The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-23 00:00:00

MARYLEBONE VESTRY.

THE EXPERIMENTAL pAVINo or OXFORD-STREET, AND
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE THEREON.
The usual weekly sitting of the above Vestry was on
Saturday very fully attended, both by Vestrymen and
ratepayers of the parish, anxious to hear the decision
of the Committee appointed on the 6th of October
last to superintend the paving of a portion of Oxford-
street.
Mr. ,se. DANIELL took the chair, and read a letter
from Mr. W. G. Pau, the parish sexton, to the effect
that he had found a fit and proper superintendent
gravedigger and assistant sexton," in the room of Stamp,
who has been removed frore the situation for reasons
which a former report, relative to the falsification of the
parish records, fully explains.
The mutilation of the Fendall gravestones will, it is
said, be made the subject of magisterial investigation in
the course of next week at Marylebone police-office,
with a view of enforcing the penalty of 1001. " for the
wilful or malicious breaking or effacing parish tombs or
gravestones."
The CHAIRMAN read a communication from the in-
habitants of Oxford street, expressive of their thanks i
to the Paving Committee for the latter's attention and
kind consideration towards having Oxford-street paved
with wood, and of their desire to await the decision of
the vestry on that important subject. The communi-
cation, which was in the shape of a petition, was or-
dered to be referred to the Paving Committee.
A deputation of the inhabitants of Oxford-street was
here introduced.
Mr. SKINNER (addressing them)—Do you wish the
whole of Oxford-street to be paved with wood ?
One of the DEPUTATION—Yes.
Mr. JACKSON—Have you had any meeting, and
come to any resolution on the subject ?
The same DEPUTY—We have had a meeting, not of
all the inhabitants of the street, but of some of the oldest
residents in it ; and I am sure that if the whole of the
inisabitants had been convened, they would have ex-
preseed an opinion in accordance with the answer I have
just returned.
Mr. EDWARDS (one of the Deputation) said, they
wished the whole street to be paved with wood, tithe
they were ever ready to bow to the decision of the
Vestry. If the Vestry decided that a part only should
be paved with wood, the inhabitants would be satisfied
for the present.
Mr. CI APP--Will any gentleman who resides in that
part of Oxford-street where the wood pavement has
been laid down state whether horses can pass rapidly
over it with safety, or whether they stumble and fall in
their progress?
A DEPUTY—I reside near the spot, and I have
never seen any accident of the sort.
Mr. KENSETT—Have you seen the requisition signed
by between three and four hundred of the inhabitants
in favour of the wood pavement?
Mr. EDWARDS—We have ; and I beg to say that to
a roan we are against paving the street with Claridge's
Asphalte.
The deputation then withdrew, and Mr. Flood read I
the following report ;
" At the Committee appointed on Saturday, the 6th
of October last, to superintend the paving of Oxford-
street, from Tottenham-court-road to Charles-street,
Soho-square, and to test within that portion of the
street, the asphalte, bitumen, wood-pavement, or any
other mode or material, and report the result to the
Vestry :
The Committee beg to state that having viewed
such of the various specimens of the paving lay down
in December last, at the East end of Oxford-street, and
which are now remaining there, they report that the
Aberdeen granite specimen, laid down by the Surveyor
of the parish, has best stood the test of the wear in this
large thoroughfare, over which, on an average, 6,000
or 7,000 carriages of all sizes, pass daily.
" The Bitumen paving, called the Val de Travers, ap-
pears in tolerable condition, but its heavy cost, as well
as the great wear to which it must be subject, prevents
the Committee recommending its adoption.
" The same may be said of the Bastenne Bitumen,
of which there is a specimen.
" The use of Claridge's Asphalte between the granite
paving has proved very durable.
" The Stone paving diagonally laid, is, in the opinion
of the Committee, an improvement on the mode of
paving with straight courses.
" The appearance of the Wood paving, as well as
the information collected en this matter, has created in
the minds of the Committee an opinion that it is
adapted for carriage-ways, free, as it must necessarily
be from noise, mud, and dust ; and taking into consi-
deration the general wish of the residents of the street
in its favour, the Committee would be most anxious at
once to recommend the adoption of a wood pavement,
did they consider the present specimen was sufficiently
extensive, or had been laid down a sufficient length of
time ; but being of opinion that it is desirable to make
a more extensive experiment of wood paving, they re-
commend to the Vestry that an extended experiment
of wood paving be made, and that the narrow part of
Oxford-street, from Charles-street to Wells street, be
appropriated for that purpose."
Mr, JACKSON moved the adoption of the report, and
congratulated himself, the Vestry, and the parishioners,
on the result of the labours of the Committee. He was
