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"Were all London in the same overcrowded and depressing
condition, your Petitioners would have little ground for complaint; but
as they feel sure there are very many places where there are few
inhabitants, or where the inhabitants live under much more favourable
and healthful circumstances, they venture to protest most emphatically
against anything being brought into their midst that may make the
struggle for even a moderately healthy existence more severe than it is
at present for the poorer parishioners.
"Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray that your Honourable
Council will not proceed to the erection of the buildings as proposed."
( L. S. )
A public meeting of ratepayers and inhabitants was also held
on the same evening at the Bricklayers' Hall, Southwark Bridge
Road, Mr. Coles presiding, and a petition similar in its terms to
that above set forth was adopted. Despite a rumour that the
Public Health Committee intended to abandon the project, it
was thought advisable, in the absence of any official announcement
to that effect, to proceed with the opposition, and the
petitions were forwarded to the Council. The rumour, however,
proved to be well founded, and Mr. Edric Bayley, who had
zealously co-operated with the Board in opposing the scheme, at
a meeting of the Council held on the 13th of March, put a
question to the Chairman of the Public Control Committee and
elicited a reply to the effect that the Committee had resolved to
abandon it and desired to withdraw their recommendation with
regard thereto. The recommendation was accordingly by leave
withdrawn and the scheme abandoned.
COMBINED DRAINAGE.
On the receipt, in February last, of a circular-letter from
the Vestry of St. Mary, Islington, calling attention to the
unsatisfactory state of the law in regard to the definition of the
words "sewer" and "drain" as contained in the Metropolis
Local Management Act, and the Acts for amending the same,
and suggesting that the London County Council should be asked
to take the necessary steps to cause the law to be amended in
regard thereto, the Board, on the recommendation of the Sanitary
and Sewers Committee, resolved to give its support to the
suggestion, and a letter was addressed to the Council accordingly.
Afterwards, a circular-letter was received from the Board of
Works for the Holborn District asking the Board to appoint
delegates to attend a conference on the subject, and the Board
appointed the Chairman of the Sanitary and Sewers Committee
(Mr. Newton) and their Surveyor as such delegates accordingly.
The conference was held at the Town Hall, Gray's Inn Road, on
the 17th of May, and it was resolved to memorialize the Council
on the subject.