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23
different footing from provincial towns of comparatively
minor importance.
The following pages will show the diversity of subjects
coming within the purview of the Vestry, but it may be
convenient here to enumerate the more important functions
of that body, viz.:—
1. Paving, cleansing, watering, and lighting the public
streets.
2 Constructing, maintaining, and cleansing local sewers,
public conveniences, &c.
3. Supervising the construction, alteration, and amendment
of the drains and sanitary arrangements of dwellinghouses
and other buildings.
4. Preventing, removing, and abating nuisances injurious
to health, disinfecting after sickness, &c.
5. Regulating projections into the public streets, and
annoyances of various kinds.
6. Preserving, as far as possible, freedom from adulteration
in articles of food and medicine.
7. Levying and collecting the rates, from which large, and
unfortunately rapidly increasing, sums are paid annually
to authorities entirely independent of local
control.
Upon the last-mentioned point it may be here observed
that there has been a growing tendency for some years to
include in the local rates various sums for Metropolitan
purposes. Thus since the year 1855 the Vestry have at
different times been required by Parliament to provide
funds for—(a) Main Drainage; (b) Fire Brigade; (c)
Elementary Education: (d) Thames Bridges—purchase,
maintenance, and re-building ; (e) Artizans' Dwellings; (f)