The Sun.
London, England, 1829-06-16 00:00:00

avenue. Mr. Rennie had, in his evidence, ad
•mitted that a very considerable number of persons:
1 who lied to carry goods to and from the bridge.
1 mo,t ascend or descend a murow flight of stair
2.5 fret hig:i. Tire Committee of the House o'
Commons had vxamincd the id m of the arch, and ii
the first instance had rejected i•. Mr. Rennie wa,
in the first instance in favour of an inclined plane, an'
against an arch. No new evidence had arisen to iir•
peach the sounthicts of the first conch-ion of tin
legislature. It was calumniously asserted, that i!
the houses of the petitioners had been taken down
so that they might profit by the compensation, the)
would put up with the inconveniences of the pro
poaed plan, however injurious it might be to the
public. The answer to this falsehood was, that the
petitioners opposed the building of a new bridge a'
the time their houses were scheduled to be tab.e,

clown.—(" Hear, bear," from several Noble Lords,

He then proceeded to contend that an enormous ac
of injustice would be committed if the proposed plan
with an arch were carried into effect without givink
compensation to the inhabitants of Fish-street-hill
Mr. Rennie had, in his evidence, stated that tin
expence of the proposed approaches would la
greatly reduced by the increased value of tht
frontage in the new line, which would then be-
come the main thoroughfare: in other words, chi
thoroughfare would be diverted from Fish-street-bill,
and the new l'ne would profit by traffic taken ;ma)
from the old one; that is, the expense of the new
approaches would be reduced l►y taking from tin
shopkeepers on the old line the advantages of situa-
tion for which they had paid, by stripping then,
of their property without one shilling of compen-
sation. It was said, that though the inhabitants of
Fish-street-hill might suffer, yet they only suffered in
the same mariner as the shopkeepers of Bond-street
suffered by the increased attractiveness of Regent-
street. But the cases were in no way similar. No
continuation of the line of Bond-street had been
taken away; no obstruction was placed in the wad
of its accustomed traffic. Here there was a direct
calculable injury done, an injury on which the en.
gineer calculated as so much benefit in reducing thr-
expense of the approaches. The Committee of the
House of Commons, which sat on the subject of
the removal of Smithfield-market, had reported, that
in their opinion, if the removal took place, the inn-
keepers and others who had invested their capital in
the trade belonging to the situation would have a

strong claim for compensation. The case of Smith-
field-market was the case of the inhabitants of Fish-
street-hill. They opposed the plan, because, from
their greater local knowledge, they were sure it must
be injurious to the traffic of that important district;
they opposed its adoption unless their claim to com-
pensation was complied with : they opposed it ou
constitutional grounds, for they were of opinion from
experience, that the power of legislating and altering
the line of approach, and diverting old channels of
trade, by which great property and extended inte-
rests might be affected, should not be suffered to go
out of the hands of the legislature and committed to
those of the Corporation. No argument should be de-
rived from the fact, that other parties in other pa
tidies affected by the measure had not appeared to
oppose it. The certain legal expenses of opposition
to a private Bill in Parliament was often as ruinous
as the loss of property by the wrong attempted to
he averted. The inhabitants of Fish-street-hill had
already in their own cause expended upwards of
1,0004 to defend themselves against a body of cot-
porators who fought with the public money, and
spared no expense. He co►►cluded an able and en-
ergetic speech of one hour and a half duration by
declining to call any witnesses, since he conceived
that his case, and that of the other petitioners, was
fully proved by the admissions of Mr. Rennie, the
engineer, and witness ler the Corporation. What-
ever might be the beauty or magnificence of the
structure, it could never be beheld with pleasure,
if it were associated with an act of injustice to a
single individual ; and if it were carried into execu-
tion in the manner proposed, it must stand as a mo-
aliment of ruin and injustice inflicted on the nume-
rous tradesmen and their families who now appealed
to the Legislature for protection.
In the course .of his speeeli„Mr. Thornhill excited
some amusement by inadvertently (from habit of
speaking in the Common Council,) addressing the •
-Chairman of the Committee, Lord Lauderdale,—
" Now, my Lord Mayor."
The CoMmittee next proceeded to hear Counsel
and witnesses on the clauses of the Bill.

The whole of Saturday and some portion of yes-
terday was occupied in the examination of Mr. Jef-
fery with respect to his plan for approaches to the
North side of the bridge. He claimed the merit of

the plan of an arch. He stated that it was first
treated with neglect by the Bridge Committee of
the Corporation : opposed by Mr. Rennie, and
then adopted with modifications by him and them.
The witness, in his cross-examination, displayed a
great want of knowledge of the levels and other
scientific particulars with respect to the locality. Ile
was questiored rather invidiously as to his trade
Mr. Harrison, the Counsel for the city.
Mr. Jeffery stated that he was not an architect,
but a cheesetnouger._

Lord DURIIAI4 wished to know whether, when
he offered his plan, these worthy persons then ques-
tioned him about his trade.

Mr. Jeffery replied that they did not. They
were aware of it, for he supplied one of them with

cheese.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY, since the trade
of the witness had been thus inquired into, wished
to know who and what were the Bridge Committee.
He read to the witness a list of names.
Mr. Jeffery said that the Chairman, Mr. B. L.
Jones, %vas a plumber and glazier ; Mr. Tickner was
" in the leather way ;" another was a tallow-chandler,
and so on with the rest.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY—And these are
the persons who set aside the decisions of the Legis-
lature, and determine upon great architectural works ?
Mr. Jeffery said these were certainly the members
of the Bridge Committee. There were also the
Aldermen, who formed part of the Committee.
The Marquis of 'LONDONDERRY desired the wit-
ness to procure and bring before the Committee a
list with the names, trades, and residences of all the
Aldermen, that they might see who they were.
The expence of these proceedings to the City is
upwards of 1001. per diem.
This afternoon, at one o'clock, the parties were
called in before the Committee,
.when Mr. George
Gwilt, the architect, was called in and examined at
great length, with respect to his plan for approaches
on the Surrey side of the bridge, and also with re-
spect to Mr. Allen's, Mr. Rennie's, and Mr. Jef-
fery's plans for the northern approaches.

ARGYLL Hoods.—The six morning con-
certs at the Argyll Rooms concluded yesterday with Mr.
WELSH'S benefit. These morning concerts ha►e proved
more attractive, and have been more fully and feishionably
attended, than any others during the season.

STATE OF Tli AD E.—ln reflecting on the
various fluctuations which, during the last forty years, have
taken place in this country, we cannot avoid remarking

the almost uninterruptedly increasing prosperity of Aber-
deen. In that period, it has more than doubled the num-
ber of its inhabitants, and acquired a degree of importance•
in the com►wercial world, which even the most sanguine
did not anticipate; whilst the numerous improvements
which have already taken place, awl are at present in pro-
gress, render it in poini of elegance, very far superior to
any town in Scotland, excepting Glasgow and the Modern
Athens. During the late stagnation of trade, although it
has in common with every town in the kingdom felt the
depression, no extensive failures hare happened ; and of
the many thousand resident workmen, there are very, fen•
who have not been able to obtain employment.—Aberdeen
Chronicle.

When CYRus was at the point of death he
gave this reason for his belief of Immortality. I vanno',
said he, persuade myself that the soul ~f man, after Navin,
sustained itself in a mortal body, should perish when de-
livered of it,- t;er want of it. Is not this a saving of as
great weight against Atheism as many that have hecti ad
vauced in more enlightened tiluet!