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THE VESTRY
Consists of 48 elected and three ex-officio Members, and was
constituted by the Metropolis Local Management Act, 1855. It
superseded an elected Vestry acting under the provisions of the
Statute 1 & 2 William IV., cap. 60, which was adopted by the
ratepayers of St. James's on the 6th April, 1832. All the powers
of the former Vestry and of the Paving Commissioners acting
under Local Acts, as well as some of the functions of the Commissioners
of Sewers, were transferred to the newly-appointed
body.
An Act was passed in the year 1858 relative to the main
drainage of the Metropolis, by which the Vestry, as the rating
authority of the Parish, were required to meet precepts of the
Metropolitan Board of Works for a Main Drainage Rate not to
exceed 2d. in the pound per annum.
In 1862, the powers of the Vestry were enlarged by the
Metropolis Local Management Amendment Act, and in the
following year turnpike roads in the Metropolis were transferred
from Commissioners, who had power to levy tolls upon horses and
other animals and vehicles, to the Local Authorities, whose expenses
are defrayed from rates.
The Metropolitan Board of Works (Loans) Act, 1869, and
Money Acts of the Board, subsequently passed, besides makingsome
alterations in the mode of assessing the expenses of the
Board, have afforded increased facilities for the raising of money by
Vestries and District Boards, of which, however, the Vestry of
St. James have not had occasion to avail themselves.
The Vestry have also various powers under the Metropolitan
Paving Act, 57 Geo. III., cap. 29, commonly known as Michael
Angelo Taylor's Act, the Nuisances Removal Acts, the Metropolitan
Building Acts, the Metropolis Gas Act, the Sanitary Act,
1866, the Artizans and Labourers' Dwellings Act, 1868, better
known as Torrens' Act, and other statutes.
By the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts of 1875 and 1879, the
Vestry are empowered to purchase samples of food and drugs for