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22
Drainage Committee of the Council, who reported
adversely to the suggestion of the Conference,—that
application thould be made by the Council to Parliament
to alter the definition of the word "drain" in the Metropolis
Local Management Act. This Board attach great
importance to the suggested amendment of the law, and
they therefore called the attention of the members of
the Council for this district to the subject, and when the
report of the Committee came before the Council the
matter was referred back for further consideration. A
deputation from the above-mentioned Conference then
had another interview with the Mam Drainage Committee,
and, after further considering the subject, the
Committee recommended the Council to introduce a
Bill into Parliament in accordance with the desire of the
Conference. This recommendation was adopted and a
Bill is now being prepared by the Council.
Charges upon Places
of Worship for Paving
New Streets.
The Board have had under consideration
the subject of the charges made
under orders of apportionment of the cost of paving new
streets, &c. in respect of places of worship situate in
such streets. It has been decided by the High Court
that places of worship belonging to the Established
Church, being consecrated and therefore permanently
devoted to the purposes of religious worship, are exempt
from such charges, but nonconformist places of worship
are not exempt. TTnder the provisions of sec. 151 of
the Public Health Act, 1875, all places of worship used
exclusively for that purpose are exempt. The last mentioned
Act does not apply to London, and the Board see
no reason why the law in this respect within the Metropolis
should be at variance with that for the other part
of the country. The Board therefore addressed a
communication to the London County Council, asking
them to obtain an amendment of the Metropolis Man-