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The general purpose of such a list having for its object to show
that the Vestry have not been idle, but have been active in their
duties, and have seen that no neglect has accrued that has been in
their power to prevent.
The Paving Works, as it has been my duty to explain before,
being upon the surface, are, more or less generally understood; but
it is the maintenance of this, or these surfaces, that causes a great
amount of consideration to the Vestry, to insure, as they ought to
do, not only safety to the public, but safety combined with convenience,
the vehicular and foot passenger traffic being equally
studied. The numerous and judiciously placed Foot Passenger
Refuges are sufficient proofs of the thought and care that have been
given to this one portion of the question.
It is needless to refer to the material that has been adopted: all
that has been done, has been decided upon after very mature
deliberation, not involving any lack of energy, but governed by the
honest purpose of accomplishing the ends to be achieved-public
safety and convenience, combined with the comfort of the residents.
So far as my own knowledge goes, these have been the two rules
that have guided the Vestry in their transactions, always governed
by a due regard to expense.
It would require a treatise to explain the peculiarities of the
Parish of St. James. The underground works, as they exist at
present, are not at all such as they were intended to be at the time
they were done. Times have changed. That that was right 100
years since, is wrong now. The old sewers, gulley drains, &c.
and the several gas mains, many of which are out of use, to say
nothing of old house drains, and unknown vaults and foundations,
render the unseen portion of the roads such an enigma, that
after the years of experience I have had to try and comprehend
them, the only course left to the Vestry is to make sure of the
stability of such works as they do execute.
The surfaces must be kept safe; then the word but forces itself to
the surface, and all reasonable means, to put it in the mildest form,
have to be thought of and employed to prepare for the said surface,
so that it shall not only look but be sound and substantial.