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

trade in this immediate locality :" they naturally
enough and reasonably enough decide —" We, I
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 mentioned ; whilst their removal will
simplify the formation of the embankment, and
add to the beauty of the river." Who is there—
in any way acquainted with the locality—who
will not at once, and without a single moment's
hesitation, recognise the perfect reasonableness of
all this in every syllable ? It must be added
forthwith, however—in token that the Com-
missioners are, notwithstanding the almost
ruthless boldness and distinctness of their de-
cision, eminently discriminative throughout—it
must be added, we say, in proof of their being thus
also eminently discriminative, that they go on at
once to acknowledge that " The wharf property,
however, between the Temple-gardens and Black-
friars-bridge cannot in our opinion be so treated ;
and that eastward of Blackfriars-bridge is so im-
portant in a commercial point of view, that we do
not recommend any interference with it." Where-
fore—and this is the gist of the whole report
—within the passage we are here about to quote
from it being, in truth, the core or heart of the
proposition resulting from their investigations—the
Royal Commissioners observe as follows :
" 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 the 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
Blackfriars-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."
The Commissioners adding that, " without such a
street no relief whatever would be given to the
crowded thoroughfares of Ludgate-hill, St. Paul's-
Churchyard, and Cheapside."
According to this suggestion the Thames Em-
bankment would be in a line with the terrace of the
New Houses of Parliament. " The road," says the
report, " 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
en a viaduct supported by piers of masonry, riding
to the level of Blackfriars-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. 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 Commissioners observing upon this
point in conclusion :—" The plan accompany-
ing this report sets forth the entire
scheme"—that is, the scheme suggested by Mr.
SHIELDS' designs, modified, or rather it should be
said, extended and developed by the discriminative
sagacity of the Royal Commissioners.
So that really and truly, after so much vague
talking and argumentation upon the subject, we at
length seem to be in a fair way to obtain a Thames
Embankment. The Commissioners entrusted by
the Crown with the conduct of this inquiry in re-
gard to the best plan discoverable for the em-
banking of the river Thames, have, at any rate, it
must be allowed, admirably well acquitted them-
selves in the performance of the delicate and diffi
cult and eminently responsible duties entrusted to
them by their SOVEREIGN. The Lord Mayor, Sir
WILLIAM CUBITT, late M.P. for Andover, soon to
be, very probably (in spite of the energetic activity
of Mr. WOOD'S Liberal supporters), M.P. for the
City of London, and with the popular
Lord Mayor, Sir JOSHUA JEBB, and
four other Commissioners, whose names are
affixed to this Report deserve what we
here very heartily accord to them, an earnest
tribute of applause for the precision, the prompti-
tude and perspicuity with which they have re-
duced thus to black and white the result of their
conscientious inquiry as to the most desirable plan
of carrying out this long-projected scheme of a
Tt ames Embankment.

It is difficult to express in a few words, as we
now simply propose to do, the profound satisfac-
tion with which we regard the conclusion arrived
at by the Coroner's Jury in respect to the late
extraordinary tragedy in our immediate neigh-
bourhood. Under the able direction of Mr.
BEDFORD, the Coroner for Westminster, this
extraordinary investigation has been conducted
to its close with an evidence of the very strictest
impartiality throughout. The murderous con-
test which took place at noonday on Friday, the
12th of this present month of July, 1861, in the
back drawing-room on the first floor of No. 16, Nor-
thumberland-street, Strand—the terrific struggle
which then and there took place between the de-
ceased, ROBERTS, and Major WILLIAM MURRAY
(happily still living), late of the 10th Hussars—
that desperate encounter which threatened
at one time to be utterly inexplicable—
has now, thanks to this investigation upon
the coroner's inquest, been completely ac-
counted for. So, completely accounted for, so
conclusively explained in every one of its parti-
culars, that we believe it would be absolutely
impossible for the Jury to have found a more
admirably truthful Verdict than the one with
which the Coroner's Jury yesterday brought
the proceedings to a conclusion :

" JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE, COMMITTED BY MAJOR
MURRAY IN DEFENCE OF HIS OWN LIFE."

It is a masterly Verdict, a manly, resolute Ver-
dict, which Lby its exceeding simplicity and dis-
tinctness reflects honour upon those twelve honest
Englishmen. No wonder there was an irre-
sponsible burst of applause at the announce-
ment. No wonder that immediately that
applause had subsided the Coroner himself
to Dk occasion to remark immediately the verdict
had been given in by the Foreman, that he (the
Coroner) could not but avow that he entirely
concurred with it !

Major MURRAY now stands not only acquitted,
absolutely acquitted, from any blame -whatever in
regard to this same murderous and appalling en-
counter—but, so far as the encounter itself is con-
cerned, he wins from us all the profoundest sym-
pathy.
Never seemingly was man in more desperate plight
than he was on that Friday morning, when lured
into that den of infamy, he lay there on the hearth-
rug, with a pistol ball deeply imbedded in the
back of his neck, the bullet actually resting upon
the vertebra (the surface of the bullet actually in-
dented,' according to Dr. CANTON'S evidence, with
the mark of the vertibm against which. it