The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-26 00:00:00

COLONIAL.

TEA.—At the public sales the biddings have been more
animated, and full prices have been obtained for most de-
scriptions.
SUGAR.—The market continues dull, and to effect sales
to any extent holders have to accept lower rates.
COFFEE.—Business has been dull ; good and fine quali-
ties, ;however, have been fully maintained at previous quo-
tations.

RICE,—The dealings have been more extensive, and a
firmer tone has prevailed, fully late prices being obtained
for good and sound descriptions.
SALTPETRE.—No dealings of importance have been en-
tered into, and quotations are quite nominal.
TALLOW—The market has remained very quiet. P.Y.C.
in all positions being quoted 478 per cwt.

Lord Lyndhurst has quite recovered from his
recent indisposition, and has left town, accompanied by
Lady Lyndhurst and the lion. Miss Copley, for Tunbridge-
Wells.

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.—Yesterday, in the Earl
cf Chichester's committee, the bill for the Ramsgate exten-
sion of the Margate Railway was passed. The other bills
passed were the Colne Valley and Halstead and Midlan
Counties and Shannon Junction Railway. The hearing of
the Newcastle, Derwent, and Weardale case is likely to
terminate and a decision be come to to•day. In the Com-
mons, the bills of the West London Extension Railway,
and of the Westminster Life Insurance fora dissolution,
were passed. The committees on the Income and Property
Tax, Public Accounts, Poor Belief, and Cadashal Survey
met to make their reports.

REPORT OF THE THA,VES EMBANK-

KENT CO. 1-3fISSION,

TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

We, the undersigned members of your Majesty's
Commission,—appointed to examine into plans for
embanking the River Thames within the Metro-
polis, so as to " provide with the greatest efficiency
and economy for the relief of the most crowded
streets, by the establishment of a new and spacious
thoroughfare, for the improvement of the naviga-
tion of the river, and which will afford an oppor-
tunity of making the low level sewer without dis-
turbing the Strand or Fleet-street, and also to
report upon the cost and means of carrying the
same into execution,"—now humbly submit to
your Majesty the conclusions at which we have
arrived, and the recommendations we have agreed
to offer.

2. The nature of the inquiry intrusted to us was
made known to the public by advertisement in the
newspapers, and more than fifty designs were pre-
sented for our consideration. A short description
of each is given in appendix A, and the authors
and other persons interested have had the oppor-
tunity of publicly explaining and illustrating their
respective views upon the subject. The evidence
given by the parties will be found in appendix B.
3. The main features of the majority of the plans
are an embanked roadway on the north side of the
river, and the formation of docks with the view to
retain all the existing wharves; in others, railways
in addition to the roadway and docks have been
proposed; whilst in a few, a solid embankment and
roadway without either docks or railways have
been suggested. Amongst these latter is a plan
submitted by Mr. Shields, some of whose sugges-
tions appear to us to afford in a greater degree than
any of the other designs the basis upon which an
efficient and economical scheme may be founded.
We desire, however, to express our high apprecia-
tion of the great engineering skill and ability that
has been displayed in many of those designs which
contemplated the construction of docks and rail-
ways.

4. The wharf property between Westminster-
bridge and the Temple-gardens is for the most part
devoted to the coal trade. We find that great
facilities are now afforded for the distribution of
coal by the new system of unshipping in the docks
into railway waggons, and by various depots on the
railways in and near the metropolis. We are of
opinion that public convenience no longer necessi-
tates the continuance either of the coal or any other
trade in this immediate locality. We, therefore,
think that it would not be expedient to construct
and maintain docks for the sake of preserving the
existing wharves between the points we have men-
tioned ; whilst their removal will simplify the for-
mation of the embankment, and add to the beauty
of the river. The wharf property, however, between
the Temple-gardens and Blackfriars-bridge cannot
in our opinion be so treated ; and that eastward of
Blackfriars-bridge is so important in a commericial
point of view, that we do not recommend any inter-
ference with it.

5. Having regard to these and other considera-
tions, we are of opinion that we shall best fulfil
your Majesty's instructions and provide for the
requirements of thd public, by establishing a
spacious thoroughfare between Westminster-bridge
and Blackfriars-bridge, by means of an embank-
ment and roadway; and the new thoroughfare thus
created should be continued on eastward from
Blackftiars-bridge by a new street, according to
the line formerly laid down by Mr. Bunning, the
City's Architect, from the west end of Earl-street
across Cannon-street, to the Mansion House.
Without such a street no relief whatever would be
given to the crowded thoroughfares of Ludgate
Hill, St. Paul's Churchyard, and Cheapside.
6. The line of embankment at Westminster
would coincide with the terrace of the Houses of
Parliament, and from thence to Blackfriar's-bridge
would nearly follow the line laid down for the
Corporation of the City of London in 1841 by Mr.
Walker, Capt. Bullock, Mr. Saunders, and Mr.
Leach. The general level of the embankment and
road would be four feet above Trinity high water.
The road would commence at Westminster by an
easy descent opposite the Clock Tower, and be con-
tinued on, 100 feet in width, to the eastern boun-
dary of the Temple-gardens; from this point the
road would be reduced to 70 feet in width, and carried
on a viaduct supported by piers of masonry, rising
to the level of Biackfriars-bridge, so constructed as
to leave a breadth of water for the convenience of
the City gasworks and the adjoining wharves of
about 70 or 80 feet. The spaces between the piers
under the ascending road would be left available
for barges to lie, and afford easy access to the water
between this structure and the wharves.

