Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/201

 ‘ Marca J, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. 185 ' PARLIAMENTARY NOTES. THE RoyaL Parks AND GARDENS Brrt.—On Thursday week, in Committee upon the Royal Parks and Gardens Bill, an attempt made by Mr. Rylands to transfer the appointment of park-keepers from the Ranger to the Commissioners of Works was defeated by a majority of 26—58 to 32. The speech in which Mr. V. Harcourt moved the omission of the third clause was sufficiently animated to induce Mr. Ayrton to describe it as more appropriate to the foot of Nelson’s Column than to that House; but when Mr. Bruce offered to introduce a provision into the Bill that the bye-laws for the regulation of the Parks should be laid upon the table of both Houses before becoming law, there arose a veritable storm.— Mr. Hardy denounced the proceeding as “ cowardly ;” and, going back to the transactions of half a dozen years ago, described the Premier as a man who was interested not in order but disorder.—Mr. Gladstone retorted that Mr. Hardy was the man who, of all others, was best qualified to introduce “ the acid and venom of party” into matters of business; and declared that it was the blundering of the Conserva- tive Government of the period referred to which had created all the subsequent difficulties.—Mr. Disraeli accused Mr. Gladstone of “sullen silence” on a critical occasion, and excited tremendous cheer- ing from his followers by the assertion that at that time the right hon. gentleman never opened his mouth except to address a tumultuous mob from the balcony of his private residence—a statement whicn Mr. Gladstone firmly but calmly characterised as destitute of a single shred or shadow of truth. After some more discussion, the Committee divided upon a proposal by Mr. Locke to report progress, which was rejected by a majority of 188—225 to 37. Immediately afterwards a division was taken upon the third clause, and the section was retained by a majority of 40—106 to 66. Upon the fourth clause, Mr. Rylands endeavoured to reduce the extreme penalty to be imposed from £5 to 40s.; but after an animated and amusing discussion the former amount was retained in the section by a majority of 124, and the clause was agreed to. Progress was then reported. Tue Lea Conservancy Act.—Mr. Dimsdale, on . Friday, calledattention tothe operation of the Lea Con- Servancy Act, 1868, and to the heavy pecuniary burdens its provisions impose on the residents in the towns and villages situate on the banks of the Lea and its tributaries—My. Bruce said the Act com- plained of was originated by the Board of Trade, and he had thought its working had been handed over to the Local Boards of Health. Any general enactments dealing with the pollution of rivers might be applied to the river Lea, and that was a subject which deserved the early attention of Parlia- ment. Within the last nine months an inspector had been appointed by the Oonservators, and he applied those tests of purity which were considered best to secure that the water was in a fit state, not only for domestic purposes, but for drinking, and though tests might have varied from time to time, he did not think they had been too seyere. No case had been made out for any immediate interference on the part of the Government, but it was open of course to those who lived in the district to take any measures they might think necessary for their defenée. No evidence had been adduced to show that the Conservators were taking more rigid action than it was their duty to take—Mr. A. Smith and Mr. Brand urged the propricty of amending the Lea Conseryaney Act.—Mr. Kay-Shuttleworth thought it impossible to keep all effluent sewage matter out of the Lea, and that it would be better therefore if Parliament would only attempt so to purify the river that the towns through which it passes would not be injured by smells arising from the river—Mr. Ayrton observed that the Committee on the Bill for purifying the Lea came to the conclusion that with reasonable care the water would be perfectly fit to drink, and that there was no reason for resorting to another source of supply for that portion of the metropolis which was now served from that river, The towns upon the Thames and the Lea were placed upon precisely the same footing, and there was no reason for resorting to the lakes of Cumber- land or Wales to provide the metropolis with water At for drinking purposes. —<—$ CHIPS. The official water-examiner to the Board of Trade is at present engaged upon an analysis of the Southwark and Vauxhall Company’s water. The Inns of Court Hotel, Holborn, is to be sub- mitted to auction on Friday next, the 8th inct., by Messrs. Norton, Trist,and Watney. The hotel was erected at a cost of £120,000. The upset price at the forthcoming sale will be £48,550. Messrs. J. & B. Baddeley, of 26, Bishopsgate-street Within, haye been appointed surveyors to the ancient manor of Stebonheath. The Midland Railway Company has purchased over ten acres of land adjoining the Wandsworth- road station of the London, Chatham, and Dover Rail- Way, upon which they intend to construct a largo depot for coals. LEGAL INTELLIGENCE, Re T. Jewett.