The Sun.
London, England, 1823-04-10 00:00:00

LONDON BRIDGE.

OPPOSITION TO THE ERECTION OF A NEW
LONDON it It WOE.
On Tuesday last a Meeting of some of the
most independent Members of the Corporation took place at
Guildhall, in one of the Committee-rooms; for the purpose of
adopting some plan to prevent the erection of a new London
-Bridge, which others of the Corporation, whose characters are
equally respectable, have been so warm in advocating. The
disagreements upon the subject have already. run to great
lengths in the City, and the sertfluilous examination of the state
-of the funds, as well as of the state of the old bridge, will, it is
expected, lead to a total change in the arrangements that have
been lately made.
Mr. OLDII AM and Alderman VE MABLE s, who were amongst
the principal opponents to the erection of the contemplated
'bridge, regretted that the spirit of econinr did. not seem to
; but they expressed a con-
flindtieunetnecho;let,e tll‘ialtlolwehecrtherainionnnense difficulties which would
attend the undertaking should be represented to those who
were now anxious to cross the Thames over a gaudy struc-
ture, would at once resign the speculation', And he satis.
lis.tt with improvements which were practieable, and could
be carried on without serious expence. It had been esti-
mated that a new bridge would cost the sum of 1,500,000/.,
and the city of London well knew that the Parliament would
not be very profuse of the public money, whatever expec-
t.stions might be entertained under circumstances so seriously
affecting the local trade, should the city involve itself in
the measure. In fact, although the House of Commons
seemed determined to carry the measure into effect, they
would not provide the funds to make ell the necessary ap.
preaches to the bridge, particularly if they were interfered with.
£he Corporation funds ought therefore to be wholly withheld
in such a case, and Parliament would, soon see that the oli..
jections, now for the first time made apparent, would, under
powerful argument against the pro-
tors bad, it was upon record, taken
the circumstances, be insurmountable. The history of Lon-
jdeocn-tedb ripiliga en
.furoniusrhetlancesa
care to raise it upon a foundation almost; imperishable..-.
Upon each side of it houses of immense weight were raised,
the upper stories of which were so spacious, that those on
ctlliiootwlinert.
they
opdonp,ostihteosseidheosuastnesioswterteouaclhl Ily the fire in Lon-
were afterwards
partially rebuilt, and those were taken clown about the middle
of last century. The bridge was thus relieved from a weight
which those who built it would never have raised had not the
ellearn
foandation been of the most durable nature: Tile apprehen-
sions, therefore, entertained for the stability of the structure
appeared to be groundless. With respect to the disadvantages
to be contended with in the prowess of the undertaking, there
was one which the meeting would consider of the utmost im-
portance. The appioaches to the new bridge would cause a
•. turn-out" of a vast number of citizens, whose trade would be
conipletely ruined. Why the people of London and Southwark
should pay for what would do sue extensive injury, could not
be conjectured, especially as estimates were generally trebled
before the completion of any great undertaking,
Some other members of the netting observed, that they had
found, upon the most accurate examination, that estimates
in such CAWS were generally exceeded to the extent described.,
The improvements at Teinple-bar were estimated at 100,000/.,-
but after having remained in an unfinished state for six-
teen years, the sum of 380,0001. was expended upon it, and
about 3,000 persons were driven from London. The new
Post-office ex pence was estimated at 200,000/., and 2.10,0001.,
had already been expended in making approaches to that
which was to be made at same future period, and to proceed in
which the sum of one hundred thousand pounds was now
required. The Bridge House funds were now such as would
afford to pay for the only necessary improvements—the addition

of two arches; which could be made for the sum of 60,0001. In
a few years those funds Would, with proper care, be consider-
ably increased, and if the Corporation should think it necessary
to have a new bridge over the 'Thames, rather than the old one,
the thing could be undertaken without placing the public under
contribution.
Thosestatements and suggestions met with decided approba-
tion, and a resolution was entered into that a deputation from
this Meeting should wait upon the Bridge House Committee,
to represent to the Members the necessity of changing the ten-
dency of their labours. Yesterday the Deputation had the
desired interview, and stated the substance of the discuuion.
A contest took place, which will be renewed in a short time
at a public meeting, where'the question will be fully discussed.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

