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so that they might be laid before the Board of Trade. These objections so settled
were printed and forwarded to each of the Delegates, and to the Board of Trade,
together with a summary of the statistical tables prepared by Mr. Lass. he almost
unanimous opposition, supported by just and powerful objections, ultimately prevailed
with the Board of Trade, and on the 14th January, 1884, a letter was received from
the Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trade, stating that, having regard to all the
circumstances of the case, and to the almost unanimous opposition of the representatives
of the consumers, the Board had decided not to give their approval to the scheme of
amalgamation of the Gas Light and Coke Company with the South Metropolitan Gas
Company.
The Vestry having received a communication from the Board of Works for the
Hacknev District, stating that Board had made arrangements for a conference of Delegates
from various Vestries and District Boards in the Metropolis, to be held at the
Mansion Mouse on the 13th March, 1883, for the purpose of taking into consideration
the best means to be adopted for obtaining an alteration of the present Cab radius, and
asking the Vestry to appoint Delegates to attend such conference. The Vestry therefore
appointed Mr. Churchwarden Foottit, and Messrs. Charles Capper and Samuel
Ward Copping as their Delegates to attend the conference.
The Delegates of this parish attended several Meetings of the Conference of
Delegates upon the subject, and it was ultimately resolved to endeavour to obtain an
extension of the Cab radius from a four to a five mile circle from Charing Cross, and
some alterations with regard to the hiring of a Cab outside the radius to destinations
inside the radius.
Numerous complaints having been received by the Vestry from time to time from
the inhabitants of the parish of the nuisance and annoyance caused by the placing of
Exhibitions, Swings, &c., upon open land and premises, in December, 1883, the Vestry
presented a Memorial to the Secretary of State for the Home Department as follows:—
To the Right Honorable the SECRETARY of STATE
for the HOME DEPARTMENT.
The MEMORIAL of the VESTRY of the
PARISH of ROTHERHITHE, in the
COUNTY of SURREY.
SHEWETH,
THAT great nuisance and annoyance are frequently occasioned to the respectable
Householders of the Parish of Rotherhithe, in consequence of itinerant showmen and others who reside in
caravans and pay no rates, but move about from one part of London to another and occupy any vacant
ground which appears to them available for the purpose of exhibiting thereon, in Booths or Caravans
Exhibitions of a kind which attract large numbers of the lowest orders of the people, or for the purpose of
erecting and setting up thereon large Swings and Wooden Horses, set in motion by steam power such as
are seen at Fairs, the performances being usually accompanied by the music of a powerful organ often
worked by steam, and the ground lit up by flaring oil lamps, the amusement which is kept up to a late hour
of the evening, often until midnight a disturbance and nuisance exceedingly offensive to the
neighbourhood.
THAT the state of things described is not confined to the Parish of Rotherhithe alone, but as your
Memorialists are informed and believe, occurs in many other Parishes within the Metropolitan area.