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or December last to all parishes, and in the month of December
Clerkenwell promised immediate consideration of that letter, I
think?— Yes.
17,474. Am I right in believing that on the 2nd of May the
Vestry considered a second report from the Sanitary Committee
upon that subject?— They did.
17,475. The Vestry made no communication, I think, to the
Local Government Board with regard to these reports of the
Sanitary Committee, or with regard to the action which they
were going to take; and they were written to on the 30th of
May to ask what answer they would give ?—Yes.
17,476. On the 4th of June, I think, you answered, promising
to lay our letter before the Vestry ?—Yes.
17,477. On the 2nd of July the Local Government Board wrote
again, asking a reply, did they not ?—Yes.
17,478. And on the 4th July you replied that the Committee
had not yet reported what answer they wished to be made to our
letter of the 30th of May?—Yes.
17,479. On the 2nd of August we again wrote for a reply to our
letter of the 30th of May ?—Yes.
17,480. Therefore I am justified, I think, in saying that we have
not received from you any statement upon the subject up to the
present time?—That is so. I may say that in the letter that I
wrote yesterday or the day before I stated that the recommendation
was on the businoss paper of the Yestry, from the Committee
to whom the matter was referred, as to what reply should be
sent, but that that item had not yet been reached.
17,481. It seems a long time, does it not?—It does, rather; but
we have been very busy of late, and we have had a great deal of
business, more than we can get through.
17,482. You wish us to take it as your answer that it has been
press of business which has prevented any reply being sent to us
up to the present time?—That is so really ; but I am now in a
position to give a reply, and I shall do so in due course. We only
came to a decision last night.
17,483. Amongst those who have given evidence before us, the
first witness who mentioned Clerkenwell was Lord William
Compton. When he was asked at question 618 with regard to
these tenement provisions in Clerkenwell, he stated that Mr.