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131
LONDON GOVERNMENT.
The question of the future form of Local Government for the
Metropolis was again brought under the notice of the Vestry in
the early part of the year, in consequence of the Vestry of
St. Pancras convening a conference to consider the terms of the
scheme formulated by the Corporation of London. Messrs.
Ballantine, Middlemass, and Whiteley, were elected to represent
the Vestry, and an account of the deliberations of the conference
was printed and forwarded to Members.
PROTECTION FROM FIRE.
As in previous years the Vestry have repeatedly attempted
to obtain for the Parish greater immunity from the possible
effects of the present want of adequate protection from fire. At
the request of a number of Parishioners at Nunhead, the
Metropolitan Board of Works were, in April, petitioned to place
a Fire Escape, and to erect Fire Alarm Posts, in that district.
The usual reply was received intimating that the present Fire
Brigade Rate would not admit of any additional expenditure. The
necessity for the Board to be put in a position to comply with
such urgent demands was further emphasised, when, in Sepetmber,
a fire occurred at 117, Southampton Street, and the premises were
burnt out. The Board did all in their power, by means of their
Fire Brigade Expenses Bill, to meet the pressing necessity for
better protection from fire, and proposed that the amount to be
raised from the ratepayers, instead of being equal to a rate of a
half-penny in the pound on the gross annual value of property,
should be equal to a rate of one penny in the pound on the
rateable value, and that the contributions of the Fire Insurance
Companies should be raised from £35 per million of the amounts
insured, as fixed by the pire Brigade Act, 1865, to £40 per
million. With the latter suggestion the Vestry entirely concurred,
and the assistanc3 of the Borough Members of Parliament was
readily given to support the Bill in the House of Commons, ft