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52
THE FINSBURY PARK BILL.
Petition to Parliament and other Proceedings thereon.
In Parliament. Finsbury Park. Session 1857.
(Power to make a Park for Finsbury, in the respective Parishes of Saint
Mary Islington, Saint Mary Stoke Newington, and Hornsey, all in the
County of Middlesex. Power to levy rates, and to borrow money for the
purposes of the Act, and for other purposes).
Petition against.
Unto the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled.
The Humble Petition of the Board of Works for the Lewisham. District.
Sheweth,
That a Bill is now depending before your Honourable House, entituled,
"A Bill to authorize the formation of a Park for the Northern Suburbs of
the Metropolis, to be called 'Finsbury Park,'" which Park it is proposed
to lay out, plant, and enclose, and devote to the use and recreation of the
public, in the several Parishes of Saint Mary Islington, St Mary Stoke
Newington, and Hornsey, in the County of Middlesex.
That for the purposes of the said measure it is proposed by the said Bill
to expend a sum of two hundred thousand pounds, of which £50,000 is to
be contributed by the Commissioners of Public Works, and £150,000 to be
raised on mortgage of the rate proposed to be authorized by the Bill.
That this rate is an equal rate to be from time to time made, assessed,
and levied upon the Metropolis, as defined by the "Metropolis Local
Management Act, 1855," and the Schedule thereto, to be called the "Finsbury
Park Rate," and it is further proposed that not only the original expense
of forming and laying out the Park, but of maintaining it, including
the salaries and wages of the officers to be appointed in connection with it,
shall be defrayed out of this rate.
That your Petitioners understand that this measure is promoted and has
been introduced into Parliament by the Vestries of the Parishes constituting
the Borough of Finsbury, or some of them, who have in so doing, as your
petitioners respectfully submit, acted in excess of the powers vested in them,
and also contrary to the provisions of "The Metropolis Local Management
Amendment Act, 1856," which by its tenth section devolves upon the
Metropolitan Board of Works the power of deciding what open spaces shall
in future be laid out within the Metropolis for the purposes of public recreation,
and enables that Board to apply to Parliament for powers to provide
such parks, pleasure grounds, places of recreation, and open spaces for the
improvement of the Metropolis, or the public benefit of the inhabitants
thereof, as they may think fit.
That your petitioners have reason to believe that this is only the first of
several measures of a similar nature which will be immediately brought