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47
could be a joint one; and that any expenditure arising from the joint
action should be defrayed by the Councils concerned on the basis
of their respective rateable values. The Council concurred in the
views of the Committee and decided to take part in the joint opposition
upon the proposed terms. At a meeting of the Conference on the
8th May last the following resolutions were passed, viz :—
(a.) That, with reference to the communication recently addressed tothe
Metropolitan Local Authorities on the subject of the amendment
of the Building Acts, this Conference desires to reiterate the view
expressed at its former meeting, that before any amending Bill is
drafted the-whole question of the administration of the Acts should
be reported upon by a Royal Commission, in order that the. new
legislation may not only provide for the consolidation as well as
amendment of the existing law, but may ensure a substantial
devolution of the administration of the Acts from the central to the
local Authorities.
(6.) That it be suggested to the Metropolitan Local Authorities that
they should, in replying to the communication of the London
County Couficil, make it clear that no Amendment Bill will be
deemed satisfactory which does not provide for all administrative
duties under the Acts which can be efficiently discharged by the
local Authorities being transferred to those bodies, in accordance
with the views expressed by the Royal Commission in 1894.
The Council agreed with the views expressed in the foregoing
resolutions. The Bill as amended received the Royal Assent on the
1 ith August.
In May, 1905, the County Council forwarded a copy of a
report with regard to the Bill together with a copy of a document
showing the effect rf the Bill on the existing Acts, and stated that the
Council would be glad to receive the co-operation of the Borough
Councils and others concerned in introducing in. the next session of
Parliament a Bill containing all the necessary amendments of the
Act and asking that any observations which the Council might have
to make with regard to the matter might be communicated to the
County Council by the 10th June. The County Council were asked to
extend the time within which they would receive observations upon
the proposed Bill and the time was extended to the 10th July. The
matter is still under the consideration of the Council.
53. This Bill was introduced by the London Count}' Council with
London the view of preventing the erection on 542 enclosures in
Enclosures the County of London, set out in the Schedule to the
(Preservation). ^ j3uj|cjjngS or structures other than such buildings