The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-12 00:00:00

Z/

been understated and that they had an advantage in
the existence of the bridge where it at present
stood that could never be over-rated.—(Cheers.) He
was one of those who would always support the bridge
that had carried him safely over it ; and notwithstanding
what had been stated by his Very Reverend Friend,
the Dean of Westminster, he thought the present site
of the bridge was quite equal to the erection of another
one. It was the first interests of the inhabitants of
Lambeth and Westminster to use their greatest exer-
tions to prevent the carrying out of so abominable a
measure as that proposed, by parties whom no one knew
anything of, or whose objects could hardly be guessed
at—the removal of Westminster bridge and the erection
of a new one to Charing Cross.—(Cheers.)
Mr. FREEMAN seconded the resolution, which was put
by the Chairman to the meeting, and declared by him to
be carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN said that the real business of the
meeting was now over. He was glad to see such unani-
mity as had been displayed in the adoption of the reso-
lutions, because it gave him every hope that their efforts
in this cause would be attended with complete success.—
(Cheers.) As a Member of the city of Westminster he
could assure his constituents that every exertion should
be used to resist this extraordinary, uncalled for, and
unneccssarr Ineasure.—(Cheers.) At the same time he
felt bound to say, that he thought it so indefensible,
that he had very little doubt when the day of battle
came, if it ever did come, of which he had groat doubt,
there would be no difficulty in overcoming their un-
known assailants. Such were hiz. opinions, and his in-
tentions. His Hon. Friend the Member for Lambeth
sat on his left hand, and he had no doubt he would tell
the meeting what was the cause he intended to pursue.
Mr. HAwus, M.P., and Under-Secretary for the Colo-
'flies, then rose to address the meeting, and was most en-
thusiastically received. When silence had been some-
what restored, Mr. Hawes said that he would re-
spond to his Gallant Friend's call, in few but
positive words—he would back him in every motion,
and stand by him in every division against this mon-
strous measure.—(Tremendous cheers.) After all that
had been said that night, it was almost a waste of
time to address any further arguments to the meeting
against the measure.—(Cheers.) He should have been
glad to have heard who were the parties that were op-
posed to them, or what was the reputation of the in-
dividuals whose proposition, whose monstrous proposi-
tion had made this meeting necessary.—(Cheers.) Ho
had done all in his power to find that out, but had
been unable to do so.—(Hear, hear.) A short time
since he had had the honour of presiding at a meeting
for a similar object on the other side of the water, and
at that meeting he was happy to say they were just. as
unanimous as they had been that night in offering
their opposition to the measure.—(Cheers.) He was
most happy to join his fellow citizens on that side of the
water in opposing the measure after having done:all he
could in the same direction on the other.—(Cheers.) He
, was glad to hear his Gallant Friend in the chair, quote the
report of the Committee against the erection of a new
bridge on a new site—(Cheers)—because he was
convinced that if any one would refer to that
report, they would find it altogether opposed to
the alteration of the site of the present bridge.
—(Cheers.) Strong as was the arguments of his
Very Reverend Friend the Dean of Westminster against
the posibility of building a new bridge upon the site of
the old one, he could not but feel that its present posi-
tion was the best, if not the very best that could be
selected. He thought the engineering skill of the pre-
sent day would be at a very low ebb indeed if it could
not get over the difficulty, in a geological point of view,
that his Very Reverend Friend had pointed out.—
(Cheers.) He was for maintaining the bridge on its
present site—(Loud cheering)—and when he made
that statement, he did so advisedly, because at whose
expense were they going to build the new bridge ? Not
at their own, but that of the public—(Cheers)—and
such being tke case, it was their duty to do it at the
least possible expense, and on the least expensive and
most eligible site. Now, that its present site was the
best and the least expensive, he thought all present
would admit.—(Cheers.) If any other site were
selected, some hundreds of thousands would require
to be expended, and he thought that such a sum
might be much better laid out in buying up existing
bridges for the convenience of the public, than in
purchasing new approaches for a new Westminster-
bridge.—(Cheers.) Added to this, he had been informed,
and he believed it to be the fact, that the amount that
could be procured for the materials of the old bridge,
would be amply sufficient to construct a tem-
porary bridge while a new one was erecting
on the site of the present bridge.—(Cheers.)
He was astonished at the temerity of those who could
propose the erection of a new bridge in the vicinity of so
many others—(Cheers)—a bridge, he would venture to
say, that would do nothing but obstruct the navigation
of the river.—(Cheers.) He looked upon the proposed
Bill for the erection of the new bridge to Charing-cross
as a private one, and as such he should treat it, believing
that the Woods and Forests would never lend their
name to so absurd an undertaking.—(Great cheer-
ing.) But supposing that they should, he was
sure another department of the Government never would,
and that was her Majesty's Chancellor of the Exchequer.
—(Cheers.) lie called, in conclusion, upon the inhabit-
ants of Lambeth and Westminster to exert themselves
in a cause that was entirely their own, for they might
depend upon it if they did so they would hoar as little
about this absurd measure in future as they knew at pre-
sent of its projectors.—(Cheers.)
Thanks were then carried unanimously to the Chair-
man, and the meeting separated.