The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-13 00:00:00

Court of Common Council.

Yesterday a meeting of the Court of Common
Council was held at Guildhall, the Lord Mayor in
the chair.

SOUTHWARK-BRIDGE.
Mr. Deputy HAWTREY, the chairman of the
Bridgehouse Committee, reported that the arrange-
ment with the Southwark-bridge Company for the
temporary opening of Southwark-bridge to the
public would expire on the 7th of November, and
that the committee now asked for the instructions
of this court as to how they were to act respecting
the continuance or discontinuance of the opening
of the bridge in question; in other words, they placed
themselves entirely in the hands of the court, and
left the question to be dealt with as the members
should determine.
Mr. Alderman SALOMONS moved, pursuant to
notice, " That the Bridge-house Committee be re-
quested to ascertain the conditions on which South-
wark-bridge may remain open for public traffic free
of toll, for a further period of 12 months, with the
option of purchase, and to report forthwith to this
coml." He said that the object of this motion was
neither more nor less than that the arrangement
come to lastyear for keeping Southwark-bridge open
freeof toll should be renewed for another 12 months,
tsense
whatever,of
übe
with the option of purchase. He regretted to find
that there would be some opposition to this proposal,
and that a rumour was current that he had some
pecuniaryf
li
interestandinthSa°tu
he
owwaarks -obridge.
tuHatee bdegbgye a
d
to state at once that he had no pecuniary interest
in
the duty incause o
fbringingth
ef o rw
citizensa rdth the st u
lbaj
regc
et
andespousing
(Hear.) He believed that great injury had been
done to the working
m
limit them to one side
by the systematiceonf o
thef thisha greatm es .
vm eht re onp o
thel s
attempts which had been made to
question of erecting the new courts of law near
Temple-bar was being discussed, it was found that
between 4,000 and 5,000 working men were con-
gregated together in that locality, and it then became
apparent that, if the working classes generally were
scattered over a wide area, in fact, over the whole of
the metropolis on both sides of the river—great per-
sonal benefits to themselves would result. One way
by which to effect this object was by making the
bridges toll free. The frequent interruptions to the
traffic in the streets furnished a very cogent reason
for throwing open the bridges, for it was matter of
amazement to see the number of carts, coaches,
omnibuses, and waggons which were constantly
waiting one after another to get over London-
bridge. For the six months ending the 7th of
May, 1864, during which the toll was exacted at
Southwark-bridge, the number of foot passengers
over it was 257,616. In the subsequent six months,
during which the bridge was free, the number of
vehicles and horses was 79,461 for the six months
those passengers was 2,359,312. The number of
and 487,249 for the six months when
abolished. These returns showed a
i
prodigous tolifatthWe
toll
toll,
was
increase of traffic, and proved that the
liberality manifested by the Corporation in open-
ing
the bridge was fully appreciated by the public.
(Hear. hear.)
On one day in May, 1865, the
number of foot passengers crossing over London-
bridge 99,236, and of carriages and carts,
2,300. This again was an enormous amount of
traffic.
He hoped that something would be done
was
by the government during the next session to
throw open all the toll bridges across the Thames,
in order to give the public facilities of communica-
tion between the north and south sides of the river.

Mr . R. N. PHILIPPS seconded the motion, and
hoped that valuable information would be obtained
awing the neat year 44 to the fair and put terms