The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-07 00:00:00

REPORT ON METROPOLITAN IMPROVE-

MENTS.

An important and curious document has been
presented to the Home of Commons, in the shape
of a report presented to the Treasury by the First
Commissioner of Works, in relation to the. present
state of the metropolitan improvements under the
direction of his department. It appears that on
Sir B. Hall's accession to office he found that the
following extensive works were then. in hand, viz.,
Battersea-park, Chelsea-bridge, Chelsea embank-
menf, and the new street from the new bridge to
Sloane street, the Pimlico Improvements, and the
new strut from Spitalfields to Shoreditch ; and he
therefore dot. rmine3 to ascertain the progress that
had been made in them, their present condition,
and the sum required to complete them. The Chel-
sea Bridge and embankment were under the direc-
tion of Mr. Page. and the other works were under
the management and control of Mr: Pennethorne,
two of the principal officers of the Board of Works.
To obtain the information required bg Sir B.
Hall has just taken fifteen months, and from
the correspondence—which is printed with the re-
port—which passed between these gentlemen and
Sir B. Hall, it appears that nothing hut the abso-
lute de ermination of the Chief Commissioner to
know what the real state of the works was, could
have extracted it. The reiults given in Sir B.
Hall's 1-Ater are positively astounding, as showing
the difference bee:wem the original estimated cost,
the amount a'ready expended, and the amount that
will be required to complete them. Sir B. Hall
thus writes—

"On the 17th of Mardi, 1856, I desired these
gentlemen (Mes,srs. Page and Pennethorne) to re-
port to me the history and progress of the various
works at Battersea Park, Chelsea-bridge, Chelsea
Embankment, and the new street in connection
therewith ; and statements were furnished by them
wh;e,h were subsequently praentel to Parliament.
Upon consider leg these reports it appeared to me
Vett a further and more extended investigation was
necessary not only with reference to the Cheleea-
bridge and embankment, but also the improve-
ments at Pimlico and Spitaliields. I therefore
called upon Mr. Page and Mr. Pennethorne for
further information; and I transmit herewith
copies of the entire correspondence, so that your
lordships may knout the amount of money ex-
pended up to the present time, and the amount
still required to carry out the instructions of the
Legislature, and complete the various works in
,progress ; and your lordships will also see the ex-
cess upon the original and, in some cases, the re-
vised estimates. I beg, at the same time, to sub-
mit the accompanying abstract of the correspon-
dence, from which it will be observed—
"l. As respects Battersea-park.—That the sum
of 69,9091. 15s. is required to complete the works
comprised in the estimate of 1853, and when that
amount is expended, the excess upon that estimate
w 11 amount to 111,0651. 6ss. 11d.
" 2. As regards Chelsea-bridge.---That the sum
of 34,5031. 4s. 101 is required to complete the
works comprised in the revised estimate of 1852-3,
and, when that amount is expended, the excess
upon that estimate will amount to 23,7661.
" 3. As regards Chelsea Embankment and the
street from the new bridge to Sloane-street. That
the sum of 26,2891. Bs. 6d. is required to complete
the works to the west end of Chelsea Hospital,
comprised in the revised estimate of 1852-3, and,
when that amount is expended, the excess upon that
estimate will amount to 12,5371.
"4. As regards Pimlico Improvement.—That
the sum of 27,8101► Os. sd. is required to complete
the works, accor ;ing to the act of 1853, but until
the completion of the improvements, the nature of
the lend and buildings to be transferred to the Com-
missioners of Land Revenue, under the 7th section
of the act, and the Treasury minute of the Bth of
July, 1853, cannot be asce.tained. If, however,
the value should tall short of 51,360/., the deficiency
will have otherwise to be provided for.