7. From Westminster-bridge to the eastern
boundary of the Temple-gardens the embankment
—sustained by a river wall—would be solid in its
whole breadth; which breadth opposite Richmond-
terrace would be 220 feet from the existing river
wall. At Hungerford it would be 320 feet from
the existing wharf ; at Somerset-house about 120
feet ; and at the Temple about 220 feet. The plan
accompanying this report sets forth the entire
scheme.

8. With respect to the appropriation of the re-
claimed land, we would recommend that so much of
it as shall be in front of the Crown property—
which will be about 120 feet in width in its nar-
rowest part—should be laid out in ornamental gar-
dens for the accommodation of the occupiers of the
houses, and that the portion in front of the Temple-
gardens, also about 120 feet wide, be placed at the
disposal of the Society to be dealt with in a similar
manner. The other portions of the reclaimed land
may either be kept open for the health and recrea-
tion of the public, or be applied to building pur-

poses.
9. We propose that communications should be
made with the intended roadway from Whitehall,
opposite the Horse Guards, and also from some of
the streets in the Strand ; —and that a new street
should be formed passing through the Savoy to
Wellington-street. The frontages on these streets
would offer eligible sites for building, as would also
the inner frontage of the new road, if it should
hereafter be thought fit so to utilize the ground.
We, however, feel it our duty to recommend that
while economy and utility in laying out and dis-
posing of the ground should be kept in view, en-
deavours should be made to invest this new and
conspicuous work with some elements of interest
and beauty.
10. For the improvement of the navigation we
recommend that the existing shoals between
Waterloo and Westminster-bridges should be re-
moved, due regard being had to the foundations of
the former. Also that an uniform low-water channel
of six feet in depth at ordinary spring tides, and
500 feet in width from the embankment wall, be
secured, and thus the stream be more equalised in
velocity. If at any future time any effect should be
produced on the river from the diminution of its
capacity for tidal water by reason of the embank-
ment, arrangements may be made higher up the
river by dredging, or by a tidal reservoir to com-
pensate for the loss. The consideration, however,
of this matter would naturally devolve on the Con-
servators of the River Thames.

11. The embankment and street we have pro-
posed will afford an opportunity of making the low
level sewer without disturbing the Strand or Fleet-
street, and at the same time facilitate the construc-
tion of the sewer eastward of the embankment.

12. We are not prepared to recommend the
construction of an embankment on the Surrey
shore at present, but if hereafter it should be thought
desirable or necessary to embank any portion of it,
the scheme we have proposed for the Middlesex
side will not in any way interfere with it.
13. With regard to that part of our instructions
in which we are commanded by your Majesty to
" report on the costs and means of carrying the
same into execution," we beg to report that we
estimate the cost of the land, making compensa-
tions, constructing the embankment an roadways,
and also acquiring the property in the City for,
and forming the new street to the Mansion House,
at £1,500,000. This amount, however, would be
reduced should it be thought right to dispose of
any of the reclaimed land on the bank of the river
for building purposes.
14. Parliament having appropriated the coal
dues to provide for the outlay necessary for this
great work, it only remains for us to express our
opinion as to the " means of carrying the sameinto
execution."
15. Looking at the magnitude of the work, the
important and varied interests, both public and
private, which will be affected—and the urgent
necessity for its early completion—we are of opinion,
that the control and management of the undertak-
ing should be entrusted to a specia
• l commission,
appointed by your Majesty, in order to ensure the
attainment of an object so
improvement of the
speedy and economical
aed
affording so favour-
much needed by the public, and
report to your Iklajesty.
able an opportunity fotrhet
river and adornment of metropolis.
seals,ythis twenty_
t
1 1861.
second day of July,
WILLIAM CUBITT.
WAitlnlewsshoi?r whaenhdusinaubdl
JOSHUA JEBB.
(LS.)
DoUGLAS GALTON.
(L.S.)
EDWD. BURSTAL.
JOHN ROBINSON (itisS:))
HENRY A. HUNT.
MTLN EA. (
(LS.)
HENsy KINGSCOTE, Secretary.

THE ELECTIONS IN CANADA.—The Hon..Manrice
B. Portman, son of Lord Portman, has been elected for the
East Riding of the county of Middlesex, Canada West, de-
feating the Anti-British, candidate by a large majority.