§ MR. ALDERMAN LAWRENCEsaid, he would beg to ask the First Commissioner of Works, Whether, in order to give greater facilities for the circulation of traffic and relieve the present overcrowded thoroughfare 1607 of Park Lane, he will endeavour to obtain Her Majesty's consent for Cabs to cross the corner of Hyde Park from the gate at Hyde Park Corner to Stanhope Gate, in a similar manner as Cabs are now permitted to cross Hyde Park from Victoria Gate to Prince's Gate.
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSsaid, no complaints whatever had reached him up to the present moment that there was too little traffic between Hyde Park Corner and Stanhope Gate, On the contrary, every statement which reached him went to show that there was too great a traffic for the convenience of the public in that direction. To pour an additional stream of cab traffic upon that already existing would certainly not be the way to facilitate public communication. He would remind the hon. Gentleman that Her Majesty had most graciously placed at the disposal of the metropolitan authorities portions of the Park for the purpose of widening Park Lane, and that the real and proper mode of getting rid of the difficulty which undoubtedly existed was to widen the southernmost end of Park Lane, so as to continue a thoroughfare with facilities as great as would soon belong to nine-tenths of Park Lane. The only reason why Her Majesty's Government had not during the present Session been able to recommend a scheme to put the Metropolitan Board of Works in funds for the purposes of this work was that certain unfortunate dissensions had sprung up between the City on the one hand, and the Metropolitan Board of Works on the other. The influence of the hon. Member with the Corporation of London was so well known and so undoubted, that he would recommend him to exercise his influence with the City during the recess with a view of terminating these unfortunate dissensions, and thereby enabling Parliament next year to place the Metropolitan Board of Works in a position to complete this desirable improvement.
§ MR. AYRTON, with reference to the answer just given by the noble Lord, wished to ask whether he had made any communication to the vestry or local Board of the wealthy and under-assessed parish of St. George's, Hanover Square, to induce them to act under the provisions of an Act of George III., for the improvement of the streets of the metropolis, and to undertake the duty naturally devolving upon them, of improving the lower end of Park Lane.
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSsaid, he had not brought the subject under the consideration of the authorities of St. George's parish, the recommendation emanating from the Select Committee lately presided over by the hon. and learned Gentleman (Mr. Ayrton) being that the cost should be defrayed out of the continuation of the coal duties.