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50
School Board Electoral Divisions.—Letters
have been received during the year from the
Vestries of Hammersmith, Hackney, and Battersea
in favour of the School Board electoral divisions
being made co-terminous with the Parliamentary
electoral divisions, and the Vestry passed a resolution
concurring therewith.
Retirement of Vestrymen (London) Bill.—A
Bill under this title was introduced into the House
of Lords in the Session of 1896 by Lord Monkswell.
It provided that, on the application of a Vestry, the
County Council might order the simultaneous retirement
of all the members of the Vestry in the
month of May next following the issue of such
order, and thereafter in every third year, the full
number of Vestrymen being elected at each
triennial election. The Vestry presented a petition
stating that they prefer the present system of
retirement by thirds each year, but suggesting that
provision should be made whereby casual vacancies
should be filled at the ensuing annual election, and
bye-elections be thereby avoided. The Bill however
failed to pass into law.
Shops (Early Closing) Bill.—In April, 1896, a
letter was read from the Vestry of St. Margaret and
St. John, Westminster, calling attention to the
proposal that the "local authority" for the purposes
of the Shops (Early Closing) Bill shall be, as regards
the Metropolis, the London County Council; and
urging that the local governing bodies of the
different districts are more likely to have an
accurate knowledge of the requirements of the
several localities, and should therefore be substituted
for the County Council as the "local authorities,"
and asking the Vestry's support to the alteration.