§ Mr. Arbuthnot, in rising to move for leave to bring in a bill for making several Improvements in the neighbourhood of Charing-cross and the Strand, said, that, before he entered into any statements connected with those improvements, he 63 felt it necessary to state, that those which he should propose would be carried into effect by the same architect whose designs in the formation of Regent-street had received such deserved commendation from the public; he meant Mr. Nash. It was almost impossible for him to give the House a correct detail of the proposed improvements, without maps or plans being before them, and therefore he hoped for their indulgence while he detailed, as well as he could, what was intended to be done. In the first place, he must state, that, should the House consent to the project, it was intended to purchase that tract of ground which joined to the present King's-mews at Charing-cross, and extended to St. Martin's-lane; and also it would be necessary to have power to purchase the whole of that tract on the east side of St. Martin's-lane, which was bounded on the north by Chandos-street, on the south by the Strand, and which terminated in the eastern point at Castle-court, near to Bedford-street. The effect of this alteration would be not merely to embellish and adorn the metropolis, but to create a more convenient communication between the east and west ends of the town. He should now endeavour to explain the mode in which it was intended to carry the plan into execution. If permission should be granted to purchase that tract of buildings between St. Martin's-lane and the Mews, it was contemplated, that a large splendid quadrangle should be erected, the west side of which would be formed by the College of Physicians and the Union Club house; the east side would correspond with that already existing; namely, the grand portico of St. Martin's church; and on the northern side a new line of buildings would be erected; the effect of which arrangement would be to throw open to those in Pall Mall a full view of the magnificent portico of the church. He could certainly wish that this quadrangle should contain a Gallery for our national paintings and statues. If such a plan were executed, the statues and paintings would be much more easy of access than at the Museum, whilst, at the same time, they might remain under the guardianship of the trustees of the British Museum. It was also in contemplation that a Royal Academy should be built in the centre of the quadrangle; but it was the general opinion that it would be preferable to leave it an open space. He mentioned 64 this, as the point was yet undecided, and would be left for the consideration of the House. The south side of the quadrangle would be open to Charing-cross, giving a view of Parliament-street and Whitehall. The extent of it would be 500 feet from the statue at Charing-cross to the present stables. Its extent on the other sides would be made to correspond as nearly as possible. The reason why it was proposed to carry on the improvement to Bedford-street was, that the Strand up to that part might be widened from its present width, 35 feet, to nearly 60 feet. The narrow passage in this part between Charing-cross and Bedford-street was a source of great inconvenience to all persons going from the west, and to the city; and in this respect he had no doubt that the new plan would meet with general approbation. At present, all the stage and mail coaches, coming from Piccadilly to the east end of the city, and returning from thence to the west, were obliged to come down by Charing-cross, and pass through this narrow gut, as he might call the space between Charing-cross and Bedford-street; so that, by the crowd of vehicles of all descriptions, there was sometimes a stoppage which often interrupted for a considerable time the communication between one end of the metropolis and the other. Should the House approve of his proposition, the whole of this inconvenience would be avoided. Persons going to the city from, and returning to, the west end, would have access, not only by the widened carriage way of this part of the Strand, but also by new carriage ways running parallel. There would be an additional carriage-way across the upper part of the quadrangle into a street on the south side of St. Martin's church, which would run diagonally into the Strand, towards the end of Villiers-street; so that a great part of the crowd at present entering the Strand by Charing-cross would be avoided. But this would not be all. The means would likewise exist of forming another street from Leicester-square, by Hemming's-row and Chandos-street, which would fall into the Strand by Bedford-street. This would be the least wide of the three communications; but still it would give a great additional convenience, and, by taking off part of the throng of carriages that would otherwise have access to the Strand only by Charing-cross, would very much relieve that part from the crowd which daily pressed along 65 it. Thus there would be three carriage entrances from the western parts of the metropolis into the Strand. That from; Leicester-square, by Hemming's-row and Chandos-street, falling in near Bedford-street; that by the south-west side of St. Martin's-church; and that along the widened end of the Strand itself. These would not only produce a great benefit to the metropolis in the way of free communication from one end to the other, but would also have the advantage of getting rid of a vast number of bad and unsightly houses, which were at present crowded together in the vicinity of St. Martin's-church, which would add considerably to the beauty of that part of the metropolis. —He would now say a word as to the expense which would be incurred by these improvements; and no doubt it would be satisfactory to the House to learn, that, unless the building of a Royal Academy or National gallery in the site to which he had already alluded should be determined on (in which case it would be necessary to come to the House for a grant), he should not have to apply to the House for a shilling. He would not at that moment enter into the details of the means by which it was intended to carry these plans into effect. It would be sufficient to state generally, that, by the exchange of Crown lands in some instances, and the sale of them in others, the department with which he was connected would be enabled to meet the greatest part of the expense. It would, however, be necessary, should the House approve of his plan, that in the bill which he would introduce, power should be given to borrow a sum of money on mortgage of a part of the new street; but, this it should be observed, would be only a continuation of the powers of an act already passed for the erection of the buildings in Regent-street. Looking at the whole of what he had detailed as one plan, he could not anticipate any objection to it, as a general measure. It was, he thought, highly desirable to get rid of the unsightly appearance which would be presented, by allowing some of the houses in the neighbourhood of Charing-cross to remain as they now stood. If the House should disapprove of carrying the alterations to the extent that he had proposed, why then it would be necessary to have the intended quadrangle on a much smaller scale He thought, however, that such an opportunity as the present ought not to be lost; for such 66 another might never present itself of making those desirable improvements. Looking to the probable result of this plan, the House, in order to form its judgment, might be glad to learn what