The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-14 00:00:00

LONDON, 1 UESD tY EVENING, OCTOBER 14, 1856.

6HOCKING DBAT.H. OF THE HOE.
BERTRAM WODEHOUSE.

EXETER, OCT. 13.
An inquest was held at the Aclaud Arms, St. Sid-
well's, Exeter, on Saturday, before Mr. W. H. Hooper,
coroner, on the body of a gentleman, who, from certain
documents found in his possession, and other circum-
stances, appears to be the Hon. Bertram Wodehouse,
uncle of Lord Wodehouse, the English ambassador at the
Court of Russia. The facts, as detailed in evidence, are
clan exceedingly painful character.
It appeared that the deceased, who was described as a
tall gentleman, wearing a moustache, and having the
appearance of a military man, arrived in Exeter on
Tuursday evening, the 3d instant, by train, and went to
the New London Inn. He was then under the influence
of drink. He slept there for several nights, and during
the whole time he was at the inn he was intoxicated.
In cur, sequence of this the landlord, Mr. Pratt, sent
biro his bill, and suggested the propriety of his
taking private lodgings. On the Sunday evening pre-
vious to this he entered the Free Church in a state
of intoxication, and was turned out by the sexton. On
leaving the London Inn be hired John Richards, one
of the porters, to convey his luggage to another hotel,
but when he arrived at the door he refused to enter, and
ultimately agreed with Richards to take lodgings at his
house. He went there on Tuesday last. He was then
drunk, and during the same night he consumed a quan-
tity of pale brandy. The following day he ordered a
bottle of brandy, and drank about a pint of it. Richards,
" fearing that he was killing himself," took away the
brandy, and put it in a drawer, but he insisted on having
it again, and asked Mrs. Richards "how she dared" to
remove it. He drank some more that night, and the
next day he ordered six bottles (quarts) of Allsopp's bit-
ter ale, the whole of which he drank, together with the
brandy which was left on the previous night, and &small
quantity more from another bottle, Zilch he ordered to
be fetched on that day. On each evening he took
"composing draughts" and effervescent powders, which
were procured for him at a druggist's shop in the neigh-
bourhood. He kept his bed all the time, and only ate
two basins of soup and some arrowroot. On Friday,
at 1 o'clock in the morning, deceased called Richards,
and on going into his bedroom he saw him stagger from
the door and fall over a chair. He immediately got up
again, and when Richards asked if he should assist him,
the deceased said, "No, it's all right. I'm not hurt."
Elam& then gave him some water, and about an hour
and a half afterwards deceased called again and requested
to be supplied with a basin of tea. It was procured for
him, and he then commenced retching • Richards -Asked
if he should call in a medical man, to Which deceased re-
plied, "No, I will not have a doctor ; I don't like doo-
tors—anything but that." At 7 o'clock the same morn-
ing he had some more tea, and at half-past 9 sent for
another half-dozen bottles of bitter ale, and dra-ik a por-
tion of one bottle. About 10 minutes after this Mrs.
Richards went to deceased again, when he appeared very
faint. He asked for some carbonate of soda, and when
she was getting it he fell back on the pillow, cast up his
eyes, and opened his mouth. Mrs. Richards then sent
for. Mr. Hunt, a surgeon.
During the progress of the inquiry the Coroner read
the following note, which was found in deceased's
pockets :

"T. H. Wodehouse presents his compliments to the
Hon. Bertram Wodehouse, and begs to hand him 451.
as requested. Messrs. C. and Co. hare received 881.
16s. Bd. only from Lord Wodehouse, so there will be a
draught less than 151. due in the last month of the quar-
ter.-29, Cornhill, Sept. 4, 1856."
In reply to a telegraphic communication which
Richards sent to the Hon. Henry Wodehouse, Upper
Brook-3treet, Grosvenor sqaare, London, apprising him
of the death of the deceased, the following arrived dur-
ingthe Inquest : - -