ATROCIOUS MURDER AT CLAPHAM.
Usriorr-HALL.—Yesterilay the Magistrates of this Office
received a communication from Mr. Franks, the Vestry-clerk
of Clapham parish, describing a most inhuman murder that
was committed the preceding night on the body of Mrs, Eliza.
beth Richards, a widow Lady between 70 and 80 years of
age, who lived within two doors of the Ebenezer Baptiii,
Chapel, Clapham-common. The unfortunate lady had resided
in the above house for the last thirty years, where she was
well known and respected by all the neighbourhood. Her
husband had been a pin-maker in the city, and since his death
she and another female occupied the house in which she• was
so cruelly inurdered. It appeared that Mrs. Bell, the lady
who lived with the deceased, went out on the night in question
about seven o'clock; -.faille purpose of attending a meeting.
house, and left the deceased at home. At a few minutes after
8 o'clock, she returned and knocked at the door, which was
not opened to her ; she repeated her knocks twice ; the third
time the door opened, and Mrs. Bell walked into the passage;
she repeatedly called out "Mrs. Richards," no answer was
given, neither was there any light to be seen. She advanced to.
wards'the kitchen, and just at the entrance she stumbled over
something that was lying on the floor, she became exceedingly
alarmed, and ran out of the house immediately to call for as.
sistance, She obtained assistance, and lightslwere brought, when
a poker, which did not belong to the house, was observed lying
outside the hall-door. Upon going into the house, the body of
Mrs. Richards was discovered lying stretched on the floor, near
the entrance into the kitchen ; an apron was thrown over the
face,' and the greater part of it was thrust into the deceased's
mouth ; a mark of violence was also visible on the right side
of her throat. From her advanced age and infirmities, she
was not. enabled to make resistance against her murderers.
It has occurred to Mrs. Bell since the murder, that a per.
son passed out of the house from behind the door, at the
time she entered it. The pockets of the deceased appear to
have been violently torn from her aide ; a caddy, which had
contained a little money, lay near the deceased's head, empty;
a silver watch was taken, together with a half dozen of spoons.
There was considerable property in the house up stairs, but it
was left untouched, es no doubt the murderers had been dis-
turbed in their work of plunder. Hall, chief constable, and Glan-
non, most active officers, have been sent to Clapham, in order to
trace this most attrocious murder. They found in the kitchen
of the house a piece of brown paper, folded up in the form of a
ester, and tied with a piece of cord, which had the following
address written on the back of it: " Mrs. Bell, hat Mrs. Rich.
arils's, Clapham-common," in very illegible characters. It is
supposed that the murderer gained ailmittithce into the deceas-
ed's house on pretence of having this letter to deliver to Mrs. Bell.
Upon the discovery of the appalling circumstance, a vestry.
meeting was called, and a reward of 50!. offered for the apprehen-
sion and conviction of the perpretator or perpretators This
sum, however, was not considered sufficient for the purpose,
and another Meeting was therefore held ye,rterday evening, by
which the reward was unanimously increased to 200 guineas ;
and a resolution passed to communicate all the particulars of
this dreadful crime, and the proceedings of the parish in conse.
quence of it, to the Secretary of State for the Home DeTart,
silent, leaving it to his discretion to take what steps towards et"
fecting the discovery of the guilty he may think proper. 'rho
inhabitants of the neighbourhood are in a state of indiscribable
dismay ever since the horrible occurrence took place ; and one
of the Magistrates, in addressing the Meeting on the subject
last night, stated that one individual in particular, rich was the
hold that the dread of murder had taken of his imagination,
had been nearly altogether deprived of the use of his senses.—
A Coroner's Inquest will be held on the body this day.

HORRIBLE CRUELTY TO A HORSE.
Bowi.STuLET.—Yesterday John Penton, a young man,
was brought before Mr. HALLS, the Sitting Magistrate, by
Snowsell, a constable, charged under Mr. Martin's Act with
excessive cruelty to a horse ; and since this very salutary
Statute has been in operation, there never was a case which
called so strongly for the infliction of Its severest penalties as
the present.
The Prisoner, it appeared, was a labourer in the service of
Mr. John Bull, a respectable market gardener, at Fulham,
by whom he was treated with great kindness and liberality,
but in consequence of misconduct, Mr. Bull was induced
to discharge him, and hire another lad, retaining the pri-
soner for a few days, until his successor should become
acquainted with the business. On Monday the prisoner
was employed in loading a clung cart, anti about four
o'clock, after he had been driving the horse backwards
and forwards for two or three hours, he called to the lad,
who was to succeed him, to come and look at the animal,
" for, said he, "there is something the matterwith his mouth.';
The lad found the horse bleeding copiously at the mouth,: antl
his tongue hanging out. Mr. Bull returntal home at night, arid
the horse being still in the same conclitimf, he sent for Mr. Eh
ford, a veterinary surgeon, who, on examining the mouth of
the unfortunate animal, found that the tongue had been li-
terally torn from its seat, and the root was drawn up to the
centre of the mouth, the tongue projecting several inches from
the ar.
Die. Elford, the veterinary surgeon, was examined and after
impossible
that the state of the horse's mouth, said it was
that the tongue could have been torts in the manner it was by the
bit or accidentally. It must have been done by design, and he
was of opinion that it witi done by a man's hand grasping the
tongue and tugging it, as he could not perceive any laceration
such as would have been produced, had any instrument been
used. The perpetrator of the barbarous act must have pos-
sessed extraordinary strength of arm to have torn the tongue in
the manner described. The horse must be killed.
The prisoner in his defence denied that he had committed the
outrage, and said he first perceived the horse's mouth bleeding
when he took the nose-bag from him after feeding.
Mr. Ilai.Ls said there was not ,the slightest doubt that he
was the author of this most barbarous act, and it was fit he
should be told that had the evidence gone but one step fur-
ther, he would have run the risk of expiating his offence
upon the gallows. The outrage it appeared would cause the
death of the horse ; and could positive proof ormalice prepense,
which he had no moral doubt existed, have been adduced, the
prisoner would have been committed for the capital felony. It
appeared too plainly that the prisoner was of that kind of tem-
per and disposition that he would not hesitate to inflict a simi-
lar outrage upon a fellow-creature if any one had offended him.
Unfo?tunately he (Mr. Halls) could only inflict a penalty of 5/.
upon the prisoner he regretted most sincerely that he could
not award a severer punishment, but the Legislature never could
have contemplated such a ferocious act as this, or it would have
enacted much heavier penalties. Ile felt ashamed for human
nature, that a man could be found- capable of an act so atro-
cious _to an unotrending animal.
The prisoner was fined 5/., and in default of payment was
committed for three months to hard labour in the House of
Collection, Coldbath-fields.