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to extend from Paddington and a junction with the Great Western
Railway, to the Albert Docks, near North Woolwich, with a City
terminus in Barbican, and junctions with the Midland and Great
Northern Railways. It will have local stations—one at Arlington
Street, just upon the border of this Parish, one at Dunston Road,
by the Kingsland Road Bridge, and one at Victoria Park. The
Railway is projected to run on the north side of the Canal, outside
the towing path, and for the most part at about the level of the waterway,
and to pass under the roads by existing bridges which are to be
re-constructed, or by separate bridges to be made adjacent to the
existing bridges. The Bill, as introduced into Parliament, was
singularly bare of every kind of provision necessary for the protection
of the public interests, and may be said to have been a
public appropriation Bill pure and simple. It became necessary
for the Vestry to oppose the preamble of the Bill, with the object
of obtaining from the promoters the necessary protection which could
not have been obtained by an opposition on clauses alone. The
result of the opposition was to obtain clauses for the reconstruction
of five out of the seven bridges, which are to be made of the width
of 40 feet and upwards, and the widening of one of the bridges
to 40 feet. Only one bridge leading to or from the Parish is to be
stopped or obstructed at one time, and in all cases a temporary foot
bridge is to be provided during the reconstruction. There are other
clauses for securing the execution of the works affecting roads and
sewers, under the superintendance of the Vestry's Surveyor, and
the making good all damage for the protection of the public
against danger, as far as possible, from the noise and smoke of
passing trains, and for the making good of local rates, dining
construction, upon property to be taken. The most objectionable
feature in the scheme is a power sought to appropriate the whole of
Dunston Road, which is to be the site of a station, and in substitution
thereof a 12 ft. footway from Clarissa Street to Kingsland
Road, to be formed out of the forecourts of the houses on the north
side of Dunston Road. This the Vestry opposed and endeavoured
to obtain a footway of at least 20 feet, as was done in the case of
Finsbury Avenue. The effort was however ineffectual and an