was the result, as to expense, of the splendid undertaking—the building of Regent-street. That, it should be remembered, was undertaken in a time of war; and such as it now was, he did not believe that it was regretted by one man in the country. Taking the expense of that, and the opening to the Regent's-park, in the purchase of good-will of premises, and in the awards given by juries, the result was, that, while a great part of the Crown land was improved, and an interest created which did not exist before, the interest on the whole of the sum laid out produced within a fraction of three per cent. He did not say that the expense of the improvements now proposed would be as great; but, for the space to be acquired, they would be comparatively greater; for, in the former case, there was erected on the site of the houses pulled down, a continuity of buildings which were now productive; but a great part of the site of the houses now to be removed would remain unoccupied, and would of course produce no return for the sum laid out; but, making allowance for this unproductive space, he did expect that an interest of 2¾ per cent would be returned on the money expended. This, considering the great advantage to be derived from the more open communication between the two quarters of the metropolis, and the splendor of forming such a magnificent quadrangle, would be a fair return. But the ornament of the proposed quadrangle, would not be its only advantage. The leaving such an open space in a neighbourhood so thickly surrounded with buildings would be a great benefit, by contributing to the health of the inhabitants of the vicinity. He would now move, that the bill, if the House consented to its introduction, should be read a first time that night, and a second time to-morrow; and that it should be printed, and referred to a committee up stairs, to examine the plan, and report whether it could conveniently be carried into effect. The right hon. gentleman concluded by moving for leave to bring in a bill," To extend to Charing-cross, and places adjacent, the powers of an act for making a more convenient communication between the east and west ends of the metropolis, and to enable the 67 commissioners of land revenues to grant leases of the site of Carlton Palace."
§ Sir M. W. Ridleysaid, he did not mean to oppose the motion; but merely rose to suggest the propriety of improving that part of the Strand called Exeter Change, which required improvement more than any other. Every person acquainted with that building must have marked the great inconvenience it occasioned to the trade of the metropolis, and he was satisfied that no man could deny that it was a grievous nuisance. When such extensive alterations were about to take place in the very neighbourhood, he put it to the right hon. gentleman, whether he could pass over the obstruction which this building occasioned, and whether it would not be most desirable to introduce such alteration in his intended bill as would have the effect of including it in the purchases about to be made, for the ornament and advantage of the metropolis? Such an alteration would, he was convinced, meet the approbation of parliament and the public. While he was on this subject, he would call the attention of the right hon. gentleman to a letter which had appeared in several morning papers, signed, "An old Inhabitant of Mary-la-Bonne." Every one would acknowledge, that all due precautions should be taken to preserve the trees in those plantations which adorned the park at the northern extremity of the town. But still it appeared to him, that a reasonable care of those plantations was by no means incompatible with the admission of the public to those enjoyments of pure air and exercise in which they had formerly been indulged; and he hoped that those who had the superintendence of the improvements would take the subject into consideration, and adopt some means of laying the park open to the public. Before he sat down, he begged to observe, that the style of building in Regent-street, which had been formed from the plans of that able architect who was to conduct the projected alterations at Charing-cross, deserved his unqualified approbation. There might be some difference of opinion upon particular erections; but, taking it in one view as the principal street of the metropolis, he was convinced there were few who would not confess, that it reflected high honour on the architect, and afforded a satisfactory proof of his taste and judgment.
§ Mr. Arbuthnotsaid, that he did not 68 disagree with the hon. baronet in his observations respecting Exeter-change; but, as that was the private property of lord Exeter, difficulties would arise in effecting the alteration suggested; for whilst the House were providing for public improvements, they ought to be particularly attentive to private property. He understood, that, as soon as the leases of the property about Exeter Change bad run out, it was the intention of lord Exeter to make very great improvements there; and he could assure the House, that if his assistance should be at all required towards the advancement of such improvement, he would gladly co-operate in so laudable an undertaking. He could also assure the hon. baronet, that what had been observed by him respecting the Re-gent's-park had not escaped his notice. It was, however, a mistake to suppose that the annual rent which government received on account of the herbage of this park was only 100l. for, in point of fact, it amounted to 1,800l.; but, still this would not at all operate as an inducement with them for excluding the public from the full enjoyment of this park one moment longer than the state of the park itself absolutely required; but at present, although the pasturage was extremely good and luxuriant, the surface of the soil was not in a proper condition to be walked upon; neither had the trees arrived at sufficient maturity to render it safe that the fences which protected them should be thrown down. He hoped that these obstacles would at no distant period be removed, and that the public might then have a free and unrestricted access to all parts of the park; for he felt as sensible as the hon. baronet himself could possibly do, that it was the duty of those who presided over matters of this nature, to prefer the public health and convenience to every other consideration. Before he sat down he would take the liberty of alluding to the very important improvement which had recently been made in Hyde-park; and which must necessarily have afforded the public a most considerable additional accommodation; he did this the more readily, because it had been granted at the express command of his majesty. When he had waited upon his majesty to submit the plans of the new improvements, his majesty had himself pointed out the necessity of widening the carriage-way, for the pleasure and convenience of the public, and had suggested 69 those other alterations which had since been carried into effect.
§ Mr. Humedid not object to any portion of the plans of the right hon. gentleman; all he would say was, that he hoped they would not require any portion of the public money. He was satisfied that the whole could be done by the sale of Crown lands without any other assistance. In the absence of the hon. member for Westminster, who meant to call the attention of the House to the subject, he begged to protest against the continuance of any barracks in the centre of Westminster. Every person in the neighbourhood considered those barracks a downright nuisance.
§ Leave was given to bring in the bill.