View report page

113
This clause is practically an amendment to Section 84 of
the Metropolis Local Management Act, 1862, which makes it
lawful for a local authority to close or stop up any street in
their district with the previous sanction of the County
Council. The Act of 1862, however, contains no provisions
for enforcing any conditions laid down by the Council,
neither does it enable the Council to prevent the closing or
stopping up of streets without their sanction.
It will be seen, therefore, that the proposed clause if
carried into law will prevent local authorities stopping up
streets over which they exercise jurisdiction except with
the sanction of the County Council, and on such conditions
as the Council may impose. This appears to be an unnecessary
interference with the powers and duties of Vestries
and District Boards as Highway Authorities, and it is
rendered more objectionable by the fact that these bodies
are to be penalised if they fail to comply with the provisions
of the clause or any of the conditions which may be laid
down by the Council.
Clause 6 provides that the owner of any building designed
for use in flats or tenements, in which any staircase or
passage is used in common by occupants of different flats or
tenements, and is open at night, shall be bound to light
every such staircase or passage, and to keep the same lighted
from sunset to sunrise on every night to the satisfaction of
the Lighting Authority of the district. The Lighting
Authority may, by an order under seal, prescribe the amount
of light and the positions of any lights to be provided. The
owner is to be liable to a penalty of £5 for every night on
which he fails to comply with the provisions of the Section.
The clause farther provides that the Lighting Authority
may undertake the provision and maintenance of lamps and
H