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120
Prcccpt for the half-year from Lady-day to Michaelmas, 1887y
amounts to £17,289. The Precept for the second period
of tho year, viz:—from Michaelmas, 1887, to Lady-day, 1888,
has not yet been received, but if it is at the same rate
tho expenditure for the year will be somewhat less than it was
for the year 188G-7.
BILLS IN PARLIAMENT (PUBLIC).
Vestrymen"s Qualification Bill September, 1886, the Vestry had under
their consideration the qualification required by the
Metropolis Local Management Act of 18 and 19 Vic., cap. 120,
arid 19 and 20 Vic., cap. 12, for Members of Vestries. They then
expressed their opinion that the rating qualification should be
abolished, and several of the Metropolitan Local Authorities
united in bringing to bear upon the Home Secretary pressure to
induce him to introduce into the House of Commons some measure
for this object. On the 28th of January, 1887, a short Bill of
three clauses, which had been prepared and brought in by
Mr. James Rowlands, Mr. Cremer, Mr. Howell, Mr. Pickersgill,
and Mr. James Stuart, was ordered to be printed. After
providing for the repeal or amendment of the necessary sections
of the existing statutes, it sought to enact that Vestries in future
should consist of "persons rated or assessed to the relief of the
poor; and that any person shall be capable of acting or being
elected as one of such Vestry for any Parish who is the occupier
of a house, lands, tenements, or hereditaments in such Parish, and
is rated or assessed as aforesaid in such Parish." The Vestry,
after considerable discussion, and by a narrow majority, on the
20th of April last, decided to support the Bill, affirming the
principle thereof that a mere rating to the relief of the poor was
a sufficient qualification for membership of a Vestry without
regard to the amount of rating. This Bill has now been dropped.
Metropolitan Board of Works Various Powers) Bill, 1886 This Bill was introduced into the House of Commons
in the session of 1886, but as it received the Royal
assent on the 25th June of that year, it is desirable