The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-18 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK BRIDGE.

The Court, at the instance of Mr. ROBERT TAY-
LOR, the chairman of the Bridge-house Committee,
proceeded to consider the report of that committee,
delivered in on the 3d inst., on the reference rela-
tive to Southwark-bridge, and recommending the
purchase of the bridge for the sum of 8200,000.
He moved the adoption of the report.

Mr. Deputy DE JERSEY renewed the strong pro-
test he had made on previous occasions against the
corporation buying the bridge on any terms, .con-
tending that it was not " money's worth," and would
be an improvident bargain ; and he cited instances
of decay in the structure and a great amount of
vibration, rendering it unequal to the increased
strain of traffic it had to bear since it was made free
to the public.

Eventually, on the motion of Mr. Cox, the debate
was adjourned, and the meeting separated.

TILE LATE COLONEL lIOBBS.—The Dublin Evening
lllail publishes the following account of the late Colonel
Hobbs, communicated by a relative of the deceased officer;
—" Colonel Thomas Francis Hobbs, whose melancholy
death has been recently recorded was the eldest son of the
late Captain Hobbs, of Barnaboy House, King's County,
who served in the Peninsular War in the 92d Regiment,
and, after a career of usefulness as a country gentleman
equalled by Wm-, surpassed by none, carried with him to the
grave bullets received in the service of his country, on the
field of Waterloo, which bad never been extracted, lie
zei:xlt‘e,r,t, l
leaves behind five sons, all of whom hold commissions in
the British army, and haveserved in the Caflir and Crimean
wars. Colonel Hobbs was a man of peculiarly estirnai4
every relation of life social and Teir(cionialhilei
character in to an extßncinift
devoted to his profession. He was for some time attached
to tender heated
several years,
to the depot battalion,at FArsonstown, as second • c
mand ; and was transferreij thence (2,
commanded the battalion in-that- town Tor-
and left it to assume that of the Gth Iti:- • '
bearing with hint the respect and best'gurtent, at :Corfu,
class and creed of that commttnit wishes of every
officer, while strict in the enforce Y. As a commanding
kind and indulgent to all under enforcement of discipline, he was
an active promoter' and conductor his command, and was
schools, industrial exhibit' of regimental Sunday-
healthful and improvirtr, ions, and all possible kinds of
the scadiew,__,.
~.. 9 occupations and amusements for

.ng under the notice of the m,
claims to support of the new hospital at Belvedere,
near Erith, on the Thames, for disabled and worn-
out merchant seamen. To help the meeting, which
was numerously attended, to form an adequate no.
tion of its extent and appropriate situation, a
spirited representation of the building, painted by
Mr. Rogers, the scenic artist of the Britannia Theatre,
was hung over the platform. Mr. Baring, in
opening the proceedings, recalled to mind that the
commerce of the country owed much of its greatness
to the sailors engaged in the merchant service. He
candidly admitted that the extensive mercantile
house to which he belo-aged felt it to be its duty to
"assist in the establishment of this institution, and it
afforded him unfeigned pleasure in having had the
opportunity of assisting in the initiating of the hos-
pital at the Mansion-house, and of presiding over
the present meeting. We had retreats for ourworu
out soldiers and sailors at Chelsea and Greenwich ;
but until now no such national asylum had been
thought of for our disabled merchant seamen. It was
estimated that there were no less than 250,000 sailors
employed in that service, and of these 3,000 were
generally driven to seek shelter in workhouses, or to
subsist upon outdoor parochial relief. These simple
facts demonstrated the necessity for the Belvedere
institution, which would be now further explained
in an address from its secretary.
Captain T. TRIBE, in responding to this request,
gave a rapid history of the hospital, urging all who
had " a shot in his locker" to come forward and
assist the effort. The building was within a
quarter of an hour's journey of London, and
contained 65 rooms, and had 21 acres of land at-
tached to it. It was now capable of receiving 150
aid in n
inlaunchingstitutio n theo ul goodship men, but its capacity was equal to the wants of
500, and it was proposed gradually to raise the
would be chiefly p
inmates, to that number. Royalty, the Government,
and every large commerciit town, -.7ith the City of
London and Liverpool at their head, had lent their
it was expected our sailor prince would shortly hoist
Belvedere,selself-supporting,
-su po f
ort whichin
g,
his flag as commander, by becoming its president.
and, under a plan of subscription by the seamen
themselves, partake rather of the character of a pro-
vident society than a charity.
Captain Hunter proposed, the Rev. Mr. IVilkson
seconded, Captain Peter Campbell supported, and
the meeting passed by acclamation, a resolution de-
claring that, composed as it was of officers and sea-
men of the mercantile marine and of shipowners and
gentlemen connected with commerce, it hailed with
much satisfaction the statement it had , heard of the
progress made towards providing a refuge for the
aged
and disabled seamen of all ranks who were in
need, and established a national pension fund for
them, and annuities for their widows.

A second resolution was carried, pledging the
officers and seamen present to become subscribers
to the institution, and to exert their influence in its
behalf with their brother sailors, and a vote of thanks
to the chairman terminated the proceedings.

Qqig, lara7l,2_4lf.
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