The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-30 00:00:00

TIIAMES EMBANKMENT.

A bill for the Thames embankment has been
printed, and pretty generally circulated during
this week; and the plans and sections are deposited
with Clerk of the Peace and other authorities under
the standing orders. From these documents we
learn the general character and extent of what is
now proposed, and which is as follows :—The em-
bankment starts from the lower side of the New
Westminster-bridge, ranging with the face of the
abutment of the new bridge, and continues in a
curved line, following what is generally called
Page's line, to the back of the first abutment of
Waterloo-bridge. It then starts again from the
lower side of Waterloo-bridge at the corresponding
point, and proceeds in a similar curved line until it
terminates abruptly against Blackfriars-bridge, 21
chains nearly, or about 100 ft. into the river beyond
the present wharfs and houses. The embank.
ment is solid throughout, and the projec-
tion into the river, in some cases very consider-
able, is to be filled in by soil taken from the
Thames or otherwise obtained. The height of
this new wall from Westminster-bridge to the
east side of the Temple is to be 41ft. above Trinity
high-water mark. From that point the embank-
ment ascends rapidly by a steep viaduct to the level
of Blackfi iars-bridge. This viaduct, we presume,
would stand oil the level of the embankment, and
would be 40ft. above low water mark. On the sur-
face of the land thus gained there is first to be a
public road 190 ft. wide from Westminster-bridge to
the Temple, where it is to become 70ft. wide only.
In addition to this road or street, property is also
scheduled for the following new streets—viz., first,
an entirely new street from the Banqueting-hall at
Whitehall down to the river ; secondly, Whitehall-
place is to be continued down to the river, and will
form part of a quite new street between the Strand
and the river, terminating at Waterloo-bridge, just
opposite the new wing of Somerset-house; thirdly,
Norfolk-street, Surrey-street, and Arundel-street
are to be made to join the river by a common com-
munication to the new road; and lastly, from
Blackfriars-bridge a new street is shown from
th 3 bridge to the Mansion-house, joining also
New Cannon-street. This street proceeds first
obliquely, and then nearly parallel to the
river, avoiding the limes office, the Equitable office,
and Apothecaries'-hall; where it goes off at an obtuse
angle, and is continued across New Cannon-street,
to the front of the Exchange and Mansion-house.
The bill constitutes a Board for carrying these enor-
mous works into effect, consisting of the chairman
and four members of the Metropolitan Board, and
two members of that Board returned by the Cor-
poration of London, thus forming a Board of seven
members in all; it empowers the borrowing of one
million and a half of money, and gives compulsory
powers of purchase, sale, &c., in the usual way. It
enables the Board to deal with the Chatham and
Dover Railway and bridge, but the Hungerford,
Blackfriars, Westminster, or Waterloo bridges are
not to be interfered with, and the levels appear very
embarrassing. Houses may bo built on any of the
vacant lands, subject to the approbation of the Board,
but none are to be built in front of the Temple.
The solicitors for the bill are Baxter, Rose, and Co.,
and the engineers M'Clean and Stillman. Both these
appointments have been matters of some remark,
and surprise has been expressed why the solicitors
and engineers of the Government or those of
the Office of Works should not have been in-
trusted with these preliminaries. The sum provided
also appears inadequate for the completion of such
an enormous undertaking, and we understand the
constitution of the Board is as strongly objected to
by the Corporation of London as it is by the Me-
tropolitan Board, and that the public may possibly
demand a voice therein. The low-level sewer is but
slightly referred to, the only clause relating to it
being one empowering and directing the Board to
facilitate its construction.—Observer.

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