7' Procure a shell ; some one will come down on Mon-
day. Write full particulPrs to R. C.--From Raikes
Currie, Hythe, Kent."
Mr. Hunt, surgeon, stated that he "was called to the
deceased about 1 o'clock on Friday. He was then in
bed, with a bottle of ale, partly drunk, in his hand, of
which he occasionally partook. Deceased was not
unconscious. Witness attempted to take the bottle
from him, but he would not give it up. Deceased was
pulseless ; his legs and arms were quite cold, and he was
evidently in a dying state. When witness told him he
would in all probability die he exclaimed, " Oh, no,
not so bad as that !" He applied a mustard poultice
over the heart, and tried other means, but deceased never
rallied. He continually asked for bitter beer and brandy
and soda. Witness succeeded in taking the bottle from
deceased, and the last thing he did was to raise himself
on his elbow and ask for cold water. Witness gave him
a little,,and he then fell back and died. Witness con-
sidered that deceased died from exhaustion, consequent
upon excessive drinking and his not taking any animal
food."

The Coroner, in summing up, said there could be no
doubt that deceased was the Hon. Bertram Wodehouse,
the uncle of the present Lord Wodehouse our ambassador
at the Court of Russia. In tracing the peerage he found
that the Hon. B. Wodehouse was described as a military.
officer ; that he was born in April, 1813, and was conse-
quently 43 years old. Deceased would appear to be the
fourth eon of John Wodehouse, the second baronet., and
uncle of the present Lord Wodehouse. It would also ap-
pear from the letter before him that his Lordship had
been in the habit of making deceased a half-yearly allow-
ance, which, however, seemed to have been paid him
quarterly by Mr. Woodhouse, of London, who was, he
understood, an army agent.
The jury returned a verdict of " Died from exhaustion,
consequent on excessive drinking."

THE EARL OP CARDIGAN-MR. G. S.
BUCK, M.P.

TO THE EDITOii, OF THE SUN.
Sir,—On my return to Deb!in, after an absence of
• some days on date indifferent parts of Ireland, I find a
letter from Mr. Buck, which has been copied into all the
newspapers of the day, and which letter appears to me to
be a tissue of ignorance, presumption, and slander.
I consider that Mr. Buck's conduct in this matter has
been disgraceful, and un worthy of his position as a gentle-
man and member of parliament.
I consider also that he has offered a gross insult to
me without the slightest provocation.
' It is, therefore, my intention to bold no further com-
munication with him.
Some of Mr. Buck's assertions, however, requiring to
be refuted, I must request you to be so
good as publish
this letter.
This individual has now identified himself with a low
slanderer, whose statements—dictated no doubt by some
Tuzzon much above his own position in society—were the
origin of all those falsehoods which have been launched
at ate, for it is well known that not one word was ever
said on the subject in the Crimea for many months after
the battle of Balaklava, or until those calumnies were
invented in England and sent our, to the East.
These calumnies met with no encouragement from the
respectable portion of the press. It was therefore unneces-
sary for me to treat them otherwise than with silence and
contempt. But it is different when a person in Mr. Buck's
position, and which is usually occupied by a gentleman,
thinks proper, at a public dinner, to make offensive allu-
sions highly derogatory to my reputation as a soldier.
The direct and personal allusion to me, made by that
individual at Torrington, hears no relation to ,tire obser-
vations of the Times newspaper, with which he so art-
fully tries to connect himself.
That newspaper 'did not reflect, and never has re-
flected, upon my conduct in 'leading the charge of the
Light Cavalry at Balaklava. What the Times newspaper
alluded to as a "falsification of history" was, the praise
of Lord Raglan as the commander in chief of the army.
This is a matter of opinion ; but it would not prevent
my again stating my respect for the memory of thattlis-
tinguished commander, and the high opinion I have ever
entertained of his qualifications as a general.
Mr. Buck then refers to the loss of horses on the heights
of lukerman, but considering that the whole of this
matter has recently been thoroughly investigated by order
of the Government, and that I and my brother officers
implicated have been relieved from all blame, I have only
to observe that Mr. Buck's opinion on the subject is an
infamous and disgusting slander.
With regard to-being on board my yacht, the com-
mander in chief was well aware that I was too ill to live
in camp, and he preferred my sleeping on board to my
leaving the army. I consider, therefore, that I had
sufficient authority for my conduct. It was from sleep-
ing on board this yacht that, on the 25th of October,
1854, by order Of my superior officer on the spot, I
placed myself at the head of the Light Cavalry Brigade
to attack the Russian batteries.

