The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-14 00:00:00

THE EMBANKMENT OF TAZ THAMES.

Mr. WILKINSON, in moving that the scheme for this
purpose be referred to the Committee of Works, ob-
served that, in doing so, he did not ' identify himself
with the project, although he considered it as one which
merited investigation.
Sohn objections 'hiving been railed on the score of

order,

The PRESIDENT observed that he conceived the board
ought not, by too strict an adherence to technicalities,
to offer any obstruction to public business.. (Hear,- hear.;
Mr. HALL thought" that cauitnittees 3noght not to be
encumbered with schemes witt#tut the board at first con-
sidering whether these were feasible or not. He was
quite sure that the board could not continue to send
every unimportant matter before a committee.
Mr. CRELLIN did not think it advi•able for the board
to examine plans previous to referring them to the Com-
in,ttee of Works. Plans could not come before the
board unless some member was found to present ttiern,
aid doubtless he would net move for its being sent to a
sminittee without having in some measure satisfied him-
self as to the propriety and feasibility of the scheme.
Mr. SAVAGE observed, in regard to the objections
raised on the matter of order, that he was aware of no
ule which would be contravened by agreeing to the_mo-
tion of Mr. Wilkinson.

Upon a division, the memorial was ordered to be re-
ferred to the committee of works. The document is
worded as follows : "That your memorialists are promo-
ters ofar, undertaking called the Thames Embankment
aml 'It:ill way,' the objects of which areas follow :—First,
Che formation of an embankment and works, including
certain floating and tidal docks on the north side of the
river Thames, between Southwark and Westminster
bridges ; s.condly, the construction of a public road and
flot ways, to be cat ried on a viaduct along that portion
of the embankment between Whiteball-place; near Char-
i,ig-cross, and Cha.tham Blackfriars, having also
coma' unicat.ons with certain streets leading out of the
Strand ; thirdly, the laying down of a railway within the
inc einba,kruent, from Que,nhithe, near Southwark-
br;dge, to Manchester-buildings, adjoining Westminster.
bridge, wan an extension line to the Grey Coat Hospital
n 7ar the new Victoria-street, to join the Westminster
Terminus Railway. That your memorialists have at the
!,resent wile a bid before Parliament for the above pur-
poses, which, if authorised, will enable them to confer on
the public the following advantages :—First, an improve-
ment of the river Thames; second, great sanitary benefits;
third, a much-required new road betweun Charing
cries and the City ; fourth, an expeditious, cheap,
and in all weathers certain mode of intercominu-

oi,atiou by rail between the heart of London a,!cl the
West-end ; filth, extensive relief to the present thorough-
fares by the cAveyance direct from the numerous
wharves to the various railways round London of an
cnormous amount of heavy goods at present carted
through the streets of the metropolis. That your memo-
ri::lists are prepared to show that all the foregoing ad-
vantages can be secured to the public by the carrying
out of their plan without the infliction of injury on, or
inconverience to, any interests or individuals, and at a
cost which brings the whole undertaking within a very
moderate compass. That the plans have been submitted
in detail to the various public departments interested in
the questions at issue, but the promoters have in fact
(and on this important point they submit they stmd in a
singular and distinct position from the promoters of any
other metropolitan undertaking), been referred to your
h gin. board, as the only competent authority to investi-
gate and pronounce an opinion upon the question as a
whole, and ~n the benefit, or otherwise to be derived by
the public from the concession of the powers sought to
be (.I,tained. That your memorialists entertain a strong
eon victio r that the undertaking will be commercially
valuable and self-supporting, and can be carried into
exeaition without any expenditure of public funds. That
tire ohject of your memorialists is to elicit, after such an
examination of the scheme as your hon. board may deem
proper, a general expression of your opinion in favour
thereof, which will enable the promoters to obtain the
permission of the public departments for the submission
of their plans to a Parliamentary committee, and thus
secure to them the Q portunity of substantiating in de-
tail the correctness of their views, and, as a consequence,
the attainment of the powers they seek. Signed en lee-
i,alf of the promoters.—Edward Loder, 43, Cambridge-
terrace, Hyde-park."
RE-NAMING OF STREETS.

As the first instance in which the board has exercised

its power of altering the names of streets, the subjoined
recommendation of the building committee, which was
adopted by the court, may not prove uninteresting :
That the application of Mr. Robert Salmon for permis-
sion to alter the name of a certain t,treet or place
Somers Town, known as " Toms-buildings," to " Equity-
buildings," be granted, on condition that he do obtain
and produce to the board the written consent of the
owner or owners of the other houses in such stieet
or place. Several reports were presented by Mr. Mar-
r,ble, the superintending architect, on applications
made by different parties for permission to extend their
houses by building on the fore-courts. In every in-
stance the applications were p-jected.
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS.

Mr. WILKINsorf submitted the subjoined resolution,
after a brief address, "That the vari,us Parliamentary
reports and papers in relation to metropolitan improve-
ments already circulated among the members by order
of the board be referred to the Committee of Works
ant Improvements, with authority to consider and re-
port I hereon."
Mr. D'IFFANGER seconded the motion.
Mr. LESLIE opposed the proposition. According to
the terms of the motion, immense volumes would he
laid before the committee upon which they could not
possibly report.
Mr. HALL suggested that the words " with authority
to con-i.er them and report thereon" should be left
out, and that the following should be substituted, "for
their assistance in considering improvements now, or
hereafter, to he referred to them by this board."
Mr. WILKINeoN willingly consented to adopt these
words as part of ins proposition.
Mr. Deputy HARRISON believed that the reference to
the committee should be more extensive, and would
therefore move " that it be referred to the Committee of
Works to consider the present state of general communi-
cation to and in the metropolis, and of the best means
of improving the same, and report thereon to this board."
The PRESIDENT ruled that the words proposed by the
deputy could not be admitted as an amendment.
Mr. Hawkes and Mr. Ware spoke against the motion,
and Major Lyon earnestly besought the board not to
hand over such great powers to a committee. He con-
cluded by proposing an amendment which the President
decided to be irregular.
The motion, on being put, was carried by a majority
of 15 to 12.
Mr. SEELEY moved, " That in order to make provi-
sion for the proper carrying into effect the 144th clause
of the Metropolis Local Management Act, it be referred
to the finance committee to prepare and lay before the
board au estimate of the several sums which it will be
necessary yearly to assess upon each parish or district in
the metropolis, in order to rea'ise a stated income of
100,0001. per annum, to be applied to the purposes de-
scribed in the said 144th clause. And also an estimate
of the rate which will be required to raise such sum,
supposing that the whole metropolis be rated in one and
the same proportion." Agreed to.