The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-30 00:00:00

THE WEATHER.—Sux OFFICE, MARCH 30.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
58—highest since neon yesterday.
43—lowest this morning and during the night.
41—this day at noon.
BenomsTsn---29.38.
WIND, W.N.W. ; ratherfresh, with rain, sleet, and
snow.
THREE O'CLOCK.—The weather has become all at once
quite wintry. Since noon this day up to the present time,
it has blown hard, with heavy squalls, accompanied by a
complete snow-storm, which promises to continue for the
rest of the day. March this year reverses the old adage of
coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb—the only
lamb-like similitude being his snow-white overall.

The debate still continues. Nor is there much
chance that it can be concluded even on Thursday.
Many honourable gentlemen have expressed a de-
cided determination to be heard, and we cannot
feel surprised, considering the magnitude and im-
portance of the issue raised, that they should be
desirous of explaining their views and feelings, so
that they may be duly understood by the constitu-
ents to whom they may very speedily have to
render the accounts of their respective stewardships.
Indeed, the professing Reformers who assist in
shelving the subject for the present session, and
probably for a protracted period, should be heard
in their own defence before condemnation is pro-
nounced by their indignant constituents.

Mr. GLADSTONE considerably astonished the
Peelites and Whigs by the decision at which he
arrived. It might readily have been anticipated
that the right hon. gentleman would make a power-
ful and brilliant address on which ever side he
advocated. But it was assumed that he would side
with Messrs. CARDWELL and HERBERT and Sir
JAMES GRAHAM in supporting the resolution, which
the latter assisted in drawing up. But they had
" reckoned without their host." He could not
support the resolution, to which " exception might
be taken on the ground of general prudence and
convenience," and be unequivocally declared
that so far as his own opportunities of know-
ledge went—and it will be admitted that they
are by no means inconsiderable—that " this is the
first occasion on which a resolution has been moved
to the second reading of a bill, the purport and
matter of which consist simply in dealing with cer-
tain portions of the bill, which portions might be
dealt with in committee." It is not only a novelty,
but a " very inconvenient novelty." One that
would form a precedent more honoured in the
breach than in the observance. Some portions of a
measure may be highly popular, others equally
displeasing to the house and country. The course
now adopted would prevent any elimination of the
elements, and separation of the good from the bad-.
any sifting of the corn, rejecting the chaff and re•
taining the wheat, which could be turned to the
most valuable purpose.
Another and an unquestionably strong reason for
rejecting the resolution, is that there is no cohesion
between its supporters. Supposing it were adopted,
we would find the chief leaders of the different
parties, who have combined for the time being,
totally -at variance. Lord JOHN RUSSELL would
eagerly seize the reins of power, and rush into office
on any terms. On the other hand, the noble lord
the member for Tiverton would not permit either
a resignation or a dissolution. He "condemned
Ministers to retain their places." They had as
cepted the Government " with its engagements,"
and should not be allowed even "to pay forfeit.
They must run with the weights fixed by their
opponents.

As to the hon. member for Birmingham, the
course he has decided on adopting seems to be
utterly incomprehensible. We believe him to be a
sincere Reformer, and yet he is trying to adjourn
the question sine die, because his own particular
views have not been adopted, although as we have
already explained, he must know that there
is early prospect of their being carried,
and that they may be fully and fairly
tested in Committee, and the opinion of
the: House taken thereon. Indeed, it is the only
chance of even their partial success for a consider-
able period. Why, then, does he support the
Whigs ? He did not profess to be greatly
enamoured with the proceedings of either of the
rival Premiers, or to vindicate their policy. It
could therefore scarcely be his wish to bring either
in, when by so doing not merely the cause of Reform
would be deranged, but the peace and tranquillity
seriously endangered. He must be well aware that
the firm but conciliatory policy adopted by the
present Government with respect to foreign affairs
has been productive of the most felicitous results,
that the horrors of war have been averted, and
that despite the gravest complications, and yet be
seeks to put the men who have rendered such pre-
eminent services out at any hazard, in order to
bring back the man whom he represented to be
the worst Minister that ever held office. It is
inexplicable save on the ground that he intends to
make the question of Reform his own peculiar
measure, and will not sanction the settlement of
the important subject by any one but himself.
Mr. MACAULAY made a very able speech against
the resolution. He pertinently inquired what
party had a majority in the House, and the inter-
rogatory should be carefully considered before
any steps were taken to substitute a
weaker Ministry for that now in office. Mr.
HARDY was also exceedingly good. Indeed, the
speeches on the Ministerial side have been from
the very commencement of the debate of a very
high order, and the longer the discussion is con-
tinued the more fully will the people be convinced
of the objects and motives for which the resolution
was framed and supported.

One-quarter, or rather we believe one-fifth, of
what was actually expended upon the late Crimean
war would have paid for the whole of those metro-
politan improvements upon which we very recently
commented. It would be a perversion of ordinary
language to talk of the sum total of the cost of these
projected improvements as in any way extravagant.
The aggregate amount could in n o respect be regarded
as extravagant—whether the wealth of the capital
be taken into account, or the size of the twin cities,
or the extraordinary magnitude of their popu-
lation. According to reliable estimates there are
in the British capital no fewer than 2,500,000 in-
habitants. The superficial extent of the area covered
by it in houses and pavements is calculated, as

Sir BOYLE ROCHE might say, to extend in
round numbers over fourteen square miles. As
to. the wealth of the metropolis—that, certainly,
as the phrase is, "may be more easily imagined
than described." It is questionable whether Lon-
don• is really the most populous city in the world.
If the urban statistics of China and Japan are in any
way to be relied upon it undeniably is not the most
populous. But without one shadow of question it
is beyond all others, either of ancient or of modern
times, the largest and the wealthiest. That is
admitted. That is indisputable. It were simply
ridiculous, therefore, to talk of even a total of
£20,000,000 as in any way extravagant as the gross
cost of all these projected metropolitan improve-
mets. But when it is remembered that the
aggregate of the net cost, according to the calcula-
tions of the Board of Works, would be not much
more than fifteen millions (exactly £1.5,674,951),
spread over years, we may confidently regard
as most reasonable the scheme now put before the
public for approval or condemnation.