Of my conduct on that occasion the following report
was made by the General Commanding in Chief :—"The
order was obeyed in the most spirited and gallant man-
ner. Lord Cardigan charged with the utmost vigour,
and attacked a battery vetich was firing upon the ad-
vancing squadroas, and having assed beyond it engaged
the Russian cavalry in the rear," &c. And by the lieu-
tenant general commanding the cavalry division :
" This attack was of a very daring and difficult nature,
and was led by Major General the Earl of Cardigan in a
most gallant and intrepid manner."
And now I have to state in the most positive terms
that after entering the battery all rallying was utterly
impracticable. Cavalry cannot rally with an immensely
superior force of cavalry in their front, and two batteries
playing upon their right and left rear, in addition to the
fire of a large body of riflemen.
In such a. position troops must either advance or re-
tire. In Advancing beyond a certain pointall would have
been destroyed. In my last letter to Mr. Buck I de-
scribed what occurred to myself until the period of our
entering the battery, I stated that, advancing at a
charging pace through obstacles which one horse might
pass, but a line of troops could not well follow, I came
alone upon a large force of Russian cavalry ; that I was
attacked by two Cossacks in front, slightly!wounded,
and nearly unhorsed. I have now to add that an at-
tempt was made by several more Cossacks to surround
me, but I defended myself and got clear of then. Mean-
time the line that had followed into the battery were
gallantly doing their duty by cutting down and lancing
the gunners, and in surmounting the many difficulties on
account of the guns, ammunition waggons, and other
obstacles of the advance. Many did advance imme-
diately afterwards in different directions, and gallantly
did their utmost. For myself, having to retire from the
position which I have described, I considered it my duty
to retreat at a- slow pace, and I have fortunately twe
witnesses to prove that this was the case—viz., Major-
General Sir James Scarlett and his orderly, who, being
in advance of the Heavy Brigade down the hill, would
testify to the truth of my statement. It is fortunate
that I should have two witnesses, if necessary, to pro-
tect me against the malignant" slanders of Messrs. Buck
and Ryan.
During the time I have alluded to numbers of the
brigade were retreating, and many were shot down by
the Russian riflemen in my immediate neighbourhood,
and immediately afterwards all the brigade were retreat-
ing, after having rallied in the only way in which
troops could rally under such circumstance viz.,
going about and retreating ; and in doing so they very
properly retired at the same pace as they had ad-
vanced. The usual manner to rally is to reform. In
this cane it would have been certain destruction to all.

Mr. Buck then referred to the trial of Captain Wa-
th(n and its consequences, and whom, in order to
enhance the general truth of his statements, he names
a distinguished officer, although at that time never
having left the barracks of the United Kingdom.
Considering that the whole of the subject was brought
before Parliament more than 20 years since, and that
on the motion of the late Sir Wm. Molesworth, there
was, in a full House of Commons, a majority of 8 to 1
in my favour that I then went to India, and bringing
back the 11th Light Dragoons (afterwards Iltksars),
commanded them for 18 years, such a reference can only
be de3ignated as mean, paltry, and despicable.
In the course of this and other letters I have given a
full account of all that occurred in the Light Cavalry
charge at Balaklava, the subject of which is clearly the
main object of attack with such slanderers as Messrs.
Buck and Ryan.
I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,
Dublin, Oct. 11, 1856. CARDIGAN.
P.S.—I wish ,o correct an error in my detailed re-
port of the officers engaged in the charge of Light Ca-
valry at Balaklava, having inadvertently omitted the
name 'of Lieut. Chadwick, the adjutant of the 17th
Lancers. This officer went forward with some men after
entering the battery, when his horse was killed, and he
was himself wounded, taken prisoner, and kept a year
in captivity. I feel that it i 3 not fair to leave out the
Hanle of any officer engaged in that desperate attack.

