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74
LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL (GENERAL
POWERS) BILL. 1894.
In my last Annual Report I referred to serveral details in
this Hill to which the Board objected, and with regard to which
they presented a Petition against the Bill to the House of
Commons.
By Clause 4 of the Bill it wan proposed to enact that no
street should be closed or stopped up by a District Board or
Vestry during the execution of any paving, sewering, or other
works,otherwise than with the previous sanction in writing of
the Council and subject to and in accordance with such conditions
as might be prescribed by such sanction, and heavy
penalties were attached to the contravention of this enactment.
This was one of the points to which the Board objected, and the
clause was ultimately withdrawn from the Bill.
The Bill also contained a clause for the purpose of enforcing
the efficient lighting of common staircases at night, the principle
of which the Board approved. "I he original clause, however,
was unanimously rejected by the Select Committee of the House
of Commons, and the Council forwarded to the Board a copy of
the clause as passed by such Committee, and as the same was
entirely permissive the Council asked the opinion of the Board
as to whether it should be withdrawn or retained in the Bill,
having regard to the fact that the original form could not be
restored unless the House of Commons adopted the unusual
course of over-ruling the finding of its Committee. The Bill as
drawn proposed to cast the expense of lighting the staircases
Upon the owners, but by the altered form one-half the cost of
the gas consumed between 11.30 p.m. and 6 a.m. was to fall
upon the Local Authority. Under all the circumstances the
Board were of opinion that the clause should be withdrawn, and
the Council was informed accordingly.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS (LONDON) BILL.
Colonel Hughes, M.P., forwarded to the Board a copy of
this Bill, together with a Memorandum upon the subject. Lon-