—The bankrupt, Thomas Jewell, described as of 68} MLeadenhall-street, architect and surveyor, was before the Court last week. Total debts, £1,060 3s., assets, £395 9s. After the admission of several proofs, Mr. John Smith, of Southampton-street, Camberwell, timber merchant, was chosen trustee, and the 4th of March was fixed for the public examination. ACTION FOR COMMISSION ON SALE OF AN EsTATE. —Bran V. BateMan.—This was an action (tried in the Court of Queen’s Bench, at Guildhall, on Friday last, before the Lord Chief Justice and a special jury) for commission on the sale of an estate, and it was a case which raised an important question. The de- fendant, a Chancery barrister, was owner of an estate called Oaklands, in the neighbourhood of Shepherd’s Bush, consisting of a house and six acres of land, the price of which was about £10,000. It was put into the hands of Messrs. Norton, Trist, & Co., the auctioneers and land agents, for sale, and put up by them to auction, but unsuccessfully, and it was “bought in.” It remained, however, in their hands for sale, and on their books, and bills were on the premises referring to them as the agents. In the meantime, and within two months, the defendant applied to the plaintiff, a surveyor, of Brook Green, Hammersmith, who also acted, he said, as an estate agent, and he surveyed the property and made an estimate of its value with a view to itssale. Accord- ing to his account, at all events, it was put into his hands for sale, though this was denied by the plain- tiff, and it was the great point in dispute between them. However, shortly afterwards the plaintiff found a person who became a purchaser. This per- son had, indeed, noticed the property, but he had made no “bid” for it, nor had he viewed it until the plaintiff, who was acquainted with him, spoke to him about it. This led to his looking at the property end going to Norton & Trist, who were still re- ferred to as the agents, and theynegotiated the sale, which was completed for £10,200. The plaintiff then claimed commission on the sale at the usual rate—2} per cent. up to £5,000. and 14 per cent. above that amount. But Norton & Trist also claimed it, upon the double ground of contract and custom. They alleged a contract that they were to be paid if within two months after the attempted sale by auction the property was sold, and they also set up a similar claim by custom if while the property re- mained on their books it was sold. ‘The defendant, of course, did not like the idea of paying commission twice over, and, on the other hand, neither of the claimants would give up. Many letters passed be- tween the parties, but all without effect, and both the claimants brought actions to recover the commis- sion. The plaintiffs came on first for trial, and he gaye evidence in support of his claim, confirmed by the purchaser, who stated that he was introduced by him. On the other hand, the defendant resisted the claim on the ground that he never employed the plaintiff to sell the estate, that the sale was really negotiated by Norton & Trist, and that he was liable to them, and he also was examined as a witness, and maintained his view with evident sincerity. The Lord Chief Justice, however, appeared to be clearly of opinion that if the jury were satisfied that the plaintiff really found and introduced the pur- chaser, he would be entitled to commission, and having left the case to them, they found for the plaintiff for the full amount claimed, £192 10s. Conrractors’ DisPuTES.—AIRD AND ANOTHER v. BRoAD—Broap y. Arrp AND ANOTHER.—These were cross actions, tried in the Court of Exchequer, on Saturday last, arising out of a contract entered into by Messrs. Aird for the construction of the new works at Beckton, North Woolwich, for the Chartered Gaslight Company, for which Mr. Broad took the sub-contract for the supply of the ironwork and erec- tion of four gasholders of an unusual size. The causes promised to involve difficult, engineering as well as legal questions, and were ultimately referred, with all matters in difference between the parties, to Mr. Hawkshaw, O.B., and, failing him, to Mr. W. H. Barlow, C.E., with power to call in Mr. Macnamara as legal asssessor. DisPuTED OWNERSHIP OF 4 WatL.—The Lords Justices gave judgment on Wednesday in the suit brought against Mr. Jarvis by the Sheftield Improved Industrial and Provident Society. The dispute arose as to a wall dividing the houses of the plain- tiffs and the defendant, the questions being whether it belonged to the plaintiffs, with a right in the de- fendant to support it, or to the defendant with a similar right in the plaintiffs, or whether it was a party wall. Vice-Chancellor Malins, before whom the cause was heard on the 23rd of November last, held that the plaintiffs had not gone beyond their lawful rights in inserting a beam into the wall in question, while the defendant’s conduct in threaten- ing to take the law into his own hand by entting off the end of the beam when he might haye tried the matter in the county court was wholly unjustifiable. He therefore made a decree granting the plaintiffs the injunction asked for, with costs. This decision was now affirmed by their lordships, who dismissed the appeal with costs, Lord Justice James remark- in the question of ownership, as to which he had no doubt that the wall was the plaintitis’ property conveyed by a grant of the premises generally. —>_____ LAND AND BUILDING SOCIETIES. British LAnp Company.