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.

A special meeting of the Metropolitan Board of Works
was held yesterday in the Council Chamber, Guildhall,
further to consider the report of the committee of works
and improvements, pursuant to the references by the
board on the subject of street improvements in South-
wark, and a new street from King-street, Covent-garden,
towards Coventry-street, recommending for the conside-
ration of the board a new line of street, commencing
near the Town Hall, Southwark, and extending to the
point of intersection of Vine-street with the York-road ;
and also recommending for the consideration of the b mrd
a new line of street extending from Cranbourne-street,
Leicester-square, to King-street, Covent-garden ; and
also to consider the following motion, notice of which
has been given by Mr. Irvine, on the 22d September :
To submit plans and suggestions for the formation and
improvement of certain thoroughfares in the boroughs of
Southwark and Lambeth, and to move that the conside-
ration thereof be referred to a select committee.

The report of the committee was as follows :
" Your committee have to report that, in pursuance
of the resolution of the board of the 28th March last
(No. 13), referring to them the memorial from South wark,
respecting etreet improvements in that locality, together
with the. report of the finance committee, pre,ented to
the board on that day, explaining, fur the information of
the board, what funds exist for effecting improvements
in Southwark, and the trusts upon which such funds are
held, they have directed their attention to the several
matters referred to in the memorial and report, and have
examined various schemes which have from time to time
been proposed for the promotion of anew line of thorough-
fare, for facilitating the traffic between the High-street,
Southwark, and the West-end of the metropolis, and on
a full consideration of the subject, have arrived at the
conclusion that the line of street which presents the
greatest advantages is _that witith commences near the
Town Hall. Southwark, and extends to the point of inter-
section of Vine-street with the York-road, and is shown
upon the plan submitted with this report, and they ac-
cordingly beg to recommend the same for the considera-
tion of the board.

"Your committee subjoin an estimate of the cost of
such new street, prepared by the superintending archi
tent.

" Your committee have also to report that the resolu-
tion of the board of the 13th June, 1856, having directed
that the subject of the formation of a new street between
Cranbourne.street, Leicester-square, King-street, Co-
vent-garden, be referred to the superintending architect
for a report to be made to this commission, the superin-
tending•architect has laid before your committee a plan,
showing a new line of street between the points in ques-
tion, with the following estimate of the cost :
"Estimate of the cost of forming a new street from
the corner of St. Martin's-lane and Long-acre, to King-
street, Covent-garden, as proposed by Mr. Pennethorne,
and referred to in the Seventh Report of the Metropolis
Improvement Commissioners :

" OUTLAY.

Purchases of property, goodwills, &e £82,337
10 per cont. for contingencies ... 8,233
500 feet run of sewer, paving, &c.

Total

£91,820

" RETURN.
By wile of ground rents, 760 feet .;. £45,600
By sale of old materials 1,200
£46,800

Net cost
" And your committee beg to submit such plan for the
consideration of the board.
(Signed)

" J. THWAITES.
" CHARLES ATKINS.
" FRANCIS CHALMERS."

