262 OLD LONDON BRIDGE. TART IV. 



bridge proposed to be built over the river of Thames 

 betwixt Lambeth and Westminster, which, as is con- 

 ceived, would have been of dangerous consequence to 

 the state of this city." l 



A. few years later, in 1671, a similar project was 

 attempted, and a bill was brought into the House of 

 Commons to enable a bridge to be erected over the Thames 

 as far west as Putney. But the Corporation of London 

 were again up in arms, protesting against the establish- 

 ment of any bridge which should enable the traffic to 

 pass from one side of the river to the other without 

 going through the City. The debate on the subject, as 

 recorded by Mr. Grey, is exceedingly curious, read 1>\ 

 the light of the present day. Mr. Love declared the 

 opinion of the Lord Mayor to be, " that if carts were to 

 go over the proposed new bridge, London would be 

 destroyed." Sir William Thompson opposed it because 

 it " would make the skirts of London too big for the 

 body," besides producing sands and shelves in the river, 

 and affecting the below-bridge navigation, which would 

 cause the ships to lie as low down as Woolwich ; whilst 

 Mr. Boscawen opposed the bill, because, if conceded, 

 there might be a claim set up for even a third bridge, at 

 Lambeth, or some other point. 2 The bill was thrown 

 out on these grounds by a majority of 67 to 54 ; and 

 for nearly a hundred years more, London had no second 

 bridge, notwithstanding that the old structure was so 

 narrow that there was not room for two carts to pass 

 each other ! Since that time, however, ten bridges have 

 been thrown across the river between Putney and the 

 City, and London is not yet destroyed, indeed, the 

 cry is still for more bridges. 



The second bridge was built in 1738-50, nearly oppo- 

 site the palace of Westminster. During the many cen- 



1 'City of London Records,' jor. mons, from the year 1667 to 1694.' 

 45, 423. Collected by the Hon. A. Grey. 



2 ' Debates of the House of Com- | London, 1769. 



