The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-04 00:00:00

`" With regard to the inconvenience sustained by
driviog cattle through the streets from the market, it
will be obviated by closing the gates of the market at an
early hour, and by regulations to promote the early de-
parture of the cattle, and to prevent their quitting the
market after ten o'clock in the morning, unt►l the even-
ing, as well as by providing well-regulated and well-
ventilated slaughter-bouses contiguous to the live and
dead meat market:, and so placed as to be subject to easy
regulation and supervision.!

We concur with the Markets Committee in thinking
chat rebtric:iona upon driving animals through the
streets within certain hours of the day z.hould be imposed
by a general enactment; but the tletailed regulations fur
this purpose would depend upon the other regulations of
the market, and, therefore, rtfor to many circumstances
which it is impossible for us to anticipate.
In concluding our report we think it right to state
that, although we believe our recomtnenchtions for the

removal of trit4 Smithfield cattle market to be impers-.
tively demanded by considerations of public convenience.
we are not unmindful of .the lase of custom which this
measure would err ad upon certain classes of retail dealers
esidwnt in tie t.eiglibourhood. Is is with sincere regret
that we recommend any change which would be attended
..ten with partial and temporary loss of track to certain
individuals ; but such local diminutions of mercantile
pecfi t are the necessary, though undesigned, cons( vences
f all ex sting improvements, which alter existing traffic
yid communication. %S e will add that the' removal of
Vie cattle market from Smithfield is, in our jadgmenr,
likely upon the whole, ultimately, to enhance rather
than lower the value of property in that part of the City,
inasmuch as its existence in tnat position operates as a
discouragement to the residence of persona whose hilli-
ness is not immediately connected with the market and
its frequenters.
All which we humbly certify to your Majesty.
(Signed) GEORGE CORNEWALL LEWIS (L 8.)
HENRY VERNEY (L 9.)
WILLIAM MILES (LS
RICHARD OWEN (L EL)
FREDERICK I3YNG 9.)
Whitehall, 20th May, 1850.

PROTEST OF THE COttl'Olicl LION MEMBERS.
The two members of the Corporation of the city of
London, on the commibsions, namely, Sir James Duke,
M.P., and Mr. John Wood, have protested against the
report, and their protest is appended to that document.
Acknowledging the impartiality and ability of the re-
port, while they dissent from the conclusions, they point
out that no plan has been proposed by the report, and
proceed in this fashion—
`• The report leaving the position of the site wholly un-
defined, excepting indeed it is said, that it would be de-
sirable to remove it to a site detached from the central
position of the metropolis, and that several eligible sites
may be found on the northern suburb of the town. It
ta i
markousto lel: tse,iewbohrenreein mind, however, that the further the
iremovedth
has
eroemx i thee texisted
central
liptoesriitets7
theof tghreeeroteer-
will be the disarrangement and dislocation of the pre-
consunitetrlsng
sent commercial relations, and the greater will be the
direct and,
wintdilirfiPrcett
or
rsls In' which the public, as good
on will contain over astbe
that the
acres,
upon to provide."
market proposed by the Corpora-
Asse •
e ropolts ever;
Corpora-
tion •
owfitthhethmis in that
and it 1 u
advise l s
iatal l tandeopr et
adoption
rien-
oprardtoicuubilaer,thaes scpoance.
now coed, the thirteen
coate d
me, cent
et ad
tepee:on,
acbe4ritt offers
netted to apace,
rs accommodetion for
these terms:—
With re
more cattle than hay.
nected with the trade, al likelsugtgested, by parties con
for sale, while the area proYpoaseadn?' time to be brought
market is nearly double the exteont be
t. used for the
market area, and it is capable of much greatero the present
if necessary, at any time hereafter; it makes
extension
for lighting and well-ventilating the lairs,
provision
I
The principal objection to the plan proposed ea app es
to be founded upon the expenditure required to carry t
into execution •, but we have reason to believe thatthii
corporation of London, having a due regard to the wet.e
fare of the citizens and the public at large, are well
, aware of the reoessity of making sacrifices to prevent
so extreme an experiment being made, and so serious a
derangement of commercial connexions as would be pro-
duced by the removal of Smithfield-market; an opinion
confirmed by the fict, that the corporation have expended
large sums in the improvement 4 f Smithfield-mark, t,
from time to time, at the wants of the public have ren-
dered these improvements necessary.
The plan proposes that the corporation
shall advance
the money which this great
,improve meta
will demand,
in the belie. that it will obviate the existing evils, at the
same time it will prevent diet serious injury to the pro-
prrty of a large pertioe of the citizens and the general
trade of the City, which cannot iiid to be conoequent
410% ihe removal of the aterl+A.