The estimate for making this new street in the Bo-
rough is given in detail in an appendix from which it
makes a total of 895,1041., and the return (net cost)
from property resold, &c., is set down at 263,3101., and
Government grant, 90,000/. ; making a total of 173,3101.
The Superintending Architect, Mr. MARRABLE, in
reply to numerous questions, stated that he fully coin-
cided in the recommendations of the committee ; in fact,
it was his own recommendation. It was true that the
new street, 80 feet in width, would open in a street only
50 feetin width. He did not propose to alter the level
Dl' a single crossing, and eventually the new street might
be made to communicate with the West-end, by crossing
over Hungerford-bridge (converted into a ‘road bridge),
and terminating in Northumberland-street ; but this
was only a suggestion. The proposed street would be a
perfectly straight one, and this appeared to him very de-
sirable. He knew that the Hungerford-bridge Company
had long had it in contemplation to convert the bridge
into a road bridge.
Mr. DREW was in favour of St. Thomas-street as a
starting-point in place of the Town-hall.
Mr. COLLINSON said that a new street had been looked
upon with great interest by the inhabitants of the Bo-
rough, and called attention to the fact that the second
act of Parliament bad appropriated 30,000/. to a new
communication from Westminster to Southwark, not
mentioning Stamford-street, as the first appropriation
act did. If the new line of street were constructed very
close to the Thames, it would be a viaduct blocking out
light and air from the inhabitants of the low-lying dis-
trict. The speaker (hfr. Collinson) then - proceeded to
st.•v the ino invenience of opening into York-street, as
bad been proposed, and which seemed to meet with some
degree of favour, and remarked that the board ought to
take care that they would not leave a greater nuisance in
Southwark than they had found in it. There would be this
advantage in commencing attbe Town-hall, namely, that
they could proceed as they wished westward at a level, but
where should they terminate the street? Stamford-street
was evidently not contemplated by the act of parliamw.
But he did not think that it was necessary to go to the
York-road, and was in favour of terminating the street
in Waterloo•road at the corner of Stamford-street. Ano•
Vier objection to the plan was that it crossed the Water-
loo-road near the railway station. The hon. member
then specified some other slight objections to the recom-
mendation of the committee, but on the whole was in
favour of the plan. He moved "That a new line of
communication be opened from Southwark and West-
minster Bridges, and that the commencement be at the
Town Hall, Southwark?'
Mr. FEW seconded the motion, for the purpose of
having the question discussed.
Mr. DOULTON protested against the proposition of the
committee. Their plan seemed to him a most prepos-
terous one. The public and the House of Commons,
and he hoped the board likewise, would not give their
sanction to any half measure, and it was precisely upon
this ground that he opposed the plan. It would brine.
the traffic of a street of 80 feet in width into a street of
60 feet for 700 feet. He would move as an amendment
—" That the architect be directed to prepare a plan and
estimates for a new line of street, commencing as nearly
as possible at the South-Eastern Railway stations, and
terminating opposite Stamford-street."
Mr. SAVAGE seconded the amendment. They should
not throw away so valuable a street as Stamford-street.
Mr. BIDGOOD strenuously opposed the amendment.
If they were anxious to start from the point nearest to
London-bridge, he thought they would find that the
nearest was the one indicated by the architect. In his
opinion Westminster Bridge was doomed, and they
would see a new bridge erected very much nearer
Charing-cross than the present one.
Mr. CRELLIN spoke in favour of having the com-
mencement of the new street as nigh as possible to the
South-Eastern Railway termini.
Mr. Deputy HARRISON said he would vote for the
amendment, but would prefer baying the matter again
referred to the committee, in order that they might state
their opinion on the connection of the new street with
Wellington-street, inasmuch as he thought the expres-
sion in the amendment, "as nearly as possible," was
ambiguous. This, he fully admitted, would involve some
delay, which, however, he thought would prove salu-
tary. The line specified in the amendment would indi-
cate their future progress, and it was almost as much as
the public could expect of the board during one EerSiOn
of parliament.
The CHAIRMAN observed that if the board made an
order to-day for the superintending architect to survey
the line, and directed the committee to assist in the pre-
paration, there would be still time enough to get the no-
tices out for next session. (Hear.)
Mr. OFFER would vote for referring the matter back
again to the committee, in order that they might exa-
mine all the plans which had only been before the archi-
tect ; but after such an examination he was convinced
that the committee would express a preference for the
plans of the superintending architect.
Mr. FEW reminr:ed the hoard that the plan of the
architect was the one which had the approval of the go-
vernment.

