The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-29 00:00:00

CONDITION of the NEW LONDON BRIDGE.

The following is the substance of the important
report of the London Bridge Oottimittee. Thestate-
menta made by the engineers will be read with much
interest, particularly by those Who hai,e been labour-
ing under the apprehension that this beautiful struc-
ture is insecure. The plan of the contemplated lines
of approach will also be matter of great speculation
among the citizens. The report, after stating that
the Committee would, atan early period, lay before
the Court of Common Council a detailed account of
the state of their proceedings, goes on thus:—
" Having, in the meantime, ascertained that the funds
will be amply sufficient to carry into effect the several
lines of approach provided for by the Acts, and not yet
completed, and after having determined upon proceeding
forthwith in the compietion of Iwo such
street from the main approach into Upper Thames-street,
and the widening of the Borough High-street as far as St.
Margaret's-hill—we proceeded to consider the advantages
that would he derived by the public from the formation of a
new line of street direct from the bridge to the western
extremity of Cotnhil!, opposite Prince's-street, in prefe-
rence to the street leading from the Monument to the
Custom-house, which was only intended to be adopted in
case it should have become absolutely necessary for the
convenience of the traffic to the bridge from the eastern
part of the metropolis ; and as the approach from Fish-
street-hill, through the new street opposite the Monument,
together with the widening the west end of Little East-
cheap, will materially improve the eastern approach, it ap-
pears to us that a new street to the western extremity of
Cornhill is a far more desirable object, and is a plan which
the public convenience has so loudly called for, aed will
evidently be of much greater public utility than the street
to the Custom-house. It has been our anxious wish to
carry this plan into effect if the means were affroded ; and
we have great satisfaction in stating our conviction that
the funds are amply sufficient for the accomplishment of
that most desirable improvement.
" We have further to report that, considering it to be of
importance that we should be able to inform this Honour-
able Court how far such a plan would meet the sanction
of the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury,
prior to any application being made to Parliament for the
necessary powers to carry it into effect, we 'caused applica-
tion to be made for conference with their Lordships, and
we have held such conference accordingly, when the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, on the part of their Lordships,
expressed their approval of the proposed application to
Parliament ; we are therefore of opinion, and beg leave
to recommend, that this Honourable Court should autho-
rise the necessary notices being given of the intended ap-
plication to Parliament for powers to form the new line of
street to the western extremity of Cornhill, and to widen
the entrance of Little East-cheap, as before mentioned.
" We beg leave further to report that, in consequence of
a petition of Mr. Peter Jeffery having been presented to
the Honourable the House of Commons relative to the
state of the new bridge, we deemed it proper to take the
opinion of engineers, unconnected with the work, upon
the subject; we therefore directed Thomas Telford, James
Walker, and William Tierney Clark, Esqrs. Civil En-
gineers, to be furnished with copies of the petition, and
requested them to examine the bridge, and report their
opinion upon so much of the petition as related to the
state of the bridge, and also to report whether, from the
construction of the bridge, and the materials and work-
manship thereof, there was any danger of its stability to
be apprehended, either in its present state, or upon the
removal of the old bridge ; and we have annexed hereto
copies of the reports received from them upon the subject,
and also a report from Sir John Rennie thereon.
" Upon the question of the time and manner of remov-
ing the old bridge, we deemed it expedient that Mr. Tel-
ford, who advised the Committee for letting the Bridge-
house estates upon the subject in the year 1823, should
be consulted in conjunction with Sir John Rennie, but
Mr. Telford having, in consequence of his engagements,
declined entering further into the subject, observing that
Sir John Rennie, with whom he was to be joined, was
quite sufficient to direct the business, we referred it to Sir
John Rennie alone, and we have annexed hereto a copy
of his Report thereon, whereby it will be seen he states
that the earlier the removal is commenced the better.'
" On the 14th instant we received a further Report
from Mr. Telford and Mr. Walker, and on this day a fur-
ther Report from Mr. Clark, copies of which are also
hereunto annexed • and as it appeared doubtful whether
Messrs. Telford and Walker intended by their last Report
to convey an idea that the immediate removal of the old
bridge would endanger the stability of the new one, we
caused application to be made to Mr. Telford for an ex-
planation upon that point, who stated that the suggestion
of himself and Mr. Walker had no reference to any other
point than the means of continuing a commodious pas-
sage to the public in case of any alarm, just or unjust,
respecting the new bridge.
" We have attentively considered the several reports
above referred to, by which it will be seen that all the
engineers whom we have consulted concur in opinion on
the expediency of filling up the irregularities in the bed of
the river at and near the new bridge, and of using a por-
tion of the materials of the old bridge for that purpose,
which will save the great expense and loss of time of pro-
curing materials from a distance; and it appearing to us
that the existence of the old bridge tends materially to in-
crease the irregularities in the bed of the river above
adverted to, which must in some measure be injurious to
the new bridge, we have made the requisite arrangements
for the taking down the old bridge and filling up and regu-
lating the bed of the river at and about the new bridge, as
speedily as may be practicable, and in the manner recom-
mended by Sir John Rennie.
" All which we submit to the judgment of this Honour-
able Court. Dated this 17th day of November.
" J. CARTER RICHD. L. JONES
"JOHN BLAKET WM. RICHARDSON
" EDWARD TICKNER JOSEPH DAW
" JERE.CARTER ROBERT CARTER
" WILLIAM DAY WM. KERL
" JOHN 'l'. THORP WM. AUSTIN
" P. LAURIE W. ROUTH
"JOHN WALTER WM. RAWLINS."