The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-01 00:00:00

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

Yesterday a meeting of the Court of Aldermen
was held at Guildhall, the Lord Mayor in the chair.
The state of Billingsgate market and its approaches,
with the consequent confusion, was brought under
the consideration of the court by a deputation of
the principal inhabitants of the ward, including its
representatives in the Court of Common Council,
and accompanied by Mr. Horne and Mr. Thorne,
the railway carriers, representing the London and
North-Western and the Great Northern Railways,
which are extensively used in conveying fish to and
from the market. They presented a memorial con-
taining suggestions for remedying the serious in-
conveniences of which they all complained—viz., by
allowing only the railway vans conveying fish to the
market, to approach it from the London-bridge end
of Lower Thames-street, and the carts and waggons
used in distributing the fish to enter from the oppo-
site end of the street by way of Tower.hill, with a
final outlet for both the opposing streams by St.
Mary-hill and Eastcheap.
Deputy BOWER, one of the oldest inhabitants,
and who presented the memorial, said the matter
was of extreme importance, that the confusion in
the traffic had become intolerable, and was growing
worse from day to day. He knew not what might be
the consequences or whether it would be possible
for the Court of Aldermen to remedy the evil, but
it might be lessened by the suggestions of the me-
morialists being carried into effect. At present the
drivers of carts and vans were allowed to enter the
market from what direction they ',Lased, and to
remain as long as they pleased loading and unload-
ing, thus causing intolerable delay and confusion.
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work, averaging about £4O each in value, and all
of which were liable to draughts and colds from the
prolonged detention, to say nothing of its effects
on the men iu charge of them. What, he said, was
wanted in the common interest was the removal of
all empty vehicles from the market during the hours
of delivery, better means of access to it, facilities
for a quicker delivery, and the assistance of the
merchants and traders there in effecting the delivery.
Alderman HALE asked why the market could not
be opened earlier than five in the morning. In his
early life the business there commenced at three, but
at present two of the most precious hours in the
morning for such a trade in a great city like this
were altogether lost.
The LORD MAYOR, addressing the railway
carriers, suggested that to some extent they might
remedy the evil themselves by arrangements with
the salesmen to whom the fish was consigned.
Alderman SIDNEY, who represents the ward of
Billingsgate, said the necessities of the case were so
urgent that unless something was done the whole
business in that part of the City would be entirely
paralysed. The market, he said, had remained
comparatively unenlarged during the last 200 years.
When it was first erected two centuries ago the fish
was brought to it by water alone, and distributed in
carts over London, which had then a population of
about half a million only. Billingsgate was really
now the market of England for fish, and also to a
considerable extent of the Continent—not simply
of London. Upon an average 130,000 tons of fish
were sold annually in it, or upwards of 400 tons on
each market day. More than a half of that fish
came by railway to London, and was conveyed

thence in vans to the market. The vehicular con-
fusion on market days was almost indescribable. It
should be seen to be understood. The market

itself was extremely limited, and the space
allotted to each salesman, no matter what quantity
of fish he had to sell, was only nine feet square.
The building, which consisted now of only one floor,
might be greatly enlarged by being raised two or
three storeys, and the fish lifted to them by hydrau-
lic power. lie threw that out as a practical sug-
gestion for the Court of Common Council.
Alderman GIBBONS contended that the whole
secret of the overcrowding lay in the practice of the
salesmen selling fish by sample only, and so detain-
ing the laden vans for hours together, with the vievt
eventually of dispatching the fish so sold, and with-
out unloading it, by railway to various parts of the
country, and to continental cities. The carriers bad
much to complain of, but surely they might make
arrangements with the consignees in the market to
lessen the detention. At all events the police
should be empowered to remove the laden vans so
detained after a limited time.
Alderman ROSE said what was wanted was an
authority from the Court of Aldermen to the police
to remove them, and to call the salesmen to account
for stoppage.
Alderman WILSON said in the fish market; at
Paris, which extended over several acres, there was
no confusion, and he suggested that from daylight
until 10 in the morning, but no longer, Thames-
street should be given up for the purposes of the

market.
Eventually the whole subject, on the motion of
Alderman SIDNEY, was referred to the general pur-
poses committee of the Court of Aldermen, assisted,
by the City Police Commissioner (Colonel Fraser),
with a view to consideration and report forthwith.
The meeting then adjourned.

LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET—This DO.

The market coutiuues steady. Sales probably
10,000 bales.

HOUSF:S OF PARLIAMENT.—The estimate for
ponses connected with both Houses of Parliament amounts
to £55,137. Of this sum £12,198 aro required for the com-
pletion of tho clock tower and for works in Now Palace
yard. The supply of gas and oil costs £5,200, and of fuel
£1,704. The pay of police attached to the building amounts
£1,700, and £ll5 are annually expended for winding'
and regulating the great clock.