The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-02 00:00:00

THE PROPOSED HOLBORN VIADUCT.

Mr. R. L. JONES brought up the report of the Im-
provements Committee on the subject of the viaduct
proposed by Mr. Taylor to be formed from Hatton-
garden tQ Skinner-street. It expressed the approba-
tion of the Committee in general terms of the forma-
tion of a viaduct to counteract the nuisance of the
acclivities, and admitted the ingenuity of the project
of Mr. Taylor. It held out R o hope that funds could
be speedily found to undertake so vast an alteration,
but expressed a fervent wish that the improvement
could be accomplished.
The expense at which Mr. Taylor estimated the
cost of the viaduct was 90,0001., and he did not mean
Ito erect houses on any part of it.
Mr. R. L. JONES added his hope to that expressed
in the Report, that the nuisance would be one day
removed; but he said the Government must allow the
funds for carrying the improvement into effect, for the
Corporation certainly could not afford to enter unas-
sisted upon so vast an undertaking.
Mr. GonsoN asked Mr. Jones whether he could
give a guess at the probable expense of such an im-
provement as would remedy the existing defects alto-
gether ?
Mr. R. L. JONES said that he did not think that
the improvement could be accomplished for less than
200,0001.
The Report was then agreed to ; and the Court
adjourned.

THE BRITISH AMERICAN ASSO-

CIATION.

The LORD MAYOR stated, upon taking the Chair at
the Mansion-house yesterday, that having been daily
importuned by applications from persons who had in-
tended to proceed to Prince Edward's Island by the
ship Barbadoes, and also by applications from trades-
men and others who complained of non-payment of the
amount of stores supplied to that ship, he had, upon
the authority of the solicitor to the Association,
written to his Grace the Duke of Argyle, who was
stated to be the President of the body. He consi-
dered it necessary, after what had been said with re-
spect to the Association, to submit his letter to the
Duke and the answer with which the Duke had ho-
noured him to the public to whom the statement had
been made. His Lordship likewise mentioned that he
must be understood as not holding himself responsible
for e*ry article which appeared upon the subject of the
Association in the newspapers of the day, and he de-
clared that he should very deeply regret if any thing
he had uttered had done injury to any well-inten-
tioned persons, or was calculated to misrepresent their
objects and motives. He had felt it to be an impera-

tive duty upon him to have the claims of those who
applied to him under such extraordinary circum-
stances duly investigated; the solicitor to the Associ-
ation having publicly represented that the Association
courted inquiry as the best advertisement they could
obtain, and that it was a source of great satisfaction to
the body, that the complaints had been made, as in-
vestigation was the surest mode of proving that every-
thing connected with it was in every respect honourable.
The following are the letters the Lord Mayor re-
ferred to :

" TO MS GRACE THE DUKE OY-ARGYLL.

"My Lord Duke,—l take the liberty to state to
your Grace that a complaint has been made before
me, as Chief Magistrate, by several emigrants about
to proceed to Prince Edward's Island (at this very
late season of the year), for a Company called the
British American Association. The circumstances
connected with the agreement of these people appeared
to me to look very suspicious ; but being informed by
their solicitor that your Grace took a deep interest in
the scheme, my doubts were in a great measure re-

moved.
" May I take the liberty to inquire whether your
Grace be a shareholder in this Company, and whether
it be the fact that you consider yourself liable for the
pecuniary transactions of the parties here who have
the management ? It is on public grounds alone that
I make this application to your Grace.
" I beg to inclose your Grace a prospectus which
those poor people left with me, and
" I have the honour to be, my Lord Duke, your
most devoted and obedient servant,
"JOHN PIRIE, Mayor.
" Mansion-house, London, Oct. 25."
" TO THE LORD MAYOR.
"My Lord,—l am very much obliged to your
Lordship for your communication of the 25th inst.
I certainly took a deep interest in the British
American Emigration Society, having upon my
estates in the Western Highlands and Islands too
large a population for the space inhabited by them,
and wishing, of course, that many of them should
have the opportunity, if they wished it, of emigrating
to North America, in such a manner as would be
most advantageous for themselves, and I consented to
be named President of the Society ; but from several
of their proceedings lately, I am now desirous of
withdrawing my name from the roll of subscribers or
shareholders, as they are called ; and I have desired
my agent, Mr. Nettleship, of 4, Trafalgar-square, to
inquire into the late proceedings before your Lord-
ship, and to acquaint you with the result.
" I certainly do not consider myself responsible for
any of the pecuniary transactions of the parties in
London who assume the management of the
pmotyill wasthe
s t
sum
m be
n funsdoe,orota okL en
vas o
duly
Com-
pany's affairs at present.
" I subscribed in June last 5001., upon the implied
and understood condition that no steps involving any
expenditure
n the
partcertified to have been subscribed, or placed to the
Company's credit by some means or other ; and I was
nfthe Company of
an money
quite surprised to observe the question brought before
your Lordship lately, as to wages, &c., to be paid to
some operatives and emigrants upon the Company's
account. Referring your Lordship to my agent, Mr.
Thomas Nettleship, 4, T fra a gar-square, for any fur-
ther information relat.ve to
my connexion with the
Company. I remain your Lordship's obedient servant,
" Inverary Castle, Oct. 27. " ARGYLL."
Mr. Bourdillon, of the house of Bourdillon and
Sons, 30, Great Winchester-street, attorney to the
Association, having waited upon the Lord Mayor in
the course of the day, was supplied with copies of the
letters which his Lordship had read, and retired from
the justice-room without making any comment upon

gog

A

.
them.
Mr. Wright a merchant, who had been for many
years resident in Prince Edward's Island and. its
neighbourhood, waited upon his Lordship for the pur-
pose of bearing testimony to the truth of the state-
ments which had been made relative to the climate of
that region. lie had, he said, communicated with his
Lordship previously on the subject, and lie had since
that conversation had an interview with one of the
Council of the island, who completely agreed with him
in opinion as to the hazards to which emigrants would ,
in the in-
commander
be exposed at such a season. .
The Low) MAYOR said, he had not uttered a word
about the climate before he had ascertained the cor-
rectness
of the reports which were always current as
to the intense rigour of the winter of that particular
spot. He was induced to interfere in consequence of
the representations which had been made to him by
the poor men who were, in his opinion, running a
very awful hazard by emigrating, under all the cir-
cumstancesclr
employeda e
Pratt,
t o
the hist
os e
assist knowledge.e
o nd
quiry, handed to his Lordship a placard, sealed and
tiedciiuipld,s,,l.thi
which
ce
engaged to take the Barbadoes in charge,put •
whichcons
Captaint hada b l e
into his
possession for security.
The LORD MAYOR—What is in this
Childs—Captain Pratt told me that it w parcel?
20,0001., and that it had been put into hisas worth
some of the members of the Association,who care by
at the same time the enormous value'
(Childs) did not like to have in his of
it.
pro-
perty said to be of such great worth,
hand it over to his Lordship.
The LORD MAYOR immediately g
to the safe custody of the parcel. gave
An odd occurrence, connected in told him
He
possession
and begged to
directions as
the publication of the particular
some respect with
of the individuals whose transactions of some
in this affair, took place names have been mixed up
lattarlart of the d i on Monday. Towards the
aY ebilds)tliel bl
°lista e, was °Wed)