Mr. TAYLOR read a quotation from the blue-book,
which, he argued, showed that the government were in
favour of making use of Stamford-street
Several other hon. members having expressed their
opinions in favour of the amendment in qualified terms,
Mr. COLLINSON said, under the present circumstances,
he would withdraw his motion. (Hear.)
The amendment of Mr. Doulton having now buconie
the original motion,
Mr. WRIGHT, whilst acknowledging that there ex-
isted a necessity for a new street from Stamford-street to
Londote!britlge, would yet move the following amend-
ment which he apprehended was not opposed in principle
to the motion :—" That the consideration of the report
of the committee be adjourned, and that they be em-
powered to instruct the architect to prepare a plan and
estimate of a street from Stamford-street to London-
bridge, and from the New cut to 114;h-street, and lay
the opinion before the board," In his opinion Union-,
street ought to be widened.
Mr. WILKINSON seconded this amendment.
Mr. DIFFANGER` suggested that Mr. Taylor's plan
should be referred to the committee.
Mr. TURNER opposed the amendment, which, if car-
ried, would encumber the proceedings of the committee.
Mr. IRVINE made certain suggestions, and said that
he had prepared plans by which all the Southwark itn-
proveinents could, he thought,
:be carried out at the
.
cost of the' proposed plan.
Mr. D. HARRISON hoped the board would refer the
plans of Mr. Irvine, as well as the others, to the com-
mittee.

For the amendthent, 11 ;. against it, 12.
Mr. 11. L. TAYLOR said they must give the usual no-
tices BO as to enable them to proceed to Pailiament is

[ PEIO3 4D. STAMPED bD.

the present ses:don. If that could be done he should be
happy to render them every assistance.
The CHAIRMAN' Was; of opinion that they would not
have time to survey e ma prepare plans for more than one
street, to enable th era to go to Parliament in the present
session.
Mr. COLLINSON said if the plan of Mr. Doulton wa,
adopted it would bo most disastrous to the borough of
Southwark. It would be necessary to carry it by viaduct
from London-bridge to the Borough Market, and would
be most injurious to the inhabitants of that district.
Several members said that there was no plan by Mr.
Doulton before the board.
Mr. SEELEY said he was most desirous that something
should he done in the present session. He was most
desirous that the point of discharge should be settled
from Southwark bridge-road to London-bridge.
Mr. DOULTON said he was as desirous as any one that
Union-wreet should be widened ; but the question was,
wheth( r the present was the proper time to do it. He
did pot think that they could carry out both schemes in
time, and therefore he was in favour of the original
motion.

Mr. LESLIE believed the whole of this rnanceuvring
:VW; cnly with a desire to throw the matter over for the
present session, as they would have Pott's vinegar-works
to deal with in the first instance, Apsley P‘.llatt's
works in the second, the Phoenix Gas-works in the third,
and the Borough-market in the fourth. The time for
giving notic,s was close at hand, and the whole desire
was to throw the subject over for the present year. They
proposed to erect a viaduct near London-bridge, and
thus put the whole thing upon stilts—(bear)—and many
of those present well knew that the thing could not be
done.
The amendment having been negatived, Mr. Doulton's
motion was put, "That the committee he instructed to
prepare a plan and estimates of a new Line of street,
commencing at, or as near as practicable, opposite the
entrance to the South-Eastern Railway, and terminate
in Blackfriars-road, in the line of Stamford-street.
The motion was then put by the CHAIRMAN, when
there appeared—
For the motion .
Against it
Maj0rity...........
NEW STREET ERON CRANBOURNE-STREET TO COVENT-

16

GARIJEN.

