The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-07 00:00:00

STREET SCAVENGING IN MARYLEBONE,

For once the Marylebone vestry has done a very cre-
ditable thing, which the local boards of works through.
out the metropolis, in districts where some similar prac.
tice is not already in operation, might well imitate,
since it would greatly promote the comfort and con-
venience of the inhabitants at large. During the
present week a local committee, embodied in that
parish for sanitary purposes, has been trying in differ-
ent parts of Oxford-street a new process for watering
and cleansing the streets which has the merit of novelty.
Throughout the greater part of the year, as all know who
traverse the thoroughfares of this great city from day to
day, the pedestrian has to contend againstachoice of evils,
being occasionally assailed in some quarters with clouds
of dust, while in others, where "it never rains but it
pours," the watering process is so overdone that if he
wishes to cross the street he can only do so ancle-deep in
mud. Besides, to ride or drive over the streets so drenched
is attended with some difficulty and danger, as they are
thereby readfred so extremely slippery that horses are
continually liable to fall. The experiment now being
tried in Oxford-street does away with all these inconve-
niences. About 4 o'clock each morning a number of
water-carts in a line traverse slowly a part of the street,
a few hundred yards in length, and sluice it with water,
which has the effect of gradually softening the hard
coat of mud with which it is overlaid. The water-carts
then drench it a second time, but are followed on
this occasion close behind by a gang of men, armed
with large scrubbing-brushes, who stretch across the
thoroughfare, sweeping as they proceed the mud into
the kennel on each side, which, being largelydiluted with
water, flows to a great extent into the sewers beneath
by means of the gullyholes at intervals along the street,
and the rest is removed in carts. The gullyholes are
protected, so as to prevent any solid matter going down
them ; and it has been fund that after the first morning
the plan requires less water, less time, and less labour
in the accomplishment of the work. The effect is that
the thoroughfare thus completely cleansed in the morn-
ing is freed from dust during the remainder of the day ;
and in that part of Oxford-street between Regent-street
and Bond-street, where it has been tried, and again be-
tween the end of Tottenham-court road and Newman-
street, the tradesmen regard the change, as a great boon
to them. We saw the process in full operation between
6 and 7 o'clock yesterday morning, and the only fault it
appeared to have was the tardy manner in which it
was perferzned. The men engaged in it had com-
menced work at 4 o'clock in the-morning, and at 7 they
had only reached a point about midway between Totten-
hem court-road and Newman-street. At this rate, if
they had been required to do the whole of Oxford-street,
they would probably have reached the Marble Arch, if
they reached it at all, when the street became crovided,
by the middle of the afternoon. That of course' could
not be tolerated, and if the thing is to be done at all
it must be wholly done before eight in the morning,
when the traffic ordinarily commences. It is, however,
but right to repeat that the process is only yet an ex-
periment, and that if it be found to answer it will pro-
bably be worked in a more vigorous and systematic
manner, by which alone it can give public satisfaction.
It is a manifest improvement, as it is, upon the existing
methods of sweeping and cleansing the public- streets,
and seems to realise that model state of things, the
absence of which in a great thoroughfare in Westmin-
ster elicited the pathetic appeal to King Thwaites from
" Habitans in Sicco" a short time ago, through the
columns of this journal. It is also a small fore-
taste of the kind of millennium promised by Sir
R. Hall, in bis Local Management Act, for it will be re-
collected, among other conveniences in which we were to
participate, the public foothpaths and thoroughfares
were to be swept and garnished every morning, and
" Yer honour" was no longer to be importuned for a
copper by "poor Jack" at the crossing, who, after being
supplanted by a paid functionary in livery, was, as some
generously supposed, to retire into private life, like other
great public men, on a handsome allowance from the
national purse. Let us therefore be grateful.

WILLS. —The will of the Right Rev, the Lord B7shop
of Gloucester and Bristol was sworh under 140,0001.
personalty; the Hon. R. Ramsey, of Cheltenharn,2o,ooo/. ;
Sir J. Prendergast, 16.000/4 Sir A. Crichtoo, 7,000/.
within the province; Mr. C. Shaw, of the Stock Ex-
change and Mydclleton-square, 12,0001.; Mrs. A. Shaw,
of Baker-street, 10,0001.; the Rev. J. Ellis, of Clothall,
Hertz, 00,0001.; Rev. R. Lyon, D.D., of Bishop's Caun.
dle, 25,000/.; Rev. E. W. Estcourt, M.A.., of Long
Newnton, 20,000/. ; Rev. G. G. Townley, D.C.L.,
10,0001.; Mr. J. Wilkinson, of Leeds, 50,000/., within
the province of CanterbimLMr. R. V. Hooper, of Is-
liogton, 60,000/.• Mr. w. vans, of Chelsea, 60,0001.;
Mr. G. C. Chaplain, Elms, Tunbridge, 10,0001. The
will of Sir Edward Tierney, of Dublin, was proved first
in Ireland under 60,0001:, and since in England under
45,0001. within the province of Canterbury. Also lately
have been proved in London the wills of the Dowager
Marchioness of Hertford ; the Dowager Countess of
Shrewsbury and Waterfurd,pir Jas. H.anloke, and Sir C.
fiqrbert. Lord Vizcount Fitnibbou died intestate.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN.

