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14
to exhibit to the world the result of their labours in a
locality in which they cannot by any possibility be overlooked,
but will be submitted to, at least, a genuine test.
The Yestry having charge of the Streets forming the
District of St. James's have, consequently, a great responsibility
thrown upon them; those streets being more
than thoroughfares in the ordinary acceptance of the word,
are themselves the attraction to which other thoroughfares
lead, it is therefore of very great importance that they
should be well kept, and, if possible, models of what
streets should be—and the time and labour given by the
Vestry and their Works Committee to the furtherance of
the above object prove that the duties are efficiently fulfilled
by them.
The locality being so favourable for the exhibition, or
experimental adoption, of all improvements, of every
kind, especially such as appeal to the eye, it follows of
necessity that every proposed variation from the usual
mode of Lighting, Paving, Watering or Cleansing, is
not considered to have been fairly tested, unless it has
been in use or practised in some part of St. James's,
one consequence of which is that the Vestry have
all such matters submitted to them for consideration in
their earlier stages, and as they have not usually the
light of experience to guide them in arriving at a sound
decision, a great deal more consideration is required than
if the proposed matter, whatever it may be, could be seen
in use elsewhere, and as modern improvements succeed