The Sun.
London, England, 1829-07-01 00:00:00

THAMES TUNNEL.

A General Meeting of the Proprietors of this un-
dertaking was held yesterday at the City of London
Tavern, pursuant to adjouinment from a former
meeting. _ _ .

The Meeting was numerously attended. Amongst
the Proprietors present there were the Marquis of
Salisbury, Admiral Sir E. Codrington, W. Smith,
M.P., Mr. Wollaston, Mr. Bramah, &c.
At one o'clock, Mr. W. SMITH was called to the
chair.

Mr. Butler, the clerk to the Company, read the
advertisement by which the Meeting was called.
The CHAIRMAN informed the Proprietors that
their 'first business would be to elect a Director in
the room of Hugh Gray, Esq., deceased. There
was only one candidate, J. A. de Reimer, Esq., who
was unanimously elected.
The clerk read the report, of which the following
is an 'extract :--- •

REPORT OP THE COURT OP DIRECTORS TO THE SPECIAL

ASSEMBLY fa, PROPDIETORS, HELD AT THE CITY OF

, .
LONDON TAVERN,-JUNE 30, 1829.
On the state i 1 the Innitel itself, the Directors have
nothing now tOriport ; but they beg to say, that they have
been continually anxious to bring the expenditure down to
the lowest oossible rate-consistent with the due preser4ation
of the works, and with another important object, that of
keeping alive the public feeling, and deriving some income
from visiters, while the progress has been suspended ; and
they have the pleasure to state, that the athount of revenue
flowing in from this source affords a decisive.proof that the
interest at first excited by this new and bold undertaking
yet remains in, great and beneficial activity. The applica-
tion to his Majesty's Ministers, formerly alluded to, has
been continued through the intervention of a Noble Lord,
whose kindness, attention, and zeal for the interests of the
undertaking, entitle him to the warmest thanks of the
company ; at one time it afforded flattering prospects of
success, but has proved abortive for the present, although
they consider the door as still left open for a renewal of their
efforts in the next Session of Parliament.

In consequence of what passed at the last meeting of the
Proprietors, they have deemed it proper to submit a sub-
sidiary relation of the substance of the communications of
the Directors with Mr. Vignoles, the civil engineer, respect-
ing proposals for finishing the tunnel by contract, under
security, upon a plan different from that of Mr. J. Brunel'.

The principal feature of Mr. Vignoles' proposition
was, an undertaking to perform the- remaining part
of the excavation and brickwork; to the opening at
the other side, at a cost not exceeding at most 2501.
per yard, and give a security for the performance of
the contract by all advance .of 5,0001. of work, and
security by bonds for 10,0001.,
,and a reserve of 10
per cent. from all payments for work done, till the
whole be completed.
Two parties were to contract for, thecxcavation on
the above terms, Mr. Vignoles to be the sole directing
engineer. Mr.Vignoles also undertook to make an
experiment in carrying-on the Tunnel for at short dis-
tance at his own Expense, and to make the-.necessary
descents, and take sections of the bed of the river at
his own expense, the Company giving him the use
of such materials as they had by them.
The report added :
It will, therefore, now be for the consideration of the
Proprietors, whether, if the proposal of the said parties,
orany other competent persons, to complete the tunnel by
any other mode which may, on mature consideration, be
deemed feasible; they, Will give the Directors power to
enter into in engagements with such parties ; to adopt
their plans, and to depart from that of Mr. Brunell, which,
however ingenious it may appear, has been found to be,
attended with an expense apparently incompatible with
the reasonable expectations of the shareholders, to derive
even a moderate remuneration for their advances.

A Proprietor here asked whether the models and
drawings explaining the plan contained in the pro-
posals of Mr. Vignoles were in the room ?
The CHAIRMAN, having answered in the nega-
tive, proceeded to address the meeting on the sub-
ject for which they had met, and on the circuAt-
stances which had taken place since they felt'
last assembled. He commmenced by saying,that
the imputations thrown out against the Directors at•
the former meeting were utterly unfounded. -They
had been accused of having come with a cut-and-.
dry resolution of displacing Mr. Brunell, and putting
Mr. Vignoles in his situation as engineer for con-
tinuing the work. This Was a direct misrepresenta•
tion of the fact. A proposition had been made to
them to complete the tunnel at something less than
half the expense which had been estimated as the
probable cost of it by Mr. Brunell. The Directors
had not accepted the proposal, because they felt

that ns Mr. Brunell hal been appointed by the body
of the Proprietors, they only could give authority
to treat with any other other person ; and . they
reso felt that no hitt ration in the plan of the
works could be made without the authority :Of
• the Proprietors. With this feeling they
could not enter into any engagement whit
Mr. Vignoles. Indeed, so far from it, that that
gentleman would not disclose the whole of his plan
until the Directors were fully authorised to treat
Iwith him. He, however, gave permission to any
Proprietor to inspect this model at his own house,
ant:was ready to explain it to those who went to
. it. The reason why the Directors felt it
examine
come to the Proprietors for this audio-

F present the works were quite at a
-•e was no prospect of their beinv
-;th them, unless some plait
-v could be completed at
which had been esti-
• polite, and, he
which the
--iavds the
on the
race
`r.

necessary tt.
rity was, that a.
stand still ; and the.
enabled to proceed w
were adopted by which tbt.
much less expense than that
mated. From the very generous,
would add, condescending manner .
Duke of Wellington had behaved to'.
Directors, in their communications with him
subject, they felt it necessary to inform his G.
of the correspondence which they had had with b.
Vignoles. A Noble Lord, whose name could never
be mentioned but with feelings of the highest re-
spect, had taken upon himself the trouble of com-
municating with the Duke of Wellington cm the
subject of the wish of the Directors to obtain as-
sistance from Government for the completion of the
work. In order to enable him to do so with full
information, Mr. Brunell was requested to furnish
him with an estimate of the probable expense of its
completion, and he gave in the following estimate :
Remainder of the tunnel, calculated on the cost

of the first half .
Cost of new shield .
Expense of removing the vlsi, and placing the
new shield
Pumping well, and drain from Wapping shore
Diving-bell, with a suitable vessel : also addi-
tional covering over the bottom of the river

£90,000
5,000

2,000
6,000

7,000
5,000
7,000
60,000
15,000