houses within the precincts of the City, that it absolutely
prohibits the use of any place as a slaughter-house which
was not used as such before the passing of the Act (11th
and 12th Victoria, c. 168, sec 94).
The objections stated to the texisting Smithfield-mar-
ket, so far as they relate to its central position, would
equally to the proposed market. No improvements in
the internal disposition of the market could, in our
opinion, obviate the fundamental objection inseparable
from its situation in the heart of the City, within a
quarter of a mile of St. Paul's, and clos. to some of the
main street comrouniestions 4.f the metropolis.
2. If the expense e4tunated for the new market were
necessary for accomplishing the object, it might be jus-
tified by the great public convenience which it would
produce. A large portion, however, of the expense
which it is proposed to incur arises exclusively from the
great value of the land intended for the site. In order
to obtain the additional area of more than eleven acres,
it would be necessary to clear away a large mass of
buildings, and although the houses which it is proposed
to demolish are, generally, of a mean description, yet
the ground upon which they etend mart be purchase .I at
a high price. We fully appreciate the liberality which
hes induced a public body, acting on behalf of the cor-
poration, to propose a plan involving so large a sacrifice
of the revenue of tee City; but it is our duty in estimat-
ing this plan, and in comparing it with any other more
economical modes of attaining the same end, to look
upon the corporation as trustees fir their fellow-citizens,
and not to concur in advising any expenditure of the
City revenue s which appears to us necessary.
3. In adopting a plan calculated fur permanence we
must look not only to the prsent, but to the future want
of the metropolis. In the year 1725, the total number
of cattle sold in a year in Smithfield was, as we have
seen, 73,691; and of sheep, 555,620. In 1828, about a
century afterwards, the number of cattle sold in Smith-
field was 155,714; and of sheep and lambs, 1,412,030.
In 1849, the numbers had risen to cattle, 236,975; sheep,
1,417,010.
Assuming that the population of Loudon will continue
to increase during the next century at a rate not alto-
gether dissimilar to that at which it has increased dur-
ing the last fifty years, and also assuming that the con-
sumption of live animals will continue to bear a similar
proportion to the population, it follows that successive
enlargements of the great cattle market of the metro-
polis will become necessary, as, indeed, they have already
been found necessary in the case of Smithfield. Now
the plan which is prdpoaed offers no facilities for such
enlargements, and they could only be ma in at great coat
and by the demolition of budding.. If it should be said
that the necessity of enlarging the market might be ob-
viated by establishing subsidiary markets elsewhere, it
maybe answered, that the constant tenor of the evidence
points to the superior convenience of one, central cattle
'market, and that, therefore, it would, be an improvident
arranoment to esteblish, at a great expense, a market
which affords no facilities for enlargement.
PLAN.
Looking to the reasons 'whin we have just stated, we
itre of opinion that it would be advisable to remove the
-market fur live stock from its present site—not to some
other site immeJiately, adjoining—but to a site detached
from the central portion of the metropolis. We believe,
from evidence which we have received, that several eli-
gible sites for such a market may be found on the nor-
thern suburb of the town. We abstain from indicating
any particular site; but we briefly enumerate the condi-
tions which, in , our judgment. it ought to fulfil. We
think that its area, including all the adjuncts for which
it may be expedient-that provision should be made, ought
to be such as would afford room for a live stock market;
tor, an adequate pro-vision for lairag.; for slaughter-
houses accessible to the public; and tor stalls in which
dead meat may be conveniently sold. It should also be
so situated as to be approachable by the principal lines
of railway; and the character of its neighbourhood ought
to be such as to afford facilities for successive enlarge-
ments.
If this transfer were made, we would recommend that
the cost of providing a site for such market, of making
the necessary constructions, and of , maintaining the
whole in repair, be defrayed by the corporation of Lon-
don: That for which purpose the tolls of the market be
levied by the corporation on their own account, .and
that the/ be empowered to borrow th6.sums of money
necessary for effecting these purposes. We think like•
wise that the government of the market should be vested
in the corporation.
In snider to make the changes which we have thus re-
Comineoded, new legislation would be r. qiiieite; and we
assume thet_the legislative measure for carrying them
into effect would, if our suggestions should be adopters,
be prepared under the superintendence of the executive
gove-nment.
With respect to Netvgatesmarket, we concur with the
Markets Committe in considering it inadequate for its
purpose, and we approv4 of their proposal 1.4 r abandon-
ing its present site. We likewise suggest, that in case
it should be d ,termined to-retain wholesale markets for
dead meat witbin.the City, a new market for the sere of
meat be provided by the corporation, either oda part of
ti.e site of Smithfield-market, or in smile other con-
venient place within the limits of the City.
If the plan for forming a new cattle market recom-
mended by us should be adopted, a power of making
regulations and by-laws fur the government of the
market would be invested in the corporation of London.
In exercising this power they would have to consider
on what days of the week, and on what hours of those
days, the market could most conveniently be held. ,At
present the principal market is held at a very early hour
on Monday morning, which necessitates the driving of
the cattle and sheep trom their lairs in the suburbs to
Smithfield during the night of Sunday. Moreover,
although there is another market held on Friday, the
attendance on that day is inconsiderable. If the site of
the tharkkt should be changed, a different arrangement
of the times for holding the market ought to be adopted
for obviating these inconveniencies.
If the new market were situated on the outskirts of
the town, with a convenient access to the principal
railways, the live stock would reach it without material
incorvenience to the public. But in order that they
should be distributed from the market among the differ-
ent private slaughter-houses throughout the town, it
would be necessary that they should be driven through
the streets. Oa this subject the .Markets Committee
propose the followiyg regulations, with respect to their
projected market:—