The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-28 00:00:00

TIIE NEW BRIDGE AT BLACKFRIABS.

Deputy BONE moved a resolution expressive of the opi-
nion of the Court that the whole of the members of the
corporation should have been invited to join in the proces-
sion from Guildhall, and to take part in the ceremony of lay-
ing the foundation stone of the now bridge at Blackfriars,
which being a remarkable event in the history of the city
and corporation ought to have been made the occasion for a
great public ceremonial; and that it be an instruction to
theßridge-house Committee that no steps be takenby them
for publicly opening the new bridge, when completed,
without first ascertaining the wishes of the Common Coun-
cil. Mr. Bone explained that the only object he had was
to uphold the dignity of the corporation on such occasions,
which he held had not been consulted at the recent cere-
mony. On the iuorning of laying the stone he said a state-
ment appeared in the Times to the effect that the whole
corporation, with the Lord Mayor at their head, would take
part in it, and that the city authorities, regarding, as they
did, the event as a notable one in their history, had deter-
mined to give it the character of a great public ceremonial.
That was as it should have been ; but the statement was
not true, and he complained that the occasion had, instead,
been made simply one for the glorification of the Bridge-
house Estates Committee, who made the arrangements, to
the neglect of the members of the corporation at large.
The shortcoming was the more to be regretted, as a copy
of the leading journal of that day, promising a more dig-
nified ceremony than had really taken place, had been de-
posited in the cavity of the foundation stone at the instance
of Mr. Deputy Hawtrey, the chairman of the Bridge-house
Estates Committee, and the New Zealander was therefore
likely to be deceived. (A laugh.)
The motion, seconded by Mr. DRESSER-ROGERS, led to
a discussion, occasionally angry in its tone.
Mr. LAWLEY, Chairman of the Coal, Corn, and Finance
Committee, was of opinion that a great opportunity had
been lost by the corporation, and he endorsed a statement
in a morning paper to the effect that had such a ceremony
taken place in Paris it would have been conducted in a
manner commensurate with the interest of the occasion,
and calculated to reflect credit on the municipality.

Mr. Deputy FRY said the ceremony was simply a fete
given by the Bridge-house Committee to their friends, and
that the corporation was not (Acidly represented on the

occasion.

Alderman WATEmow argued that the complaints wore
due to the practice of permitting committees on such occa-
sions a control over the corporation purse.
Mr. IlAwTnEv, the chairman of the committee, explained
that in making the arrangements they had simply followed
the precedent furnished on laying the foundation-stone of
London-bridge 40 years ago ; that the Lord Mayor had on
this, as his predecessor had on that occasion, entertained
the whole Court of Common Council, with the principal
officers of the corporation, at a dinner at the Mansion-house
in honour of the event; that the committee had only invited
13 of their friends to the dejminer at Guildhall, and that the
funds at their disposal precluded their inviting the whole
corporation to it. Eventually the part of the motion which
stated that the whole of the members of the corporation
should have been invited to take part in the ceremony was
negatived by a majority of six ; and it was resolved " That
It be an instruction to the Bridge-house Committee that no
steps be taken by them for the public ceremony of opening
the new bridge without first ascertaining the wishes of the
Court of Common Council."
It may possibly lessen Deprty Bone's great anxiety for
" the New Zealander," to know that the account of The
Times on the morning of the ceremony, to the effect that
the whole corporation, with the Lord Mayor at their head,
would assist at it—the truth of which he rudely impugned
in the Common Council—was a simple statement of fact
given upon proper authority. The Common Council, as
stated in the paragraph in question, were invited to attend
in their robes anti accompany the Lord Mayor in the pro-
cession from Guildhall to Blackfriars, and, had they done
so, as it was intended they should, the statement would
have been literally realised, as would also the wish of the
Committee of Management, to give to the occasion the cha-

meter of a public ceremonial. But many of them are said
to have taken umbrage—first, at not having been invited to
a defamer given by the Bridge-house Committee at Guild-
hall to the Lord Mayor and a few other persons of note in
the city ; and next at their not having been provided with
carriages to accompany the procession. For reasons such
as these, the Common Council, upwards of 200 in number,
were not represented as a body in the pageant, and a great
opportunity was lost, the like of which may never again
occur in their time.

HOLBORN VAT.T.VX IMPROVEMENT.
Deputy Fnv, the Chairman of the Improvement Com-
mittee, to whom on the 29th of June, 1864, it was referred
to carry into execution the Holborn Valley Improvement
Act, presented a report from them stating that, having
regard to the property they bad acquired for the purpose

