The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-05 00:00:00

THIS DA Y'S NEWS.

MARYLEBONE VESTRY.
(THIS DAY )
THE OXFORD-STREET PAVEMENT.

It having been reported throughout this district,
for some clays past, that it was the intention of the
Vestry to take up some of the wood pavement laid
down in Oxford-street, and to replace it by granite,
the old contest between the advocates of wood and
stone was likely to be renewed with as much ani-
mosity as ever. The proceedings of the Vestry at
the usual weekly meeting, this day, when it was
expected the question would be determined, were
looked to with much interest. There was a tolerably
full attendance of vestrymen. Sir Peter Laurie,
whose interest in the subject is well known, was
amongst the first who arrived.
At eleven o'clock, Mr. Lord was called to the
chair, and the Secretary read the accounts of the
week, and the minutes of the last meeting. The
only important part of the minutes was the resolu-
tion for taking up the wood pavement in Oxford-
street, from Well-street to Charles-street (Stead's
patent), and laying down granite blocks. The
question having been put that the minutes be con-
firmed,
Mr. WiLsoN said, that in consequence of the reso-
lution come to on last Saturday to take up this small
portion of the wood pavement, a good deal of misre-
presentation had gone round the public press—and an
impression was generally received, that the Vestry had
condemned wood pavement generally. Now, that
was a question of too great importance to be disposed
of hastily in that vestry.—(Hear, hear.) The com-
parative merits of different kinds of pavement was
one of great importance to the public, and he wished
it to be understood that in agreeing to this resolution,
and confirming the minutes, they were expressing no
opinion upon wood pavement generally.—(Hear.)
The pavement in question had been down five or six
years, and as the surveyors reported that it required
to be taken up, he thought it would be right to re-
place it by granite, because it happened to be placed
between two patches of granite.—(Hear.)
A VESTRYMAN said that the advocates of wood
pavement always wished to have it girded by rows of
granite, and could not complain that the specimen in
question had not had fair play, because it was bordered
by granite.
Mr. JosEPu agreed with his friend Mr. Wilson in
thinking the minutes should be confirmed, but it was
not right on that account that the public should be
misle d ley the supposition that the Vestry was op-
posed to wood pavement.—(Hear.) He believed that
if a fair examination were made into the subject, it
would be found that this had been for the many years
it had been down, the cheapest pavement the parish
ever used.—(Hear.)
Sir PETER LAURIE said that the gentlemen oppo-
site made a merit of necessity on this occasion, as they
knew they had not the slightest chance of maintain-
ing the wooden doctrine, and rescinding the resolu-
tion.—(Hear, and a laugh.) He was very glad that
the subject had been taken up by the press, as that
was the best way to open the eyes of the public to its
real merits.—(Hear.) If the people of Oxford-street
thought the wood pavement a luxury, it was too much
to expect that the rest of the district which had no
relish for such a luxury should halre to pay for it.—
(Hear.) There was the finest street in the world,
Regent-street, until it got the wood pavement—
(Laughter)—and there was the finest regiment in
the world, the Life Guards, which had not gone down
Regent-street since July last, and never would go
down it again whilst it was paved with wood.
A VESTRYMAN observed that the worthy Knight
was mistaken • and, as we understood, the inconve-
nience of the dung was the cause of the Guards not
taking that route, so much pains being taken to keep
the pavement free from that annoyance.
A VESTRYMAN said that the pavement referred to in
the resolution was rotten, and the surveyors not only
recommended its removal, but that granite should be
substituted for it.

Mr. WlLsox denied that he had any_ prepossession
in favour of wood, but as the worthy Knight had re-
ferred to Regent-street, he would say that he thought
the people of Oxford-street had as good a right as
those of Regent-street to their pavement being kept
clean and in good order.—(Hear, hear.) But the fact
was their comfort was very much neglected.—(Hear.)
Sir PETER Le.unts said that the cleansing of Re-
gent-street daily was the result of a private arrange-
ment between the inhabitants and the Board Gf
Woods and Forests.

