The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-04 00:00:00

bridge. The sentiments that found an utterance in
that vociferous applause will outlive the feelings
that prompted the evanescent utterances of the
hour, and that heroic people may count it as net the
'east of their tributes that the rank of England rose
up to do them honour.

The improvement of the means of communication
in our busy metropolis has long been occupying a
large share of public attention. The changes pro-
posed, discussed, and partly carried into effect
during the last teu or twelve years, will shortly
heve revolutionised the whole appearance of our
timeworn and smoky city. Londoners seem to have
suddenly awoke to a sense of its drawbacks and
defleite, and instead of retaining their old faith in
its perfection, or their old listless indifference to its
failing•, they are inclined to begin at once upon
half a dozen works of stupendous character. We
are to have an embankment along both sides of
good old Father Thames—we are to have the
inequalities of one great thoroughfare remedied by
the Holborn Valley Improvement, and an intricate
network of railway lines is to relieve our leading
highways of all superfluous traffic. Indeed, what
with the demolition of ancient structures, the ercc•
tion of new stations, the consequent new streets and
numberiess changes, a uiet folks are beginning to get
somewhat tired of improvements and innovations.
There is, however, one very important department
in which little or nothing has been done, and which
must be altogether reformed before our metro-
politan traffic can be put upon a permanent and
satisfactory footing. So long as London continues
to be the vast emporium of trade and commerce,
which it now is, there must always be a mighty
stream flowing from north to south, from south to
north. Ten years ago it was calculated that 11,000
vehicles passed Foster•lane in one day, and since our
traffic is ever increasing, what must the average be
now ? We can form some dim idea by the ceaseless
panorama of wheels passing daily by a City win-
dow through the long hours of daylight and far
into the night. We can estimate its rapid increase
by the constant crush, the frequent stoppages,
which no devices for relieving traffic have
as yet sufficed to cure. And out of these
hundreds of thousands of vehicles of all kinds
how many need or wish to cross the waters that
divide Middlesex from Surrey ? Those who have
stood on London-bridge through a busy afternoon
may perhaps be able to answer. In spite of railways
thrusting their long arms right into the midst of
our streets and squares, in spite of embankments,
new streets and every other improvement, we have
no reason to hope, or rather to fear, that this streem
of treffic will materially diminish, for the commercial
fortunes of our nation show no evidence of decay.
But a foreigner, while admiring or perhaps envying
the spectacle, would certainly, if a stranger to the
country, learn with surprise that only three of the
bridges which span the Thames are free. It is
curious to find such an anomaly in the great free-
trading nation, when Parishes free bridges and most
other continental cities as well. If toll gates are
generally detested and are about to be abolished by
common consent, why should the toll on bridges be
preserved ? It is certainly a much greater hindrance
and obstruction to business than the bar on the or-
dinary highway, while it presents much moreserious
difficulties to the poorer class of passengers. A poor
person may go round a street or two without incon-
venience, but to go from Waterloo to Westminster
is another matter, and it is the foot passenger to
whom the toll-money would be the real object.
Some time since Alderman SALOMONS brought for-
ward a motion with the object of making all the
Thames bridges free, and such would be the proper
course. The Board of Works could easily purchase
the bridges if empowered so to do by Act of Parlia•
ment, and they might levy a halfpenny rate on
the bentfitted property, which is estimated at
£12,500,000. It is at present a noticeable fact that
the neighbourhood of the bridges is comparatively
thinly inhabited, and one result of throwing open
the bridges would be, that working men would be
enabled to live on the south side of the Thames,
thereby relieving a little of the terrible pres-
sure on the laboaring homes of London. Rents
would in consequence be less exorbitant,
and what is more important, the public
health would gain. So long as men are obliged to
live within walking distance of their work, and are
deterred by the toll from crossing the neighbouring
bridge, they will be found to huddle their families
into small rooms and close courts from absolute
lack of choice. The scanty population near the
paying bridges is evidence how much they affeet
the settlement of the poorer classes, and we need
not wonder that men of that rank take the toll
into consideration when we find large firms like
CHAPLIN and HORNE taking advantage of the free
bridges. It is but natural that they should do so,
since their business is not of a pressing nature, but
the fact of such a choice shows how much the open•
ing of the bridges would relieve the traffic on the
northern side of the river. Some movement is
likely, we hope, to he made in this matter before
long, since the Chairman of the Southwark-bridge
Company has informed the LORD MAYOR that the
directors are prepared to conclude a negotiation for
opening the bridge to the public for a limited period
on terms to be agreed upon, or which seems the
simpler and better method, they are willing to
effect a sale for £200,000. The bridge originally
cost £700,000. The proposal has been submitted
to the Common Council, and referred to the Bridge
House Estates Committee for consideration. Let us
hope that they may decide upon it in accordance
with the requirements of the public convenience.
It would betides be prudent to seize this opportu-
nity of securing the bridge, since the present time
would be most favourable for improving the ape
proaches thereto. The steep incline on the
northern side especially Leeds attention, and could
now be remedied without unnecessary expense or
delay. But if the present opportunity is allowed
to slip, and the new street by the Mansion House
is formed, the time will come when the improve-
ment must be effected, and the bridge bought up
at a great sacrifice and needless outlay. These
public matters should be treated in a public spirit,

and not dealt with in a petty and temporising man-
ner. Continental nations sOt us a better example

in such things. England too often presents a
startling contrast between vast enterprises and
daring speculation on the one hand, and a short-
sighted prejudice and false economy on the other.

LOANSOCIETIESTidd Pratt's annual ab-
stract of the accounts of loan societies in E-gland
and Wales shows a constantly lrnglhening list. These so-
cieties now number 758. At the close of the year 1559 he
had to report on societies with £293,005 in borrowers' hands;
at the close of 1863 the societies in the list just issued bad
£473,985 out on loan. Loans were made by them in 1863 to
172,850 persons, and the amount circulated in the year was
£802,261. The societies received £54,370 for interest, and
charges for forms of application and for making inquiries ;
and the expense of management was £20,266. The stun of
£28,402 was paid for interest to depositors or shareholders,
and there was left a net profit of £7,969. In the year 1863
15,966 summonses were issued for £33,551, and 1,804 dis-
tress warrants ; borrowers or their sureties paid £2,805 for
costs. Five hundred of these societies are in the metropolis
and suburbs, and the place of business of these London so-
cieties is almost invariably a publichouse. In Lancashire,
Cheshire, and Yorkshire, and at Nottingham there are so-
cieties on a higher scale, havingX3,Coo, £1,000; and £5,000
in circulation. A loan society at Leeds has above £ll,OOO
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