4
,—„dtliciaom.