The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-29 00:00:00

CITY IMPROVEMENTS.

it a a; some time ago reported to the Coal, CorniPtl,l
Finance Committee, to consider whether it would be ii'd-
visable to vote th ‘ sum of 2,0001. to the Commissioners'
of Sewers to make improvements, by widening New-
gate-street and Fetter-lane, and the Report was brought
up, negativing the propriety of voting the sum. It wis
moved and seconded that the sum should be granted
for the object described. A very long discussion took
place, in which the v ry laudable zeal of the Inspector,
for improvements of great use and ornament, mini-
tested itself.
Mr. LAWRENCE objected to this new responsibility of
the Commissioners, who never were willing to use it
for any measures they thought proper to adopt .
Mr. LOTT said that so long as the Court turned a
deaf car to the proposal of widening Wating-street, the
great avenue to the Docks, the Custom-house, and all
the large institutions at the east end of the town—so
long as they disregarded the calamitous history of acci-
dents, in that most dangerous thoroughfare—so long
would he object to any other improvement.—(Cheers.)
If the Corporation would take that into consideration,
there was no improvement that he would not advocate.
Mr. HALL had every confidence in the Conunis-
sioners of Sewers.—(Cheers.) And the Court could
not do better than vote the money to them, and leave it
to them to exercise their judgment, which had been
frequently put to the test before to the advantage of
their fellow-citizens. The plan to be adopted would be
to set hack the houses in the narrowest parts of the
two thoroughfares mentioned, and lie hoped to see
Watlinrr-street widened with all possible expedition
also.—(Cheers.)
Mr. R.. L. JONES did not like to go blindfolded and
without any definite plan to the work of improvement.
The City expended 11,5001. in improvements, and he
wished, as he had always worked with a defined plan,
not to see any deviation as to that principle. He could
not but call the attention of the Court, while on such a
subject, to the disgraceful clump of houses which stood
bet,vecn the Post-office and the glorious building of St.
Paul's.—(Cheers.) If the Court would show a deter-
mination to use their best efforts to clear away the
stupid and contemptible obstructions to the full view of
that majestic national monument, and go to Parliament
and the Goveinment to forward their object, their ap-
\ plication would be irresistible.--(Loud cheers.)
Mr. WELLs was most decidedly in favour of the ad-
mirable and humane project of widening Fetter-lane, a
locality which he knew to he so dangerous that a child
could scarcely leave the door of one of the houses without
1 running the haz ird of being crushed to death.—(Hear.)
Mr. EA GLETON said that if the Court granted the
sum, it would be taken as an earnest of their good in-
tentions by the public.— (Hear, hear.)
Sir M. WOOD said that he hoped to have pleasing in-
telligence to communicate shortly to the Court on the
subject of the projected improvements, by removing
the impediments between St. Paul's and the Post-office.
lie had been for some time seeking a conference with
the Government, particularly with the Post-office de-
partment, on the question of throwing open an exten-
sive space at the west end of Cheapside, and he had
reason to expect that his object would he acceded to.
He thought it would be eligible to keep the 2,000/, al-
luded to on the present occasion, to add to the sum
which they would be ready to grant on that occa-
sion, whh the assistance of Parliament.
Mr. PEACOCK said it had been intimated that the
Commissioners of Sewers could tax the citizens to. the
r extent of eighteempc nee in the pound to defray the .ex-
( penses of the proposed improvements. Now he would
not consent to any tax upon the citizens greater than
they already paid.—(Hear, hear.) He would rather
take the cash out of the City Chamber to a much larger
extent, and lower those rates.—(Hear, hear.)
' The grant of 2,000/. was then voted to the Commis-
, sioners of Sewers for the object stated.—Adjourned.