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100
The Vestry entertain a strong objection to public questions
being dealt with by private legislation, and accordingly
requested the Local Government Board to oppose the progress
of the United Telephone Company's Bill in Parliament,
and to initiate legislation dealing with the subject of overhead
wires of every description by some public Bill of general
application. This subject has been under consideration for
several years, and the Vestry submitted to the Local Government
Board, as a basis for the proposed legislation, the points
which they brought under the notice of the Select Committee
on Telegraph and Telephone Wires in 1885, as follows: —
1.—The provisions of the Telegraph Acts, as they may be amended by
any Bill based on the report of the Select Committee, to be extended to all
wires, whether laid or suspended, by the Post Office Telegraph Department,
any company, or individuals.
2.—Consent of Street Authority of each Parish or District through or
into which it is proposed to carry any wire, to be asked and obtained before
the commencement of the work, subject to appeal as hereinafter provided.
3.—Control over the suspension and maintenance of overhead wires to be
vested in the bodies having control of the streets, because—
1. That is the principle of the Telegraphs Acts, 1863 (26 and 27 Vic.,
c. 112, s. 9).
2. The Street Authority is also the Local Authority, under the
Electric Lighting Act.
3. The Street Authority is the Authority to take cognizance of
nuisances and annoyances, such as a dangerous wire.
4. It would be inconvenient to confer partial jurisdiction over
telegraph wires upon different authorities (as, for example, upon
the Street Authority in respect of wires laid underground, and
upon another authority in respect of wires suspended across or
along streets), and it would be still more inconvenient for one
authority to control the breaking up of streets for the laying of
wires, while another authority is vested with control over the
breaking up of streets for all other statutory purposes whatsoever.