glad that the Deputation were willing to abide by the
decision of the Vestry; and that though they wished
the whole of Oxford-street should be paved with wood,
they considered the affair a question of time, and would
not now press their wishes, as the carrying of them into
effect would draw so largely on the funds of the parish,
and at a moment when those funds were not in a flou-
rishing state. He was still of the same opinion as
formerly, that Oxford-street ought not to be paved with
stone, and he was most anxious that a substitute for
that perishable material, and which had become more
so, and consequently more expensive, since the estab-
lishment of omnibuses, should be found. At the same
time, he could not consent to the paving the whole
street with wood, on account of the large outlay of capital
it would require, until a further trial of the wood pave-
ment was made, and assurance was thereby rendered
I doubly sure.
Mr. SKINNER seconded the motion.
Mr. KENSETT considered the proposition of having
the whole of Oxford-street forthwith paved with wood a
reasonable one, and his conviction that it was reasonable
wasfoundedon his knowledge of every transaction relative
to the matter. He complained of the unfairness of that
part of the report which said " the bitumen paving
called the Val de Travers appears in tolerable condi-
tion." The word " tolerable" did not express the state
of that specimen of paving, for the truth was, that
where that bitumen was laid down in blocks it stood the
test of wear and tear extremely well, and only failed
where it had been used as a cement for other materials.
If the Val de Travers bitumen were laid down in its
pure and genuine state, it would be second to the wood
pavement only. He considered that the wood pave.
ment laid down was a sufficient specimen of the durabi-
lity and other superior qualities of that material, and
that waiting for other trials to be made would be a loss
of time, and an increased expense to the parish. Taking
the average annual expense of Macadamising Oxford-
street at 5,0001., the amount in 20 years would be
100,0001. ; whilst for 21 years the wooden pavement
s would not cost more than 15,4001. Having the inte-
rest of the inhabitants of Oxford-street at heart, and
wishing to do justice to them and to the public gene-
rally, lie would move the following amendment :
" That the whole of Oxford-street be paved with wood
forthwith."
Mr. GIBSON seconded the amendment.
Mr. SAVAGE spoke in favour of the original motion,
t as it would open a wide field to competition, and be,
consequently, beneficial to the public at large.
Mr. HARBERT should oppose both the motion for the
reception of the report and the amendment, as he was
convinced that Mr. Stead's estimate of 10s. 6ti. the
square yard for paving with wood Oxford-street was so
low, that he never would be able, if the accepted
his contract, to fulfil it.
Mr. BIERS supported the adoption of the report,
though he thought granite, as a paving material, prefer-
able to wood. The effect of adhpting the report would
be the calling into existence the talents and ingenuity
of competif.ors from which would result improvements
profitable to the public.
Mr. Wool, coincided with the latter speaker, but
considered that, in wet weather, wood pavement, on ac-
count of its slipperyness, would be very dangerous to
horses and passengers, and would augment the number
of accidents, and add to the loss of life already too great
in the metropolis. Mr. TARRING thoeght other specimens ought to he
tested, as he feared the principle- on which the present
blocks were laid down was not the right one.
spoke Mr. GIBSON lt,!favour of the wood pavement
being immediately
laid o',vh, and said that, in the item
of cleansing al woulaone, it
cause to the alish an an-
nual saving of '2 ,00 0 / . p
After a few unimportant remarks from one or two
Vestrymen, the discussion,
which la
hours, was, on the motion oflic Mr.
JOSEPH
about three
by Mr. GIBSON, adjourned to Saturday SneTIC seconded

seich
MORE FANATICISM.—One of *hic Norwich
ra parsons, said to be a Mr. Storr, disgraced himself
Sunday previous to the appearance of this great c on the
Spobr, by preaching from the pulpit against hissuocroiltaoprrocrof
Calvary. No clergyman has ever
.dared to play
in Church upon the must notorious duellist; nor has the
practical demolition of the Decalogue ever been reiniktel,el
like the gifted genius which has renewed on earth the
songs of angels, and raised earth towards heaven by the
sublimity of choral harmonies. Spohr will long remember
his visit to this country. He will see, in recollection, the
myriads that surrounded him in admiring gratulation, and
amid them the single figure of the reviling priest; like
Satan of old, amongst the sons of God. "—Examiner.
The late Mr. Justice -, a well meaning, hut
particularly prosing Judge, on one of his Country Circuits,
had to try 3 man for stealing a quantity of copper. In his
charge he had frequent occasion to mention " the copper,"
which he uniformly called " lead," adding, " I beg your
pardon, genthmen, copper ; but I can't get the lead out
of my head." At this candid confession the whole Court
snouted with laughter.