§ SIR JOHN SHELLEYsaid, he rose to inquire, Whether the Government intend to adopt the recommendations contained in the Report of the Thames Embankment Commissioners as regards the line of Embankment proposed to be taken; and whether they intend to appoint another Commission for the purpose of carrying out the work; and, if not, to what body they propose to intrust the construction of the Embankment?
MR. COWPERsaid, that the Royal Commission who considered the question of the Thames Embankment had made their Report, in which they recommended a plan providing for the convenience of the public, with a due regard to private interests, in a manner much more successful than had been suggested in any previous plan; and the Government were prepared to give effect to that recommendation. The Royal 1802 Commission also recommended that there should be appointed a Special Commission to execute the work; but the Government were not prepared to adopt that recommendation. Considering that the Coal Duty was a local charge, he believed that it would be satisfactory to those who paid it that the expenditure should be in the hands of local representatives. He also thought it desirable not to establish new authorities for any object which existing authorities were competent to effect. The Metropolitan Board of Works were appointed by Statute for the execution of duties much resembling the duties required to be discharged in this case, and, therefore, in the Bill, which he should introduce next Session to give effect to the engineering scheme recommended by the Royal Commission, he should propose that the direction of the work and the expenditure of the money proceeding from the Coal Duty fund, should be entrusted to the Metropolitan Board of Works.