urn in
my hand; and I find there are 400,000 yards, which, at fifteen shillings
per yard, would not make the cost of wood paving come to twenty-four
millions of money; no, gentlemen, nor to four millions, nor to three,
nor even to one million--why, the cost, gentlemen, dwindles down from
Sir Peter's twenty-four millions to L300,000--(hear, hear, and
laughter.)

"If I go into Fore Street I find every body admiring the wood pavement.
If I go on Cornhill I find the same--and all the great bankers in
Lombard Street say, 'What a delightful thing this wood paving is! Sir
Peter Laurie must be mad to endeavour to deprive us of it.' I told them
not to be alarmed, for they might depend on it the good sense of this
court would not allow so great and useful an improvement in street
paving to retrograde in the manner sought to be effected by this
revolution. I shall content myself with moving the previous
question"--(cheers.)

It is probable that Mr Jones, in moving the previous question, contented
himself a mighty deal more than he did Sir Peter; and the triumph of the
woodites was increased when Mr Pewtress seconded the amendment:--

"If there is any time of the year when the wood pavement is more
dangerous than another, probably the most dangerous is when the weather
is of the damp, muggy, and foggy character which has been prevailing;
and when all pavements are remarkably slippery. The worthy knight has
shown great tact in choosing his time for bringing this matter before
the public. We have had three or four weeks weather of the most
extraordinary description I ever remember; not frosty nor wet, but damp
and slippery; so that the granite has been found so inconvenient to
horses, that they have not been driven at the common and usual pace. And
I am free to confess that, under the peculiar state of the atmosphere to
which I have alluded, the wood pavement is more affected than the
granite pavement. But in ordinary weather there is very little
difference. I am satisfied that, if the danger and inconvenience were as
great as the worthy knight has represented, we should have had
applications against the pavement; but all the applications we have had
on the subject have been in favour of the extension of wood pavement."

The speaker then takes up the ground, that as wood, as a material for
paving, is only recently introduced, it is natural that vested interests
should be alarmed, and that great misapprehension should exist as to