The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-21 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN BRIDGES.

The present condition of 'the bridges over the
river Thames within the limits of London affords
an apt illustration of the manner in which affairs
are managed in England. Had any continental
Government possessed the power of exacting from
the ratepayers such sums as are easily obtainable
in England, no doubt the course of the metropoli-
tan river would have been encumbered with strute
tures of the most magnificent description, all toll-
free. We manage our affairs differently in this
country, and, however much we may he of opinion
that the present instance constitutes an exceptional
case, we ought, perhaps, in strictness to rejoice•
that public works, which in countries less free than
our own are executed and paid for to order,
hero become the subjects of individual enter-
prise. Waterloo and Southwark bridges would
iu Paris have been Government works—that
is, they would have been executed in the most
costly manner, and the French people would
have been called upon for the amount. Here they
are the property of private associations, and it
fairly bey omes a question, if companies could be
induced to undertake such works upon the under-
standing that their rights were to determine at the
end of a given period—say 20, 30, 50 years-7-if
such a system would not be the more cerreet one.
This plan, however, has not been worked out among
ourselves, and the consequence is that the toll
bridges remain as permanent obstacles in.the way
of future improvements. The want of a free bridge,
for example, between Blackfriars and London •
bridges is most severely felt, but the Southwark-
bridge Company refuse to sell at any reasonable
rate. At the same time, it is felt that the instant
the existence of Southwark-bridge was ignored and
a fresh structure undertaken the value of the pro-
perty would be depreciated to an extent which
would render the purchase easy of completion, and
then we should have two bridges where only one
was wanted. Thus it happens. that all improve-
ment is stopped, that negotiations drag. on, and
the public convenience is neglected, or lost sight
of altogether. For the moment we would call at-
tion to the upper part of the stream, where the
question is presented to us apparently free from
the complication of tells. How long are we to be
deprived of the convenience of a new bridge in
front of the new Houses of Parliament ? Old West;
minster-bridge has long been hoarded up, and the
little boys who used to flatten their noses against
the planking when the now bridge was first under-
taken have long since grown up to 'man's estate ;
but still the Eleusiniau mystery of Westminster-
bridge is not unveiled to the profane eye, and,
except to a very few, the existence of a new West-
minster-bridge is entirely unknown.
In truth, it cannot be said to exist. We have
just received the copy of a report presented to the
First Commissioner of Public Works by Messrs.
Rendel and Simpson, civil engineers, on the new
Westminster-bridge. It would be idle for us to go
through the technical detail of the amount of work
actuallyaccomplished. The only clear result obtained
is that the present condition of the works is most
unsatisfactory, either with reference to the amount
of money expended, or to the period of time elapsed
since the business was first undertaken. From the
best estimate the two gentlemen named could form,
it seems that the first half of the bridge may be
made ready for traffic within 18 months from the
resumption of operations. "On the supposition
that the arches of the old bridge, and so many of
its piers and their foundations as interfere with
those of the new ono, are entirely cleared away in
18 months from the opening of the first section of
the new bridge, which we think is the least time
that so difficult and tedious an operation could be
performed in without the aid of cofferdams, then
we consider that the whole of the new bridge might
be completed in two years and a-half from such re-
moval of the old-orie. ' Such is the opinion of the
engineers, upon the presumption that all their re-
wow arc applied. with, awl that the works