§ Mr. Claypresented Petitions from the inhabitants of Spitalfields and Bethnal-green against the Eastern Counties (London and Norwich) Railway; from the East London Waterworks Company, and from the inhabitants of the parishes of St. George and St. Mary, Whitechapel, and Goodman's-fields, against the London and Blackwall Commercial Railway; and from the inhabitants of Whitechapel and Bromley, and the East London Waterworks Company, against the London and Blackwall Railway. The hon. Member said, that in presenting these petitions to the House, he was anxious to call its attention to, in his opinion, the very important principle involved in the subject to which they referred. Indeed, so important was the question to the metropolis, that he had intended to move that a Select Committee be appointed for the purpose of considering the principle involved in the Railroads to which the petitions referred; but, on consulting with his col- 202 leagues, the other Members for the Metropolitan Districts, and with his Majesty's Ministers, he found that it was their opinion that no other general principle or regulation could with fairness or propriety be applied to the bills of parties before the House than such as had been recommended by the Select Committee that had already reported. The principle set forth in the various petitions he had just presented, and their prayer, all tended to this—that these Railroads should not be allowed to come into the heart of the Metropolis, it being neither necessary nor useful, in the opinion of the petitioners, that they should be brought there. Now, the two competing lines, the Black-wall and the Commercial Blackwall, both terminated in the heart of the Metropolis, and the Eastern Counties, was also brought into the City. Hon. Members had only to suppose a sufficient number of Railroads brought there, to picture to themselves the complete destruction of the east end of London, and the ruin of the inhabitants of a most densely-crowded neighbourhood. The principle involved in this matter was totally distinct from the general utility and expediency of Railways. However important and useful as means for commercial intercourse, surely there was no necessity for carrying them into the heart of a great city. The principle upon which the petitions proceeded was that those Railroads coming from different parts of England to London should have their termini outside the most crowded part of the City. In proof that the apprehensions of the petitioners were not unfounded, he would first state to the House the result to be expected from those Roads, for which Bills were already before the House, and which were proposed to come into the most crowded part of London. He would confine himself to the Borough which he represented, and he would refer only to the destruction of property which was to be expected from those Roads within three miles of the Royal Exchange. The result was this—that for the Railroads which came through the Tower Hamlets to London, there had been in the eastern districts of the City, within three miles of the Royal Exchange, no less than 5,935 houses scheduled to be taken down, and thus, giving five inhabitants to each house, about 30,000 inhabitants would be turned out of their dwellings. It might be said that they 203 would receive compensation, but that was impossible, as far as the great majority of them were concerned. How could they be compensated for being turned out of their residences in some of the most crowded streets and thoroughfares in the metropolis, where they had carried on their business and respective trades for years, having acquired a goodwill chich might never be regained? In fact, in the great majority of these cases ruin would attach to the parties so turned out. It was true that compensation could be given to the owners of houses which would be taken down, but great injury would be inflicted on the inhabitants of those houses for which no compensation could be given them. The Eastern Counties' Rail-way, for instance, and the Blackwall Commercial Railway would destroy those great thoroughfares for trade and traffic, White-chapel, Mile End, and the Commercial-road, which were now so prosperous. It was a mockery to tell the inhabitants residing in those thoroughfares that they might oppose those Bills before the private Committees of the House. How was it possible for the inhabitants of those parishes to get funds to oppose those Bills? On the other hand, there was no lack of funds on the part of the promoters of such Bills, owing to the deposits paid on the shares, which parties purchased at present as they would tickets in a lottery. The fact was, that the public mind was, just now in a morbid state of excitement on the subject of these Railways. It appeared from the Report of the Select Committee that there were fifty-seven Railways actually before the House, or in contemplation, involving an outlay of upwards of 28,000,000l., and he found, that there were fifty-one Private Bills, for Roads, Bridges, Water-works, &c., before the House also, which, added to the Railways, made the estimated outlay for these various undertakings amount to no less than 33,500,000l. This state of things resembled rather too much the terrible year 1825. He thought, that when the public mind was in such an unwholesome state, it was the duty of every hon. Member to call the attention of the House to the fact.
§ Mr. Groteexpressed his perfect concurrence in what had fallen from his hon. Friend with regard to the introduction of these Railways into the eastern end of the Metropolis. He was most anxious that the House should understand that a strong 204 feeling of alarm and repugnance existed in that part of the City with regard to these Railroads. He held in his hand four or five petitions from those districts against them. The Blackwall Railway, and the Blackwall Commercial Railway, would, if carried into effect, completely depopulate Whitechapel and St. Botolph, Bishops-gate; and this was to be done for the purpose merely of conveying passengers at a somewhat cheaper rate than they were carried at present; for as to the saving of time that would be thereby effected in the carriage of merchandise, it was so trifling as not to be worthy of consideration. Was the object he had mentioned one worth gaining at the expense of depopulating whole districts?
§ Mr. Humesaid, that he had been waited on by several deputations from the districts in question, to say, that if the projected Railways were allowed to be brought into the heart of the City, they would be attended with almost utter ruin to them. He had hoped that the Government had taken up the subject, and that something satisfactory would be done for all the parties interested, but particularly for those complaining. He had advised his hon. Friend (Mr. Clay) to wait on the Ministry, and to state to them the hardships and grievances of this peculiar case, as one calling for an immediate remedy. He was asked why the parties about to be injured did not oppose the measure; but where were the funds? The people who would suffer by this infraction had not means to oppose the joint-stock fund of the wealthy individuals who were associated for carrying these projects into operation. The subject must be brought in a specific form before the House, otherwise the consequences must be ruinous. He was a friend of Railways, as he was to all bonâ fide improvements; but he thought the petitioners had made out an excellent case, and one deserving of earnest attention.
§ The Speakerbegged, to observe that hon. Members were now indulging in a very inconvenient practice—that of entering into lengthened details on the presentation of petitions. Whatever objections there might be entertained to the introduction of Railways into London, should be reserved for the Committee, and there urged.
§ The petitions laid on the Table.