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that such an impression should prevail and be acted
upon, and that they would only be glad to receive, as
early as possible, any statements of fact or conclusions
supported by reasons which might be formulated by
those most experienced in local administration, and the
more so if the representations were made in a friendly
and not in a hostile spirit. It is an entirely gratuitous
assumption that hostility is to be looked for in this
quarter, which is far more likely to prove a stronghold
to the Government if the Bill recognises what Mr.
J. S. Mill calls "Community of local interest" in some
areas less than the whole, as well as in the whole. It
would be regretable that support should be alienated
by a mistaken conception as to the attitude of the
Government towards the men carrying out the Act of
1855, merely because it has become fashionable to use
indiscriminate language, and to condemn all who administer
the Act, for the shortcomings of the Act itself.
I cannot think you would desire that the most legitimate
expression of official opinion should be discouraged
by the avowal of a belief that the Government would
treat it with indifference, particularly as the subject is
one that has never been discussed by experts. I
therefore take the liberty of calling your attention to
the Clerkenwell incident.
I remain, &c.
WILLIAM STORE."
To the Bight Hon. Sir W. Harcourt, M.P., &c.
The Vestry Clerk's reply in the daily Press was:—
"Vestry Hall, Clerkenwell,
February 10th, 1883.
The Ministry and the London Yestries.
Sir,
I have just been reading the correspondence between
Mr. Storr and the Home Secretary, which appeared in