" 5. As regards the new street from Spitalfields
to Shoreditch.—That the sum of 12,0001. is re-
quired to complete the works comprised in' the
revised estimate of 1850 and 1853, and when
your that amount is exp the excess upon the re-
vised estimate a 1850 and 1852 will amount to
20,4
odesfieloidp b
ies closingtyha Parliament,
attie a
iii
islettery above-named
-In
amwmueersd
works et
submit to
were
Os. 7clar. B-
y
and
commenced long anterior to the period when I be-
came first commissioner ; that since that period I
have avoided giving any directions which should in
o
any way, directly or indirectly; convey or imply a
sanction to any dflparture fram the previous esti-
mate. My desire has been to wind up these affairs
as speedily as possible, and the accompanying cor-
respondence, to which I particularly invite your
lordships' attention, will exhibit some of the diffi-
culties which I have had to encounter. lam quite
sure that the bat course will be to obtain a grant of
money for the purpose of closing these matters,
and that I should, be instructed to realise, as
speedily as possible, the value of the property which
will remain at the disposal of this department after
the completion of the works. The property is
considerable, it comprises about 125 acres at Bat-
tersea, outside the park, frontages at Pimlico and.
Spitalfields, and vacant land on the north ap-
proach to the brirlge at Chelsea. In addition to
these properties, there are contributions to be paid
by parties having property near the embankment.
It is utterly impossible to give an accurate estimate
of the amounts to be realised from the above
sources, and which in some cases will not reach their
full value until the adjacent improvements are com-
pleted. The following is a summary of the sums
required to complete these undertakings :-
1. Battersea-park £69,909 15 0
2. Chelsea-bridge
3. Chelsea embankment and street 26,289 8 6
4. Pimlico improvements
5. New-street, Spitalfields 12,000 0 0

Total.

...X170,512 8 9

" But whilst I am unable to state the exact
amount that the properties proposed to be disposed
of may realise, I am confident that, the sum to be
received will exceed 170,5121. Bs. 9.d., and leave a
very considerable, surplus t )wards defraying the
sum of 200,0001. advanced by the Exchequer Loan
Commissioners for the formation of Battersea-
park. I should have sent this statement to your
lordships at an earlier period, but I waited for the
award of Mr. Norton, to whom the case as to the
value of the proportion of land and buildings which
have been aided to Buckingham Palace, was refer-
red ; this award, your lordships will observe, was
not sent in by Mr. Norton until the 19th inst. •
(Signed) " B. HALL."

EARLY LIFE OF THE REV. G. ORABBE

Up to the epoch of manhood Crabbe's life was
almost as cheerless and inauspicious as my
own. He
fortunately, had a firm foundation laid in better
education; had a home to reside in, and parents to
resort to for counsel and subsistence.
His appren-
ticeship, however, after leaving that hems, was like
my own, ungenial to his mind; and his masters—
coun try.apothecaries—seem to have been ill calcu-
lated to afford him comfort or instruction. Still he
had time and opportunities to read—that never-tiring
solace, and cheering occupation—and thus improve
and ripen his mental faculties. Not only dissatisfied
but disgusted with the business in which he had
wasted so much time, he left it at the termination
of apprenticeship, and, after lingering hopelessly
about his native place, he at last resolved to cast
himself on the wide ocean of London, and tempt
the fearful dangers that belong to the career of a
li erasy adventurer. Here he struggled and starved
for a year. During the first three months of his
London life he sent manuscript poems to the book-
sellers, Dodsley' and Becket, which they civilly
declined. He addressed verses to Lord Chancellor
Thurlow, who informed him that his avocations
did not leave him leisure to read verses.' He sold
his clothes and his books, and pawned his watch
and his surgical instrumeuts. His one coat was
gi;s on,
wffe after thirteen and was deeply
torn, and he mended it himself. Ho was reduced
at last to Bd., but the brave man never despaired.
He had astronne sensewghobecame of relhi
attached
years of untiring constancy. His faith and his
love held him up, and kept him out of
degradation. At last he wrote a letter to
Edmund Burke. It contained this passage :—' In
April last (1781, aged 30) I came to Loudon with
three pounds, and flattered myself this would be
sufficient to supply me with the common necessa-
ries of life till my abilities should procure me more ;
of these I had the highest opinion, and a poetical
fancy contributed to -ray. delusion.' Burke saved
Crabbe from the fate of many a one who perished
in those days when patronage was dying out, and
the various resources for the literary labourer that
now Leloeg to the extension of reading had scarcely
begun to exist. Burke persuaded Dodsley to pub-
lish The Library,' and the Bishop of Norwich to
ordain the author without a degree. His lot in life
was fixed. Thurlow invited him to dinner, and,
telling him he was as like Parson Adams as
twelve to a dozen,' gave bum two small livings. He
published The Village' in 1783, and The News-
paper' in 17,85. From that time to 1807 the world
had forgotten that a real poet of very original talents
had appeared for a short time, and was no more
heard 'of. When Crabbe was fifty-three years
of age he published The Parish Register.' The Bo-
rough' speedily followed. His Tales' were in the same
vein. Their success was triumphant. The author, whose
worldly means were reduced to Bd. in 1780, sold the
copyright of his poems, in 1807, to Mr. Murray, for
3,000/.--Autobicgraplty of John Britton.