The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-19 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, _NAY 19, 1870.

Good news for Londoners ! After all there appears
to be really a prospect before us that one of the most
flagrant disgraces of this wealthiest, vastest, and
most populous capital in the world will, at length and
before very much longer, be removed from our public.
thoroughfares. A Metropolitan Carriage Company
is in process of formation. The Charleys of old, who
were boxed by CORINTHIAN Tom and JERRY JUNIPER
as the crowning feat of a night's enjoyment, have
passed away beyond the distance of the life-
time of a whole generation. And now Cabby's
days are, in the immediate future, just ai
surely numbered. Here and there, no doubt,
even as things are, an occasional "hansom" may be
met, not unworthy of its name, rattling over the
granite of Pall Mall or Piccadilly, or bowl-
ing smoothly along the macadamized roads of
'l'yburnia and Belgravia, with a high-mettled
bound at the crossings, and a tandem-like whisk
round the sharper turnings of the great town labyrinth
—deluding the fare into a me me Itary notion that his
chance-driver is, after all, a whip of the first quality,
and that the weedy hack between the shafts before
him, is another " Eclipse" disguised, not like his pro-
totype in the harness of a sand cart, but in trappings
quite as ignominious, meaning those of a London
cabriolet. As a rule, the London Cab has long since
come to be little better than a term of opprobrium.
Not that the blame attaching to the institution, as it
is and as it has long been, can be imputed to
that other institution of our crowded streets, the
London cabman. Hard-working, weather-beaten,
poorly-paid, and, for the most part, reputeable as
a class—the " black sheep " here as elsewhere, being
distinctly the exceptions—the London cab drivers
have to bear the brunt of the blame appertaining by
right to their employers the cab proprietors. Dirty,
ramshackle conveyances, the cabs are, in the majority
of instances, we all know by experience. As
to the cattle drawing them, if by chance they
were anywhere else met astray, they would be far
more likely to be driven to the knacker's yard than
to the parish pound. Passing, one after another,
through all the chief cities of Europe, we may safely
say, without risk of exaggeration, there nowhere
can be found any more miserable public
conveyances than those hitherto tolerated in these
great twin cities of London and Westminster. The
Parisian voiture is a private brougham to it— the
Viennese drosky a refined phaeton—the Irish jaunt-
ing car a gay bilarous char-a-bane turned in-
side out. Of the infliction we have had quite
enough. Londoners, almost time out of mind, have
been longing to be well rid of it. And seemingly,
at last, with good hope, that very speedily now
Cabby's day's will prove indeed to have at
last been numbered. The Metropolitan Public
Carriage and Repository Company, Limited, has
even now (through its agent's hands, Mr. T. R. AN-
CELL, 8, New Coventry-street) issued its prospectus. Its
capital it sets down at £150,000 sterling, in 100,000
fully paid-up shares of £1 each-2s. 6d. to be paid
on application, 2s. 6d. on allotment, and the remaining
15s. in three instalments of ss. each, at intervals of
two month's duration, the company having power to
issue Debentures for the £50,000 additional. Nine
Directors have already been enrolled, the Chairman
of the Board being a member of the House of Com-
mons. Bankers, Solicitor, Brokers, Auditors,
Veterinary Surgeons, Secretary, have all
been selected and formally appointed. The
intention is to start with Seven Hundred public con-
veyances, consisting of cabs, broughams, and open
carriages. The scheme, as set forth in the pro-
spectus which has just come into our hands, is cer-
tainly most alluring : and, very earnestly, in the public
interests, is it to be hoped that the]project may be car-
ried out as strictly as possible in accordance with the
proposed plan of arrangements.

Yesteday afternoon the ordinary dullness of the
Parliamentary papers was varied, by the issue of a
bill which deserves something moro than a mere
passing notice. Its provisions will, no doubt,
be read with a wry face by many a popular repre-
sentative who knows that his Parliamentary profes--
sions and his electoral practice do not exactly tally.
It was disagreeable enough to have to bear the ex-
pense, and submit to the annoyance of a Parliamentary
investigation into the details of one's election, but to