The directors of this company have just issued their
statement of accounts for the half-year ending the 30th of
June. It is as usual clear and comprehensive, affording a
considerable amount of information to the shareholders.
The joint-stock capital account shows the total amount of
share capital to be 25,521,831/., consisting of 22,521,3311.
credited to the 30th of June, 286,4141. calls in course of
payment, and 2,772,1351. calls which may be made. The
general statement of capital account shows that 22,049,042/.
had been received on stock and shares, 62,3i11 paid in ad-
varace of calls, 10,975,5891. loans on debentures, and
402,8301. on 3i per cent. debenture stock ; total 33,439,8531.
upon the whole, of which interest and dividend is charged
to revenue. The expenditure on the main lines of railway
and works amounted, on the 30thof June to 23,712,9271.,
on the rolling stock to 2,896,2821., on lands and buildings
yielding rent to 351,5671. ; together 26,963,776/. ; on lines
open in which the company have an interest—Coventry
and Nuneaton 307,8771., West London 77,0321., Lancas-
ter and Carlisle 350,000/, Caledonian 143,7841.. Scottish
Midland 95,7721., Shropshire Union 165,3841., Manchester
and South Junction 357,6781., South Staffordshire
190,7151., Manchester and Buxton 55,7001., Chester
and Holyhead 1,472,1121., ditto waggons an advances
315,9621., North London 557,7201., ditto advances 104,1251.
Buckinghamshire 337,5711., ditto works 16;0151.,
Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Stour Valley
197,3181., ditto works 561,112/., Hampstead Junction
63,3731, together for these lines 5,513,3121., mak-
ing the total sum expended 32,477,0891;, leaning
a balance at the bankers' of 1,012,7631. The de-
benture account to the 3..ith of June shows that 1,033,655/.
was borrowed at 5 per cent., 1,451,996'. at 4i per cent.,
4,214,288/. at 4i per cent., 365,631/. at 41 per cent.,
1,741.9501. at 4 per cent., 718.8601. at 31 per cent.,
1,074,3061. at 3i per cent., 362,7001. at per cent., and
3,2001. at 3 per cent. ; total, 10,975,5891. The working
stock account shows that 2,896,281/. had been expended
on it, the total mileage worked by the company 8954 miles,
and the average cost of working stock per mile 3,'e34/.
The return of working stock shows that there are 743 loco-
motive engines, 742 tenders, 1 st rte carriage, 666 first-class
vaails and composite carriages, 562 second-class and 419
third-class carriages, 31 travelling post-offices and tenders,
311 horse-boxes, 256 carriage trucks, 262 guards, break,
and parcel vans, 31 parcel trucks, 9,098 goods waggons,
1,000 cattle waggons, 279 sheep vans, 1,381 coke waggons,
26 trolleys, 5,150 sheets, and 247 horses. The statement
of disbursenients on capital account shows that from 31st
of December, 1819, to 30th of June, 1858, the expenditure
upon various estimates sanctioned by the proprietors
amounted to 4,235,0591. The revenue account for the
half-year ending the 30th of June last shows that 1,463,567/.
bad been received from traffic, 11,3871. interest on cash
bakaces, 16,085/. rents, 3161. transfer fees, 1,3791. net
amount of Huddersfield Canal traffic, estimated amount
of dividends from railways in which the company have an
interest, 47,1061.; total 1,539,8431., against 1,466,3471. at
the corresponding period of last year, showing an increase
in the receipts of 73,4931. The working charges amounted
to 597,3991., parish rates and taxes to 34,0561., and pas-
senger duty to 23,407/. ; making the working expenses
651,8631., against 655,3301. at the corresponding period of
1855, showing a decrease -in the working expenses of
4971., and at the same time an increase in the gross re-
ceipts of 73,4951. Tho increase on loans amounted to
228,t551., chief rents, to 4,6471.; Peterborough joint station,
2,0001.; Parliamentary and legal expenses, 10,0001.; Pres-
ton and Wyre deficiency, 4,1351. ; Buckinghamshire gua-
rantee, 18,2991.; North Union guarantee, 26,9291.; Shrop.
shire Union deficiency, 12,965/. ; ditto, 3,120/. ; Matlock
lease deficiency, 1,6581. ; West London award, 2,000. ;
Leeds and Liverpool Canal, 1,336/. ; Stour Valley defi-
ciency, 9,412/. ; Haydon-square depot, 2,1371.; and re-
newal of rails, 28,333/. ; leaving a balance of 529,9501.
against 471,5441. at the corresponding period of 1855,
showing an increase of 58,4061. The renewal of rail account
shows a total expenditure of 703,0351., including 63,1721.
for the past half-year. The amount set aside from reve-
nue being 399,7471., including 28,3331. for the past half-
year, leaving a balance against the account of 303,2881.
To the balance frma revenue account of 529,9501. is added
t 8,5111., the balance from the preceding half-year, making
a disposable sum of 578,462/. The proposed dividend, at
the rate of 5 par cent. per annum, will absorb 564,3851.,
and leave a balance of 14,076/. The dividend on the con-
solidated stock of the company will amount to 501,412/. ;
on the 201. shares to 9,3811., or Bs. per share • on the 101.
, C shares to 7,169/. or 2s. 9d. per share; on the 121. 10s.
shares (2/. 10s. paid) 10,9151., or ls. per share; and on the
Huddersfield and Dewsbury stocks 28,7271., and Coventry
and Nuneaton 6,750/., leaving 14,0761. It is intended to
make the dividend payable on the 19th inst.
From the statement of the half-year's accounts it will be
seen that the net proceeds are 529,9501., as against 471,5414
at the corresponding period of 1855; re balance from the
last account amounted to 48,5111., as against 71,2701. in
June, 1855, showing a disposable balance of 578,4621. in
June, 1856, as against 542,8151. in June, 1855 ; the divi-
dend recommended being 564,3351. as against 533,865&.,
and the balancs carried to the next account 11,0,61. as
against 6,9501. The profits of the half-year exceed those
of the oarrespondine•' period by 58,4001., and the directors
are therefore enabled to recommend a dividend at the rate
of 5 per cent. per annum, which is an increase of # per
cent. beyond the dividend declared in August last year.
the balance to be carried forward to the next account being
also larger.