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him to the Secretary of State for an order declaring the following
streets(inter alia) to be within the "Special Limits" of the
Metropolitan Streets' Act, 18G7, viz :
L. and M. Divisions.
Blackfriars Road.
Stamford Street.
M. Division.
Borough High Street.
Duke Street.
Tooley Street.
The effect of the order being to enable the Commissioner, with
the approval of the Secretary of State, to make regulations in
regard to the traffic, and to render illegal, between 10 in the
morning and 6 in the evening, the loading or unloading of coal,
the lowering or raising of casks (except wine or spirits in cask)
&c., &c., and any person offending is liable to a penalty of 40/-.
On several occasions in the early part of the year 1892 the
Surveyor called the attention of the Paving and General Purposes
Committee to the dangerous condition of the Steps leading from
London Bridge to Tooley Street, and communications were from
time to time addressed to the Bridge House Estates' Committee,
respecting them, but the City authorities repudiated all
responsibility in the matter. In November, 1892, complaint was
received by the Surveyor of the Board from a firm of provision
merchants having premises in Tooley Street, that an accident
had occurred in consequence of the defective coudition of the Steps,
and, on reporting this to the Paving and General Purposes Committee
they ordered them to be temporarily closed. Thereupon
complaint was made by a member of the same firm who had
complaintd of the dangerous condition of the Steps, of the
inconvenience and loss occasioned by the closing of them, and
shortly afterwards he took out a summons at the Soutliwark
Police Court, against the Board, which was heard by Mr. Fenwick,
the Magistrate, who. holding that the Steps constituted a public
way and that the Surveyor had no right to close them, fined him
Ml and allowed i'5 costs. Pending these proceedings further
communications were addressed to the Bridge House Estates'
Committee upon the subject, but that Committee declined to
accept any responsibility. Afterwards, however, a deputation
from the Paving, &c., Committee waited upon the City authorities
and resulted in their agreeing to contribute £75 towards the
expense of removing the old and erecting a new flight of Steps,
as the following letter will show :
"Guildhall, E.C.,
20th April, 1893.
" Dear Sir
" With reference to the interview your Board bad with the
Bridge House Estates' Committee on Monday last relative to the
Steps leading from London Bridge to Tooley Street, I have to inform
yon that, alth« ugh the steps are not the property nor under the
control of the Corporation of London, they have agreed to contribute
the sum of £75 towards the expense of the removal of the old Steps
2*
Steps, Tooley
Street.