The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-16 00:00:00

TIIE METROPOLITAN BRIDGES

Sir W. FRASER asked whether there was any eob-
jection to the bridge about to be erected over the Thames
next above Waterloo-bridge being called Sebastopol-
bridge ; also, whether there was any intenion of provid-
ing additional means of cr •ssing the Thames for vehicles,
either by building a bridge near C.iaring-cros,, or by
purchasing' Waterloo-bridge, and opening it free cf toll ?
Lord J. MANNERS reminded the house that on the
late visit of the Emperor and Empress of the French to
this country it was gravely proposed, and seriously con-
sidered to change the nave of Waterloo-bridge and
Trafalgar-square out of deference to those illustrious in-
dividuals, but he was happy to say that the good sense
of the country declined to make the change, and it
might be urged as one reason against adopting the pro-
posed. change. (Hear, hear.) lie thought that the
proposal to change the name of Waterloo-
bridge to Sebastopol-bridge came too late. If it
had been suggested at the close of the war, no
doubt it would have been considered, but now that our
armies were engaged in another quarter, and had
achieved deeds of renown fresh in the minds of
the people, and associated with a portion cf
our own foreign empire, it would be impolitic
to adopt it. So tir as the Government was
concerned, he knew of no intention on their part to erect
another bridge over the.rtiames for the accommo‘lation
of the metropolitan population. With respect to West-
minster-bri ige be thought it would be better to retain
that Emile, associated as it was with the palace in which
they conducted their legislative labours, than alter it.
(Hear, hear.)

LIGHTHOUSES AND BEACONS ON THE COAST.
Lord C. PAGET then rese to call the attention of the
house to the present modes of superintending the lights,
buoys, and beacons on the coasts of Great Britain and Ire-
land, and to the manner in which funds are now, and have
been, raised to defray the expenditure thereon; and to move
tbit Alehouse will, upon this day week, resolve itself into a
committee, for the purpose of consklering an address to her_l
Majesty, praying her Majesty to direct, that measures maybe
taken for giving effect to the recommendation of the select
committee on Lighthouses of 184 , namely, " that all ex-
penses for the erection and maintenance of lighthonses,
floating lights, buoys, and beacons on the coast of the
UnitaKingdom, be henceforth defrayed out of the public
revenue." He-said he felt it was incumbent on him, so
nninfluential a member, to apologies to the house for ven-
turing to bring forward a motion which must involve
total change in the system of lighthouses on the coasts of
the United Kingdom, and an eventual expenditure of pub-
lic money on them. He had requested several more influ-
ential members to take charge of the subject, but they
thought it would come better from bins as a seafaring mar •
(Hear.) He therefore asked their indulgence, more especi-
ally as he would have to refer to a number of dry details
to explain the system on which the.coast was now lighted,
and show the house that this gnat maritime country, the
pioneer of free unrestricted intercoursee was the lowest of
all nations with regard to lighting and buoying the coasts.
Tho danger to life and property from the present utter want
of system was a sufficient warrant fOr his motion. He be-
lieved no one would dispute that it was a matter of vital
importance CO mariners to have some simple and uniform
system of lighting the coasts. Anything which tended to
complication would inevitably involve them in great dan-
ger when they approached the coasts in bid weather, or
in distress, with loss of spire, or short-handed. There
ought to be some simple and uniform rule for approaching.
the coast with as few and uncomplicated regulations as
possible—(hear, hear) —with a simple system of lights and
buoys. He would compare the present system on our
coast with that of France, but before doing so he
wished to return his thanks to the French Minister of
Public Works and to M. Louis Renaud, the head of
the Lighthouse department, for the admirable work which
they had drawn up for his guidance. France was not the
only country which had done much in this respect. The
United States and Russia had made great reforms, and
Spain and Portugal had carried out a regular system of
lighting and buoying. What was the case with the south
coast of England ? He would quote from the book of sail-
ing directions. The first harbour be would refer to was
Shoreham. That was a bar harbour, as were the greater
number of harbours on that coot, for which a foreigner if
caught in a gale of wind would be obliged to run. Here,
when there were 10 feet of water over the hareem red flag
was hoistecVand at high water a black one. At Newhaven
(only a few miles off), a black ball was hoisted when there
were from 8-to 10 feet, and two balls at high water ;at
Dover a red flag with a black ball, from 7 to 10 feet, and a
red and blue pennant from 110 to 13 ; at Sunderland a red
flag half-mast high, 8 to 10 feet, at high water the flag was
hoisted to the mast head. On the coast of Scotland—at
Arbroath, a blue Jag and black ball showed from 8 to 10
feet. , He would not trouble the house with further details ;
he had given enough to also w that every harbour was regu-
lated under a different system. In making this motion he
had no wish to attack the Trinity House, which had care
of the lights on the English coast ; those in Scotland were
under the control of the Commissioners of Northern Lights,
and in Ireland under the Dublin Ballast Board. All three
were indirectly under the control of the Board of Trade.
He (lid not want to accuse the Trinity House bf jobbery,
but merely to show that there was no regular system of
lighting or buoying on the coasts. He had given instances
with regard to signals - -it was the same with buoys. Every
little harbour ha i its own system. He was, however bound
to say that in all cases it was well dons, and the different
corporations showed the greatest anxiety to render their
harbour as safe and accessible as possible. If they looked to
, a chart of the 'Names they would find the most complicated
system of buoying. In every channel there were red, striped,
chequered, and black buoys. No stranger, without a pilot,
could possibly steer clear of the dangers. He remembered
some eleven years ago asking a gentleman connected with
the Trinity-house why they allowed such a system ; saying
that ho would defy any stranger caught in a gale of wind
off the Galloper to make his way into the Thames; and
that they ought to adopt the French system, of having
buoys of a given colour on the starboard hand entering all
harbours, and of a different colour on the port aide. In
Franco the buoys on the starboard hand were red, black on
the port, and striped in the middle. •No matter how cotn-
plicated the channel, no one could mistake the course. The
answer he got was, "Oh, if we put buoys like that in the
Thames, no one would ever take a pilot." (Laughter )
Hundred of lives, therefore, were to be imperilled to cons
pel mariners to take a pilot. "But," added the gentle-
man, " we have a stronger reason than that : if there wore
such a simple system as you. suggest_ the French might
come up any night and burn Chatham." Was it to be
tolerated that for such puerile reasons this country should
be the last in Europe to reform her system ? He was
bound, however, to exclude from Scotland his sweeping
condemnation, as the Commissioners of Northern
Lights had within. the last few weeks given notice that
from a given day an uniform system of buoys would
be adopted in all the I:rrbours under their control,—
viz.; red buoys on the starboard baud, black on the port,
and chequered on banks in mud channel. With his
systete a man could find his way into auy harbour. The
French system was so gcod that he would ventnre to
band to his right hon. friend the President of the Board
of Trade, for his guidance, the book he had received
from the French authorities. But it was not in France
alone that a proper system of buoys was adopted. On
the Scheldt and the Elba, very difficult rivers, the same
system was in use. The French system of signals was
equally good. They used balls, which were batter than
flags; being more easily seen in calm weather, and with
directions which di I not cover half a sheet of paper a cap-
tain might find his way into any harbour on the 1,500
miles of French coast. He wished to keep this question of
the eatablishment of alregular system entirely distinct from
that important question which now occupied the attention
'of the shipping interest —viz., the mode in which the er-
re:me° of keeping up the lights was to be defrayed. With
regard to this question of expense he must again refer to
the example of France. On the 1,500 miles of French coast
there were 210 lighthouses. These were divided into
classes—tile catoptrio and dioptric lights. The "wr""