The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-25 00:00:00

[ PRICE 4D.

TEE IRON PAVE&IENT IN LEADEN-
IIALL-STREET.

Yesterday the iron roadway, under General Knapp's
patent, laid down under •the superintendence of Mr.
Josiah Crook, of the firm of Messrs. Crook , and Co.,
builders, paviors, and City contractors, of Tower Royal,
Watling•street, was completed, and will shortly be
opened, at the east end of Leadenhall-street, for public
traffic.

Hundreds of persons hare visited the spot since the
commencement of the work, which was authorised some
time ago by the Commissioners of Sewers for the City
of London.

1 ' Upon a careful examination of the details of this sin-
gular species of roadway, we find that tho invention
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one another, and to give solidity to the entire pavement.
These boxes appear to be grooved in a manner so as
effectually to yrevent the feet of horses and the wheels of
carriages from slipping, even in frosty weather. The
boxers are keyed together, and the interstices are filled
with ballast of a very fine character. The ribs and rims
extend to the bottom of each box, as also do the inter-
stices to which we have alluded. Each of the boxes has
outside flanges of a peculiar construction, for the purpose
of " keying ' one into the other, so as to render the
whole immovable. Each block is about five inches in
depth, and about a foot in diameter. The thickness of
the rims and ribs in each block is about one inch at the
top, and this thickness extends about one inch down,
then tapers to a thin riin at ther bottom.
The keys or "flanges " are so arranged around. the
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the ground,:and is aloe rted by three boxes, which
it also aids in supporting. Thus, as we observed, the
whole of the pavement is firmly linked together, so that
it is impossible, apparently, for any one box to move, or
rise above, or settle lower than those around it. In the
case of the neoessity for the removal of the pavement for
water, gas, or any other purpose; there appears to be no
difficulty whatever, as the raising of one of them can be
easily done, and the surrounding ones liberated at an
expense, it is said, much lower than the cost entailed by
the present system, and without in the slightest manner
injuring the rest of the pavement."
The grooves and interstices radiate from the centre of
each box, and in consequence it is very likely that the
possibility of slipping may be avoided. Forming angles
over which the wheels of vehicles must roll diagonally,
'no more jarring noise than their going over a plain sur-
face may be apprehended.
The patentee, at the Court of Sewers, claimed a an-
periority for this pavement, over alt ether kinds, "in
its comparative freedom from dust, mud, noise, and
slipperiness, and in its durability, and expense, and also
in the ease with which carriages may be drawn over it."
These assertions, of course, have to be proved in this
experiment, now first submitted for u'e in the English
metropolis. In Boston (U.S.) and New York, it has
long been tried, and highly approved of. How it may
answer in the constantly traversed street of Leadenhall,
remains yet to be seen. The work appears to be firmly
laid, and excellently fitted, and, if it does answer for the
purposes of metropolitan traffic, and proves to be as
useful here as in the United States, there can be no
doubt but that a vast saving to the public will be the
necessary consequence.

PORTUGUESE AND SPANISH BOND-
HOLDERS.

The subjoined letter, which emanates from the
pen of a practical and intelligent writer, has refe-
rence to Peninsular claims, and will be found
worthy of an attentive perusal :

" TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING POST.

" Sir,—Your remarks in this day's Post, upon the
subject of Portuguese and Spanish confiscatory laws,'
and the address obtained at last through Mr. Thornton's
zeal and exertions, have occasioned a great deal of dis-
cussion smongst parties interested. Would such redress
have been obtained without constant agitation ? Cer-
tainly not. The Spanish case is, as you observe, infi-
nitely the worse of the two.' But, sir, there is no agita-
tion, and, from all I can collect, there is no committee
to agitate, and follow the example of the Portuguese
bondholders. Portugal has cut down her 5 and 4 per
cents, to 3 per cent., but the Spanish 5 per cents. are
cut down to a contemptible and miserable 1 per eent.,
which, allowing for Toreno's 33 per cent. paring away
in 1834, leaves an active Spanish 5 per cent, bond to
represent not 1 per cent, but a mere per cent, bond,
to increase to 1i some eighteen years hence. Such cut-
ting down was surely enough without robbing the cou-
pon-bolder of 50 per cent. of his more privileged class of
stock. Let the bondholders then apply through the Earl
of Clarendon that their coupons may be placed on the
same ' footing' as the Active Bonds— miserable, indeed,
as even that 'footing' is, and as I fully proved by the
above statement, Senor Mon's usurious dealings are not
forgotten in either London or Madrid. I have heard
that there is not a committee in existence. It is certain
Mr Cassell, the chairman, resigned ; Mr. Ww. Hender-
son died on the sth inst. at Dunkerque ; Mr. Tacker
retired years ago; and, when I called on Han lately, to
ask if be would call a meeting, be replied—' It was no
fault of his that such wretched terms were agreed to,'
arid said--' There ought to have been no confiscation
of either coupons or of bonds,' and added that his
resolution to divide the money fairly would, if sup-
ported, not only have rendered such confiscation need-
lea, and obviated the sacrifice to the coupon-holder
altogether, but what was, if anything, of greater
importance still,' added Mr. Tacker, 'it would
have saved Spanish honour and credit.' Others did not,
or would not, see it in the same light, and thus, to se-
cure a dirty, contemptible one-eighth, or 2s. 6d. per
cent. per annum to holders of bonds—ex-coupons—•the
more deserving class of coupon-holders were mulcted to
the extent of 50 per cent,' I find now that this view of
the case is generally admitted. Mr. Tasker also states
that Senor Isturitz strongly supported that view, as a
matter both of sound policy and commo❑ justice and
fair dealing. Mr. Capel and Baron Rothschild advo-
cated the acceptance of the unjust scale. Perhaps, sir,
cool reflection and the little confidence manifested still
in Spanish bands, the refusal of all quotations on the
Exchange of 'local 3 per cent. bonds,' of railway
shares,' and other schemes,' may have induced them
by this time to think Senor Isteritz and Mr. Tasker were
right. At present (I repeat it) there is no committee,
for two members cannot form a quorum, much less a
committee ; so the sooner the coupon-holders call
a public meeting the better. All I can make out is,
that Baron Rothschild and Mr. L. Samson, of the
Stock Exchange, are the only members that remain of
the old committee.—l remain, sir, your obedient servant,
" A SPANISH BONDHOLDER.
" City, Jan. 21, 1856."