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51
The Vestry presented a petition against the Bill,
stating that they are opposed on principle to the
Bill, as being an undue interference with the
liberty of the subject, but urging that, in the event
of the proposed Bill being proceeded with the local
authority and not the County Council should be
the controlling authority. The Hon. W. F. B.
Massey-Mainwaring, M.P., in writing to say that he
had presented the Vestry's petition against the Bill,
added that his own opinion accorded with that of
the Vestry on the question. The Bill failed to
pass into law.
London Sea-water Supply Bill.—This Bill, introduced
into the Session of 1896, duly passed into
law, but the Vestry are not aware of any steps being
yet taken to give effect to it.
Old Street Widening.—A plan has been deposited
by the London County Council for widening Old
Street at its junction with Goswell Road. It is
proposed to widen Goswell Road south of Great
Sutton Street, and Old Street nearly to Central
Street, to 60 feet respectively, the premises to be
acquired being all in the Parish of St. Luke. The
Vestry has given its assent to the scheme.
Audit of the Vestry's Accounts.—The Vestry
has considered the question of the desirability of
having its accounts audited by Chartered Accountants,
but have come to the conclusion, in which
the elected Auditors concur, that the accounts
of the Vestry are of a sufficiently simple character
to be properly checked by the present system, as
the departments and officers check each other to a
large degree, and all accounts pass before one or
two Committees, vouchers being produced to the
Finance Committee and then to the elected