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47
the months of November or December, of their intended
application, but applications for a licence may be made at any
time.
In the autumn and winter of 1888 the Vestry received four
applications for licences, notice of one intended application
for a private Act, and notices of two intended applications
for a Provisional Order. The Vestry had already consented
to a licence being granted to the St. James's and Pall Mall
Electric Lighting Company, and a Provisional Order to the
South Metropolitan Electric Supply Company, on certain
conditions which had formed the subject of protracted conferences
at the offices of the Board of Trade. Both licence
and Provisional Order were granted by the Board of Trade,
but the latter, on being submitted to Parliament at a late
period of the Session, for confirmation, met with unexpected
opposition, and failed to receive confirmation, thus becominginoperative.
The promoters of this abortive order then
applied for a licence, to which the Vestry at once assented,
but as many applications for licences, some embracing very
extensive areas of supply, had been received, the Board of
Trade declined to take the responsibility of deciding, without
appeal to Parliament, the questions of principle involved, and
so refused a licence.
The promoters then gave notice of their intention to apply
for a private Act, and the Vestry decided to support this
application if the terms of the Bill were identical with the
Provisional Order to which they had already assented.
Such was the position of affairs in St. James's, when the
Vestry were called upon to consider applications from other
undertakers. Shortly the policy adopted by the Vestry was