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8
The expenses incurred by the Vestry in opposing the Bill
were heavy, and amounted to nearly £400, but they feel that it
was well expended, and that it assisted in stopping the progress
of a measure which would, if passed, have sanctioned the
expenditure of an enormous sum on a useless objecft.
The Vestry have done all in their power by memorials
and otherwise, to induce the Metropolitan Board of Works to
proceed in providing what is an admitted want in the East of
London, but without any success.
The Vestry, conjointly with neighbouring Boards, memorialized
the Home Secretary (Sir W. V. Harcourt) to press
upon the Metropolitan Board of Works the necessity for
proceeding and sent a deputation to meet other deputations to
support the memorial.
The deputation was introduced by Mr. Bryce, M.P., who
spoke in favor, but the Home Secretary, in his reply, instead of
addressing himself to the point urged on him, gave an address
upon the necessity of passing his London Government Bill,
which would, according to him, prove a panacea for all the ills
affecting the government of London.
There being no means of combatting his arguments, the
deputation had to retire without having achieved much good.
London
Government
Bill
Perhaps the most important Bill, however, which was introduced
was the London Government Bill, which would have
affected the whole Metropolis, and so far as the Vestry itself is
concerned, would have blotted it out of existence, and this
Report would not have had to be written.
It would be out of place to go into full particulars of the
scheme, since it has not been pressed, but it may be well to say
that the effect of the Bill, if passed, would have been to form
one body consisting of 240 members to govern the whole Metropolis,
and the powers, duties, and liabilities of the present
Corporation and of the Common Council thereof, of the Commissioners
of Sewers, of the Aldermen, of the Metropolitan
Board of Works, of the present Vestries and District Boards,
of the Justices of the Peace in Middlesex, Surrey, and Kent,
exercising jurisdiction within the area of the new Corporation,
of all Commissioners for Paving, Lighting, &c., of all District
Boards, of all Commissioners for Public Baths or Libraries,
were, after the 1st May, 1885, to cease, and to be thereafter
transferred to, and vested in, the new governing body.
Without going further into particulars, the Vestry think that
the proposal, as shewn, was sufficient of itself to condemn the
measure, even had the clauses for working out the scheme been
satisfactory, but these were all based on making some government
department the ruling power in all cases of disagreement.
The Clerk to the Vestry prepared a most voluminous Report
on the effect of the Bill, and the Vestry deemed it proper that it
should be printed, as it afforded a most useful reference to the
clauses of the Bill.