Recollect that this scheme includes within it al-
most all the various projects of improvement at any
time advocated for the advantage, either in comfort
or splendOur, or both together, of the cities of
London, Westminster, and Southwark It would
secure the complete and satisfactory drainage of the
whole capital—a capital spread, as we have seen,over
an area of fourteen square miles, and peopled
by an aggregate of two and a-half millions of in-
habitants. That would be of itself the most impor-
tant sanitary change that could well be effected,
and it will benefit 2,500,000—f0r it is happily
among the works already ordered—it will directly
benefit 2,500,000 at a cost amounting to less than
£2,500,000. The estimated net cost for the main
drainage of the metropolis being given in schedule
Aat £2,300,000. By this means, moreover, one of
the most admirable boons of all for the capital,
perhaps we ought to go further and say at once
distinctly the most desirable of all material boons, for
the capital would be happily accomplished—meaning
of course, the immediate and permanent purification
of the River Thames. All this, however, consti-
tutes but a single item in the catalogue furnished as
an explanatory schedule, accompanying this mag-
nificent scheme of improvements. That scheme, as
we have said, comprises within it almost every-
thing for which the advocates of metropolitan im-
provements hitherto clamoured. It would put an
end to the obstruction to traffic caused by the erec-
tion of toll-bars on some of our most important
bridges, such as Waterloo-bridge, and the iron
bridge at Southwark. It would remove three
other notorious -obstructions of a very different
character. It would transfer to a less inconvenient
locality the picturesque arch of Temple-bar. It
would rase to the ground the block of buildings
known as Middle-row, Holborn. It would do the
like good service in regard to Holywell-street, thus
widening the• Strand from Catherine-street to New-
castle-street. It would avail itself of the opportu-
nity for the removal of old Berkeley-house for the
purpose of opening up a better entrance from Tra-
falgar-square into St. James's-park through Spring-
gardens. And here, we would suggest, might be
raised anew—upon the site at one time contem-
plated for the Marble Arch—here, at the entrance
through Spring-gardens into St. James's-park,
old Temple-bar • might be re-erected as an
interesting memento of a past age . emi-
nently worthy of preservation. Besides the
purification of the river itself, there is. the plan
here put forth by the Board of Works, the forma-
tion (at a cost of £2,000,000, according to the esti-
mate of Mr. GISBORNE, C.E.), of the long-talked-of
Thames embankment, north and south, from Lon-
don-bridge to Westminster.
Beyond even these changes the plan proposed in-
cludes within it—the formation of a new park—the
improvement of another one recently opened—the
erection of several new streets, and the widening of
many old ones. For example, in the last-mentioned
category, there is the design for widening, at a
cost of £40,000, the old, crooked, narrow,
tortuous High-street of the Old Court Suburb—
namely from Young-street to No. 59, High-street,
Kensington. There is the widening, too, for £46,000
of St. John-street, Clerkenwell. There are besides
the widening for £48,000 of the south end of Al-
dermanbury—for £42,000 of the south end of Milk-
str,.,,et, next Cheapside—and for £540,000 of the north
side of the Poultry. The widening of St. Martin's-
lane for £90,000, a sum including under it a variety
of subsidiary improvements. The widening for
£300,000 of the east side of Queen-street, Cheap-
side. The widening for nearly £Boo,ooo—in fact
for just £799,000—0f Upper and Lower Thames-
street. The widening of Aldgate for £150,000—
of Norton Folgate for nearly £7o,ooo—of Bishops-
gate-street both Without and Within for
£lBO,OOO. The widening of the Tower or southern
end of Bedford-street, Strand, as the completion of
the Covent-garden approach, for exactly £13,800.
The widening of the south end of Park-lane--of
course, we presume this would be done entirely on
the east side of it, the west side of it, where Park-
lane converges into Piccadilly, being occupied by
H. R. H. the General Commanding-in-Chief—the
widening of the south end of Park-lane, and the
continuing of South Audley-street into Park-lane
for a little over £170,000. Together with these
and other schemes for the widening of the old
streets, there are the plans already referred to for
the formation of new ones in various direc-
tions—from Trinity-square to Tower-street
—through Gate-street to Southampton-row,
Russell-square--from Earl-street, Blackfriars,
to the Mansion-house—from Wellington-street,
Waterloo-bridge, to Carey-street—from King-street,
Covent-garden, to Cranbourne-street—from High-
street, Southwark, to Stamford-street—from Bow-
street and Long-acre to Cheapside. The last, being
the most costly of the " new street" projects, would
involve an outlay, it is estimated, of about£l,ll2,6oo.
Reverting, however, from the items to the total--
let us remember in conclusion, by way of distinct
encouragement to the realisation of the enterprise,
that that total would form but an item in the ac-
count actually paid down in solid gold for the last
war, fought under the walls of Sebastopol.

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THE SUN.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1859.