—Thoe report of the British Land Company, presented at the annual meeting, held at the Cannon-street Hotel on Friday evening last, stated that the sales for the year have amounted to £68,154. Six estates had been pur- chased during the year—yviz., at Enfield Highway, Finchley, Forest Gate, Stratford Green, Watford- town, and Woodford-road. The balance sheet showed a profit of £16,175, and out of that sum the directors recommended a dividend of 4 per cent., free of income tax, which would take £11,700, leaving a balance of £4,475, less income tax, to ca forward to next year. ‘The directors lamented the loss the Company had sustained in the decease of the esteemed secretary, Mr. W. E. Whittingham, who held that office from the formation of the Company. Tue Amity LAND AND INVESTMENT Company, Limitep. — The sixth annual meeting of this Company was held on Saturday last, at the offices, 6, Warwick-court, Gray’s Inn. Mr. Albert Boulden, the Chairman of the Company, presided, supported by Messrs, J. T. Lacey, W.S. Miller, W. F. Potter, and S. Weakley. A letter was read from the Rey. T. E. Stallybrass, B.A., Vice-Chairman, apologising for non-attendance. The report and balance-sheet were unanimously adopted on the motion of the Chairman and Mr. W. S. Miller, and, after some discussion of the affairs of the society, by Messrs. J. ©. Woollacott, M. Phillipson, W. Talbot, A. Boulden and J. 7. Lacey, the retiring directors, were re-elected, and both those gentlemen returned thanks. Mr. A. Boulden (chai - ma) regretted, through the general depression of the building trade, more business had not been done by the Company, but spoke hopefully as regards the future. Messrs. J. C. Woollacott and W. Anderson were re-elected auditors. After the general meeting an extraordinary meeting of the shareholders took place, and confirmed the alteration of some of the Articles of Association of a formal nature. ——_@—_____ Onr Office Table, DerAtu or M. Leon Vanpoyer.—The architect, Léon Vandoyer, was struck dead by apoplexy at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris, on the 10th ult., while examining the works of the pupils. He was born in 1803, received the Grand Prix de Rome in 1826, became Member of the Institute in 1868, occupying the seat of H. Lebon. He designed, among many other works, the cathedral of Marseilles, the national monument to General Foy, &e. Tue New Merrororiran Meat Marker, Surru- FIELD.—After long-continued discussion, the Court of Common Council has resolved to enlarge this market, according to the plans of Mr. Horace Jones, the City Architect, the total estimated cost being £167,500. The new buildings will be erected 6n vacant land belonging to the corporation westward of the present market. buildings. More AspHaure RoApwaAys ror THE Crry,—To- day (Friday) the Limmer Asphalte Company will commence paving Cornhill. The company has ex- tensive works in progress at the Crystal Palace, the East and West India Docks, and the Blackfriars Station of the London, Chatham, and Dover Rail- way, and have not been able to spare a sufficient number of men, On and after to-day the work will be pushed forward as rapidly as -possible, so as to diminish, so far as it can be done, the loss and in- convenience occasioned by the obstruction of the traflic in a thoroughfare of so much importance. Biack-prown VarnisH ror Merariic Bons. —The lustrous coat of black with which earthen- ware becomes coated which is exposed to the action of hot coal-smoke is a commonplace experience enough. Mr. C. Ruscher has conceived the idea of utilizing the property of the empyreumatic oils from coal for the purpose of coating small articles of iron and steel, such as hooks and eyes, buttons, &e. For this purpose the iron, steel, or other metallic objects are placed upon an iron grating, over a layer of coal dust about }in. thick, in a cylindrical vessel 18in. high. The vessel is then securely closed, and, being placed upon a bright fire, the bottom is brought to red-heat for about a quarter of an hour; itis then taken from the fire, and allowed to cool before it is opened. On the removal of the lid, the metallic articles will be found to be covered with a tough, durable varnish, which does not crack with bending, and will resist a considerable elevation of tempera- ture. The smaller objects he recommends to be rotated over afire, in a machine likea coffee-roaster,
 * ing that he differed from the Vice-Chancellor only