The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-25 00:00:00

Good is almost always the result of the adoption
of that very simple and rational means of extrica-
tion from the difficulties of an alternative, known
familiarly as—splitting the difference. Precisely an
intermediate course of this character has but just
now been opened up to view in connection with
what was until only the other day the difficulty in
carrying out of the scheme of the Thames Embank-
ment. That that scheme is absolutely to be car-
ried out in its integrity is, as we have not only had
the satisfaction of knowing, but the additional
satisfaction of announcing to be the fact—defini-
tively decided. From Blackfriars-bridge to West-
minster-bridge, the north embankment is to be
carried forward uninterruptedly. There is to be
tolerated no divergence whatever. The north bank
of the Thames, between the two points indicated, is
to be faithfully followed throughout. Wherever
the river winds between Blackfriars-bridge and
Westminster-bridge, there the north embankment
will wind as well. Neither Whitehall-gardens or
the Temple-gardens, or any other gardens,
neither the Duke of BUCCLEUCH or Mia
HORSMAN, or provoking though it be to
stumble into the slang of the day, we must
needs add here—any other man, can be allowed to
interrupt the straightforward course resolved upon
in this matter alike by the legislature and by the
administration. Side streets branching away
northwards from the main thoroughfare of this
Northern Embankment, there will be of course in
abundance. Several of these new streets—leadin,
from the river-bank into the Strand, into Fleet-
street, or into Parliament-street, accordingly as may
appear to be most advisable. Several othel s of
course being prolongations a little further south-
wards of side streets already in existence. But—it
is now (we cannot but think) ingeniously suggested
that at the very point in regard to which there was
all this stormy discussion of late, both in the House
and out of the House, there should be—we were going
to say a slight divergence from the line taken by
the broad roadway of the Embankment. We ought
rather to say, however, that that line instead of
being allowed merely to sweep round that northern
curve of the river, near the eastern corner
of Whitehall Gardens, should also be carried very
nearly straight onward into Parliament-street. So
that the result would be that the principal roadway
would, from that part of the route, be forked—
like the upper part of the letter Y. The
Embankment would be there still in its in-
tegrity. But—as the line of it approaches its
termination at Westminster the traffic would be
relieved, greatly to the public advantage, we be-
lieve, as well as to the undoubted convenience of
residents in the locality, by a sort of auxiliary
roadway, carrying at the very least a clear
moiety of it right onward into Parliament-
street. Not at an angle, observe—not by
turning off abruptly to the right, as in the
°id streets leading into the Strand—Surrey-street,
Norfolk-street, E.sex-street, and so forth. But in
the easiest,
the most conveniently graduated man-
ner possible by •
Just allowing the line taken by
the embankment up
to that point to be carried for-
ward, with perhaps the faintest deflection towards
the right, until the branch roadway we are writing
of debouches into Parliacient• street. The new road-
waye thus suggested would " trend" naturally to-
wards Parliament-street. It would in a manner
insinuate itself into Parliament-street. It would
ebaosuenadllwtchs wa
et
heavir class
of vehicles that might be
rds to destinations on the Middlesex
side of the river from the Inconvenience of following
that awkward and to them worse than useless curve
alluded to. Everything gong
of the Thames already
to Palace-yard,
to the Houses, or towards the Abbey,
i
Park, the Victoria
in fact—everything going to the
Station, and to other localities in the like direction,
would find the branch-road now sugg"ted the
greatest possible advantage.
At any rate the notion of this improve
ment upon an improvement is quite mani
festly worth taking seriously iato COll-
- Its advantage to the public, to the
traffic, to the locality, to the embankment itself,
must, upon the first mention of it, be sufficiently
manifest. We say, among other things, its advan,
tags to the Embankment itself. f'thikUtiet
blink.
little traffic along that Ernel'rutk"
little furthei Qn, a

removing them, as are now already perceptible, as
it were in perspective, will be allowed to pass by
without, in each instance, that good, at least, result-
ing from those two on-coming opportunities ! When
the completion of the New Houses of Parliament
and the final opening of new Westminster-
bridge, and the eventual carrying out of the great
enterprize of the Thames Embankment shall
have combined to secure the adornment, thus
superbly, of that portion of our metropolis
westward of Parliament-street, we do not con-
ceive that the then Chief Commissioner can
do otherwise than complete the good work
in that direction, by carting away as mere
lumber the block of houses in Parliament-street
already indicated. Again, when the period does at
length come, as come we may rest assured it un-
questionably will, and that before very much
longer, when London shall have among its public
buildings a Palace of Justice worthy of sheltering
under roof-beams the accumulated courts re
presenting the Majesty of the Laws of Eng-
land—then will arrive that other opportunity !
For the site of the future Palace of Justice has
already been decided upon and marked out.
Namely, between Clement's-inn and Carey-street
and Chancery-lane and Lincoln's-inn Fields. A
mere ugly dirty jumble of back streets nowadays.
'Then—when the Palace of Justice has been built
there—necessitating, among other local changes for
the better, the razing to the ground that Middle
Row of ours in the Strand, the disappearance of
which will render Holywell-street no more than an
unpleasant memory in the records of the English
capital, as much of a mere unpleasant memory as
Alsatia or the Marshalsea

Happily the " Union Relief Aid Bill " is one
which party ingenuity dares not attempt to convert

into a weapon for itself. Interests may speak, and
opinions may honestly differ, and it is desirable
that every side of the difficulty should be looked at,
and this was the character of the discussion of last

night. Several speakers were earnest, none dog
matic, but all felt that the representatives of the
manufacturing districts had special claims to be
heard ; and prominent among these was Mr_ COB-
DEN hinaelf. Mr. BOUVERIE was, perhaps, the
only speaker who seemed not fully to realise the
greatness of the emergency. On this point, how-
ever, the whole country is of but one opinion.
Even if it were possible that the com-
mon opinion could be an exaggeration, the
clear possibility, rather likelihood of the worst
anticipaticms being true, demands anticipatory legis-
lation. If intolerable pressure on the rates be yet
non-existent, its near approach is, we may say, cer-
tain. If it does net come, the bill can do no harm
—if it does its necessity will be apparent enough.
Mr. HENLEY, however, sticks to the Act of
ELIZABETH throughout. He modifies now, indeed,
his demand that a parish should be literally bank-
rupt before it seeks a rate in from other parishes,
and asks that aid shall be given only when a certai❑
amount of rating has been reached, say ss, or 7s.
in the pound- The Government proposes that the
standard shall be, the rate exceeding by two-
thirds the average rate of the last three
years. This is just a point to be
carefully considered in committee, as it doubtless
will be. It is easy to perceive that much may be
said on both sides. Mr. COBDEN showed that the
absurdity of Mr. HENLEY'S imagined case of a parish
obtaining aid while its rates only amounted to ls.
Bd. in the pound was not so great as might appear
at first sight; since the lowness of the rate might
be due to the operatives having been all well em-
ployed, whilr. the fact of employment ceasing would
render the whole property of the parish at once
unproductive, and therefore incapable of paying a
rate. A parish of cotton mills, with the mills
stopped, is in the position of an agricultural parish
in which the whole of the land has been smitten

with sterility.
The manufacturing members seemed all to be in
favour of authorising parishes to mortgage the
rates of the parish for a loan, and we are pleased
to see that the
Gtance to combinet
opinion that they did not clash,
first mention ohviserprilmanenwtitnho'txhesihroowwsnn.o rFerluocm-
the of the two plans, we expressed
our and that it
would be an advantage to offer different modes of
Meeting in very different circumstances.
the more We think of it? while we vita agree
_„ , •
ze
dng these difficulties to parishes which might