of the Act, the city architect had, under their instructions,
prepared the necessary drawings and specifications in con-
nection with the works proposed first to be executed.
They had by their sub-committee conferred with the Com-.
missioners of Sewers upon matters within their juris-
diction, and appreciating the importance of the work
intrusted to them, they believed it would be found that
they had to the fullest extent studied the public interests.
The works proposed to be submitted to tender were on the.
southern side of the main line of the projected improve-
ment, and extended from Angel-court, Skinner-street, to
Mullett's-buildings, comprising also the viaduct over Far-
ringdon street. Mr. Fiy explained that the viaduct, the
design of which, by the city architect, had been universally
admired, would have three arches, the principal or centre
one 65ft. wide, extending over Farringdon-street, and
two side arches for foot pass engers, each 211 t. Gin. wide.
The arches would bo supported on two piers, each 7ft.
wide. The viaduct would be 122 ft. long, with a carriage
way 50ft. wide, and two footways each 15ft. wide. In
other words, it would bo 80ft. in width. There were to
be four staircases for foot passengers open to the sky, one
at each angle of the bridge, and each 12ft. wide, leading
from Farringdon-street to the viaduct. On either side
of the bridge there would be a few ornamental shops, which
might be expected to let for about £6OO a year in all. The
bridge would be constructed of iron, the piers of Portland
stone, and the plinth of granite, presenting in the whole a
very elegant and substantial appearance. It was proposed
to construct in connexion with the viaduct two large vaults,
properly ventilated, for warehousing purposes, 500 ft. to-
gether in length, 40ft. wide, and 23ft. high, access to which
would be gained from Farringdon-street, Shoe-lane, and
other places. A provision in the Act also empowered the
Corporation to make subways for gas and water pipes.
They hoped, also, to construct the bridge in such a way as
to prevent any diversion of the traffic going east and west,
while it was being erected, which would have caused great
public inconvenience. By a slight departure from the lino
originally contemplated, a view including about 400 ft more
of the embankment would be obtained from St. Sepulchre's
Church westwards, that would not otherwise have been
had. Mr. Fry also explained the various lateral approaches
to the embankment in contemplation, by an entirely new
street in one case, going obliquely from about Harp-alley,
in Farringdon-street, to Holborn, and by widening Fleet-
lane, running from Farringdon-street to the Old Bailey, by
15ft. in another. The rebuilding and improvement of Far-
ringdon-market were also contemplated.

THE PROPOSED MEAT AND POULTRY MARKET.

Mr. H. L. TAYLOR, the Chairman of the Markets Im-
provements Committee, presented a report upon the several
designs for the meat and poultry market, in Smithfield,
with the names of the competitors. The report was adopted
and ordered to be printed.

BENEV6LENCES.

On the recommendation of the Coal, Corn, and Finance
Committee (Mr. Lawley chairman), a grant of £25 was
made to the Bell-alley Ragged Schools, and £5O to the
Lambeth Ragged Schools.
The Court adjourned.

Railway and other Companies.

METROPOLITAN.

The report of the directors of this company states that
the receipts during the past half-year, after deducting all
expenses and interest chargeable against revenue, left a
net available balance of £71,612, out of which the directors

recommended that a dividend be paid upon the preference
stock at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum, and upon the
ordinary stock and new ordinary shares at the rate of 7 per
cent. per annum, leaving a balance of £3,401. The net re-
ceipts for the half-year were charged with the payment of
dividends upon £202,500 of the new ordinary share capital,
a large portion of which was not yet earning revenue.
During the current half-year the traffic over the railway
would be augmented by an interchange of traffic with the
London, Chatham, and Dever Railway, and the traffic to
and from Finsbury. The directors had entered into con-
tracts for the completion of the works upon the Eastern
and Western Extension lines. The Metropolitan District
Railway Company having notified that they had made ar-
rangements to proceed immediately with the works for the
completion of the whole of their undertaking, it would be-
come the duty of the Metropolitan Company to take the
necessary measures to insure the completion of the Eastern
Extension in order to meet the district lino at Tower-hill.
The early completion of the entire inner circle of railways
might be expected, together with the valuable feeding line
to St. John's-wood and Hampstead.
The report of Mr. J. Fowler, the engineer, states that the
works of the Finsbury Extension and also of the connect-
ing line with the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway
Company at West-street were now very far advanced, and
both, ho thought, might b 3 opened for traffic in September.
The contract for widening the line between King's Cross and
Farringdon-street had been let to Mr. Kelk, who was pro-
ceeding with the works. The contracts for the eastern and
western sections had been let during tic past -half-year to
Messrs. Peto, Betts, Kelk, and Waring; on satisfactory
terms. The property was being purchad with great
rapidity, and part of the large sewer works on the western
extension was being constructed. The report of Mr. Fen-
ton, the general manager, states that the number of pas-
sengers conveyed over the lino for the past half-year was
7,462,823, and the receipts were £69,072, against 5,207,335
passengers conveyed in the same half of 1864, the receipts
being £54,740. The number of passengers conveyed on the
line in half-year ending June 30, 1868, was 4,828,437, and
the receipts £53,058. The increase over the corresponding
half of 1864 was £2,255,488 in passengers and £14,332 in
the receipts. The largest number of passengers conveyed
in one week since the opening of the railway was in Whit-
week last, the total being 370,843, and the largest number
in one day was 83,440 on the Monday of that week. The
capital account showed that £2,800,184 had been expended,
leaving a balance of £52,020.