-10

Mr. FEW brought forward this subject, and quoted a

letter received a short time since from the Chief Commis-
sioner of Works, in which Sir Benjamin Hall said that,
as a considerable sum was in hand, and an the Duke of
Bedford bad given his assent to the plan, he placed the
matter in the hands of this board to carry it out. If
they declined to do so he would give the necessary no-
tices, and bring a bill into Parliam,ant in the coming
session. Mr. Few urged the importance of early con-
sidering this question to the district which he repre-
-Beuted, and said that the Duke of Bedford had offered to
contribute 15,0001. to the expense, or about one-third
of the total cost estimated by their superintending ar-
chitect. He concluded by moving "That the plan re-
ported by the committee of works and improvements for
the formation of a new street between Cranbourne-street
and Leicester-square and King-street, Covent-garden,
be approved by this board."
Mr. DALTON seconded the motion, and in support of
it said that Parliameat had already endorsed the scheme,
and had provided the funds to carry it out.
Mr. CRELLIN said be should move an amendment that
the question be deferred until. the board bad the whole
plans for the improvement of London before it.

Mr. R. TAYLOR said they could get at the improve.
ment now proposed at a very small expense ; and al-
though the (Mr. Taylor) was a younger man than him,
he thought if they waited for the plan for the improve-
ment of all London to be brought forward, he should
never live to see the present proposed improvement car-
riedlout. Therefore, he did hope that the plan proposed
by Mr. Few would be adopted.

Mr. BIDGOOD was sorry to disturb his friend's mind
as to the unanimity that would be borne to upon this
question. The plan now proposed was quite unworthy
of being called a metropolitan improvement, and led to
nowhere but Covent-garden market. As it would bene-
fit no persons but those engaged in and living about
that market, he considered that if this alteration was to
be made the Duke of Bedford ought to pay the whole of
the expense. He contended that they were not ju,tified
in spending the ratepayers' money on any such object,
for the Duke of Bedford took care to put bars across the
public streets, so that there should not be a public
thoroughfare ; and if this money was spent, it would be
on a private and not a public property.

OFFOR also oppesed the motion, and considered,
if it was carried out, it ought to be entirely at the ex-
pense of the Duke of Bedford, for it was a small and
peddling improvement, and unworthy of being executed
at the ratepayers' expense.

Mr. D'IFPANGER was surprised at some of the objec-
tions now taken, and thought that if they had any value
in them they ought to have been stated in the first in-
stance, and that the plan ought not to have been re-
ferred to the committee. It was said that this was a
very small plan, but that appeared to him to be rather a
reason why they should carry it out. He hoped there
would not be that desire to throw cold water upon
everything, for if that was to be the the case, instead of
being a "Metropolitan Board of Works," they would be
called a board of do-nothings. He should be very sorry
if that board did nothing, and hoped that the plan
would be adopted. _ _

Mr. TURNER was in favour of the motion, as it would
not be at the expense of the ratepayers, but of the Duke
of Bedford and the Government.

Mr. HAWKES opposed the motion as a useless espendi.
ture of the public money.
The CHAIRMAN then put the question, when there
appeared—

- For the motion
Against it
Majority —B
Mr. lt. TAYLOR then moved "That the proper steps
be forthwith taken for making application to Parlia-
ment in the ensuing session for the necessary powers to
carry out the proposed improvements, and that the
chairman be requested to employ such draughtsmen and
others as may be needed by the architect to make the
necessary preliplinaries."

Mr. FEW seconded the motion, which was put and
agreed to.
The board adjourned at 10 minutes past five o'clock.

COURT OP A LDERMEN.

Yesterday a Court was held for the despatch of public
business.

The newly-elected Sheriffs for London and Middlesex,
Messrs. Mechi and Keats, took their seats in the court
for the first time since their accession to office.

Mr. Alderman Hale, the newly-elected Alderman,
was sworn into office, and after having received the con-
gratulations of the Lard Mayor and Aldermen present
took his seat.