§ SIR WILLIAM FRASERsaid, he would beg to ask the noble Lord the Chief Commissioner of Works whether there is any objection to the Bridge about to be erected over the Thames next above Waterloo Bridge being called Sebastopol Bridge? Also, whether there is any intention of providing additional means of crossing the Thames for vehicles, either by building a Bridge near Charing Cross, or by purchas- 1110 ing Waterloo Bridge, and opening it free of toll?
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSMy hon. and gallant Friend will doubtless remember that a short time ago, on the occasion of the visit of the Emperor and Empress of the French to this country, it was gravely proposed and maturely considered whether it would not be proper to change the name of Waterloo Bridge and Trafalgar Square, out of a supposed compliment to those illustrious personages; but the good sense of the country decided that it was not the right time to do so, and the proposal was very properly overruled. With regard to the suggestion now submitted to the House, I think we ought not to put out of our consideration the fact to which I have just alluded; but I must fairly own that there is yet another objection which would apply to the proposal of my hon. Friend. It was said that during the prosecution of the war in the Crimea that "too late" was applicable to a great many of our arrangements there; and I am inclined to think that that observation will apply with equal force to the proposal of my hon. and gallant Friend. If his proposal had been made at the moment when that war was brought to a termination, no doubt it would have been received with great favour by a large section of the community; but now that the attention of the country is excited by the glorious achievements and heroic sufferings of our army in India, I think it would be rather out of place to make the change. If my hon. and gallant Friend wishes to know my private opinion, I think that altogether it would be better to let the name of Westminster Bridge remain, associated as it is, and has been, for so long a period with the place in which we perform our legislative functions. With regard to his other question, I can only say, that so far as Her Majesty's Government are concerned, we have no intention whatever of proposing to create another Bridge across the Thames for the benefit of the metropolitan community.