§ A Petition of the Vauxhall Bridge Company, was presented and read; reciting an act of 49 Geo. 3. for building a bridge across the River Thames, from or near Vauxhall turnpike, in the parish of Saint Mary Lambeth, in the county of Surrey, to the opposite shore, in the parish of Saint John, in the city and liberty of Westminster and county of Middlesex, and for making convenient roads thereto; and setting forth, "That the petitioners were, by the said act, incorporated and empowered to build the said bridge with stone, and to make a new road to pass from the foot thereof in a line across the west of Tothill fields to a point specified in the plan therein referred to, opposite to and about 300 feet to the eastward of the bridge, called the Two Foot Bridge, and from thence, in a north-westerly direction, across the great common sewer to the south eastern boundary of earl Grosvenor's estate, in the occupation of the governor and company of the Chelsea waterworks, and from thence in a northerly direction on the eastern side of the said boundary, to the north-east corner of the said estate, and from thence to Eaton street; and also a road from the foot of the said bridge to the turnpike road leading to and near Vauxhall turnpike, in the parish of Saint Mary Lambeth, in the county of Surrey, and certain other roads therein described; and that the Petitioners were by the said act empowered to raise amongst themselves any sum not exceeding 200,000l. in shares of 100l. each, but, in case the same should be found insufficient, they were authorized to raise any further sum, not exceeding 100,000l. in manner therein mentioned; and that the estimate for building of the said bridge with stone, making the roads, and completing the undertaking, amounts to upwards of 300,000l; and that 1590 shares only have been taken or disposed of 70 of which have been declared forfeited, and the remainder, if all paid, including the sums advanced on the said forfeited shares, will produce no more than 152,000l. 327 or thereabouts; and that the Petitioners, owing, in a great measure, to the pecuniary difficulties of the times, and the consequent depreciation of all property of this description, have not been able to dispose of any further shares in the said undertaking, and calls have been made on account of the shares so taken or disposed of, which have produced the sum of 101,200l., or thereabouts; and that the Petitioners have invested the sum of 30,000l. in the purchase of stock in the names of trustees, as directed by the said act, and have built and erected the abutment on the north side of the river, and have erected a steam engine, workshops, and other buildings, dug the foundation of a second pier, and completed other parts of the undertaking, and have also purchased considerable quantities of stone, timber, and other materials, the greater part of which remain unapplied, in doing which, with other incidental charges, and including the preliminary expences of surveys, and obtaining the act, which amounted to about 6,000l., they have expended the sum of 79,000l. or thereabouts; and that there now remains to be called for upon the shares so taken and disposed of the sum of 58,000l., or thereabouts, including the arrears due on calls; and that the Petitioners, under the circumstances stated, did some time ago suspend the proceeding with the said undertaking, being apprehensive that, when the calls upon the shares already disposed of were made, they would not be able to raise, under the powers contained in the said act, such a further sum of money as would be requisite to complete a bridge to to be built with stone, as mentioned in the said act, and the roads and other necessary works thereto; and that, if the Petitioners, in building certain parts of the said bridge were authorized to substitute iron, timber, and other materials for stone, they would be enabled to complete the same at a much less expence, and considerably within the sum authorized to be taken and subscribed for under the said act; and that the Petitioners, in proceeding to put the act into execution, find that it will be convenient that the first mentioned line of road, passing from the foot of the Said bridge across Tothill fields to Eaton street, should be varied, by making that part thereof beginning at the foot of the said bridge about 100 yards to the eastward of the scite as laid down in the plan referred to by the said act, and continuing 328 the same in a straight line across Tothill fields, through the scite of certain buildings called the Pest houses, crossing the old line of road at the east end of the Willow Walk, and continuing in a straight line to a garden in the possession of Thomas Cork, where it enters again into the old line of road; and also that the line of the said road leading from the foot of the said bridge to near Vauxhall turnpike, in the county of Surrey, should be varied, by passing from the end of the said bridge in a straight line through a part of Cumberland gardens, to the Vauxhall turnpike road, on the west side of the said turnpike; and it is requisite that some of the powers of the said act should be altered and enlarged, and further powers granted; and praying, that leave may be given to bring in a Bill for the same."—Ordered to be referred to a committee.