To The Merchants, Bankers...
The Times, 1824-01-15T00:00:00

I I As the time fixed by the Corporation of the City for conduding the contract for the New London.bridge is fast approaching, I cannot refrain from once more encleavouring to draw.the at. tention of the citizens of London to the plan I in February last submiitted to their notice; and I have yet hopes, that some of our opulent mertbants and bankers will use their innuencee ther to support that or some other plan, equally calculated to improve the general thoroughfare of our city. In the plan alluded to, I have endeavoured to point out the ad. vantages of improving the strects leading to the Southwark-bridge, and also to the west-end of the town: surelv it would be well to con- sider, ere the new bridge be commenced, whether the desired object might not be obtained, and even much enlarged upon, by the means here suggested; and that while it is in contemplatido to ex- pend Tnore than a million of monev in erecting a new bridge, in a si. tuation by no means sn central or imnposing, a comparatively triflinr sum would be sufficient fbr the attaiiment of many greater advari- tages to this city. First. then, Ipropose tlat fron the Bridge toll-gate on the city side, a fiat arch be thrown over Thames-street, high enough to ad- mit of any loaded wazgons prssingbeneath, which *ould makc the road level from the tolsgate to Cloak-lane, getridofa narrowsteep hill, and prevent the constant difficulty of passing the carts, &c., ItS crossing Thames-street. The east side of Queen.street sbould be widened up to iVadineg street, the north side of NValing.street,from Queen-street to Paul's taken down, and from the illansion-house to Queen.stieet, a finr bold crescent should be formed; to effect which imp:ovements, the putrchase of the folloving houses would be required 13 houses on the east side of Queen-street - 44 ditto,and one small chsurcht.o4 the north side of 'aitling-strut, 32 ditto, to form Crescent from (!ueen-.treeT to Mansion.honse: -39 house., and 1 chureb. Now, I understand the city villhave to tale down more than 130 houses, leaving the expense of the bridge itself tolally out ef the ouestion; and when accomplished, it vill only obtain one improved tboroughfare instead of five. These changes made, Prinee's-street should then be widetr. ed, and carried in a straight line to Mloorgate, so that from Finsbury. square a noble view would be presented of the Dlansion-house and Crescent, to Watling.street, and by this means that roost impartant and much desired object would be acquired-namely,a dindblemaort, and south communication-the one from Queen-street, lang tne Crescent, to Illoorjate; and the other from Queen-stfeet,vaiong WVatling street, ani by the New Post-Office, to Aldersgatek..tre*t; whilst this Crescent and improvement in the width of W atling. Street would be most convenient for persons and carriag2s passini from CornhiU to Temple-bar, and the sonth-west eid of the towvn, thereby leaving Cheapside almost exclusively for the topulation go- ing to the worth-west end of London. Now, as the honour of eYery member of the corporation is to a certain degree interested in these improvemeDts, it vould be wise in us to reflect a little, and to endeavour, by a timely petition to Parliament, to have the money expended in im- proving generally the thoroughfare of the city and a } will even venture to presume, that balf the sum proposed, so applied,would be sufficient to elFect these improvements, and also to improve the navi- gation through London-bridge,by taking nwaya pier on,each 3ide the centre arch of the present bridge, and throwing the three arches into. one: this would, I think, obtain a suffident waterway to ansvrcr every purpose of navigation, and perhaps, by being rowed into bts' strength of the tiLe, from the little fall of water there would then > there, the smallest wherry might bh able to go through at state of it. Thus the navigation would be sufficientlj improved, anrd tl'.e use of the Borough thoroughfare so nmuch lessened, that the prq.ent. ac. commodation would be found quite suffleieit; whilst, at iu .s ratively smalU e.pense, ftle most important improfener.m of roughfare would be obtained, ia rhe ve centre of the ciy., the wbhole requiring buta few months for completion. I beg leave to refer thepublic to mv plan, annexed& to m?ecircuia as distributed on the9th ofFebroarJ2st,illhopes that a ptEr tv the Houseof Commonsmaybesetonfotby sVumepLlc-spi individuals, to the great benefit of the dty or liondorn. d Jan. 12,1824. _ JOhN WVha.1AY1 TU THE M5ERCHANTS, BANKERS, AND C1TIZENB OF LONDON.