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38
liability of his predecessor, from whom, however, he receives
not only the licence but also the whole beneficial interest in
the premises. There is a legal difficulty in attaching a
liability of the kind to the owners or mortgagees, such as the
brewers or distillers, who are very often the sole persons
benefiting by the licence being kept alive. After
carefully considering the subject the Vestry have resolved
to call the attention of the Licensing Justices to each case
where the outgoing occupier has failed to pay the rates,
with a view to the Justices considering whether the licence
should not be terminated. It would appear that if a business is
not sufficiently profitable to admit of payment of ordinary expenses
such as rates, the licence is not required in the
interest of the public, and that the application for transfer
or renewal under such conditions comes within the conditions
contemplated in the case of Wakefield v. Sharp.
At the request of the London County Council, who
called attention to the large sums collected annually for
so-called volunteer fire brigades and for societies for the
relief of disabled firemen, who are in no way connected
with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, the Vestry have
caused to be printed on their Demand Notes for rates an
intimation that “under no circumstances whatever are the
men of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade allowed to solicit
money for any purpose."
COAL DUTY.
On the 9th May, the Vestry passed a resolution in favour
of the renewal of the London Coal Duty for a limited
period, for the purpose of securing an improved water
supply or for effecting metropolitan improvements. The