Mr. CLARK said that when it was proposed to take
measures for cleansing Oxford-street similar to those
used in Regent-street, inquiry was made as to the
expense, and it was found to be enormous.—(Hear.)
There was no doubt that Regent-street was the best

kept of the wooden pavements. But was it a reason
that the rest of the parish should pay for Oxford-
street because the Woods and Forests paid for Re-
gent-street—(Hear, hear)—and kept it as neat as a
drawing-room ?—(Hear ) If that were done for Ox-
ford-street, the rest of the district would require the
same attention. Tichfield-street, and Princes-street,
and other streets, would demand a wooden pavement,
so great was the rage for it.
Sir P. LAURIE—Oh, not now. That fit is all over
—(Laughter, and cries of "No, no.")
Mr. CLARKE proceeded to argue the granite was
far superior to the wood for paving, and as a proof,
referred to the state of Rathbone-place.
After further conversation much to the same effect,
the minutes were confirmed, and the Vestry proceeded
with the routine business of the day.

FLANDERS MAIL.

(RECEIVED THIS DAY.)

BRUSSELS, OCT. 2.—His Majesty, accompanied by
Mr. Conway, will set out to-morrow for his seat
at Ardenne. His Majesty will return to Brussels
at the end of next week.

The Governor of Brabant has just informed the
magistrates of communes, that as it is possible that
various ecclesiastical and other establishments may
be entitled to claim, from the Government of the
Netherlands, copies of archives, and documents, con-
formably to the stipulations of the convention con-
cluded at Utrecht, of the 19th of July, 1843, he
invites them immediately to send him a statement of
their claims.

R. Cootes the celebrated runner of London, per-
formed yesterday at two o'clock, some extraordinary
feats on the esplanade, near the Namur-gate. He
ran two kilometres, walked one kilometre, wheeled a
barrow one kilometre, walked backwards one kilo-
metre, trundled a hoop for one kilometre, hopped
on one foot one hundred metres, leaped over
twenty-five barriers at the distance of ten metres
from each other, made twenty-five summersets,
picked up forty stones laid in a straight
line at the
distance of one metre from each other, and carried
them to a basket placed near the first stone. All
this was to be done in sixty minutes. The English-
man performed it in fifty-eight and a half minutes.
It was for a wager of 400 francs. These feats at-
tracted a great crowd of spectators.
RUSSIAN FRONTIERS, SEPT. 24.—1 n letters from
several parts of Russia we find bitter complaints
of the population not belonging to the Greek
Church of the encroachments on their religious li-
berty by the Russian Church. In order to induce
the United (the Catholic) Greeks to join the Greek
Church, all imaginable methods they say are tried ;
frequent use is made of the following, in particular :
—First, the building of churches and the formation
of parishes of the not united religion; second, grants
of confiscated lands to Roman Catholic subjects, on
the solemn promise to have all their children edu-
cated in the schismatic faith ; and, third, exemption
from military service, or an abbreviation of the 25
year' service for those who acceded to the Greek
Church.

AUSTRIAN FUNDS.—VisriNA. Sm. 27.
Five par Cents. MetaHumes- ..................»........:. 109 15-18
Four per Cents. ........ ........ ..... .•.. ...... •........... 1003(
Three per Cents. ... 76
Bank Shares .... ....... ........ ..... . ........ .... ....... 1590
Allgemeine Zeitung, Sept 30.
BELGIAN FUNDS.—BRnsms, Om 2.
Aetna Dcbt, 2% per Cent., --
Rothschild's Loan, Five per Cent lO2
Loan of Thirty Millions, Four per Cent 9d%
`"'"--------- Three per Cent.
............... Thirty-seven Milli( ns, ditto .. .........
----- (1R40) •103%
1E44 O4),
Loan oCity, 1843, Four per Cent. lO3
Society of Commerce, Four and a Half per Cent.
Bank of Belgium, Five per Cent —
Issue of 1841................. ............. .•••••••••••••••••
—.Brussels Papers. Oct. 3. ""

'TIE KENTISH RAILWAY.—The London division of
this proposed railwr.p, has, within the last few days,
been materially modified. Instead of using the Green-
wich line, it is proposed to diverge at Greenwich, and,
passing by New-cross, Peckham, Camberwell, Kenning-
ton, and Lambeth, reach Waterloo-bridge, and there
join the proposed extension of the South-Western Rail-
way. This extension will, it is estimated, cost half a
million, and the capital is accordingly increased to
2,250,0001. Parties who havo subscribed to the original
scheme may withdraw or modify their connection with
the project. The return is calculated at 7i per cent.—
Railway Record.