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86
Telephone Company to apply to Parliament for
authority to lay and suspend across streets wires
for telephone purposes, with a request that the
Government will oppose the Bill of the Company,
and deal with the question of Overhead Wires in
some Public Bill of general application, and that
the points brought by the Vestry before the Select
Committee ou Telegraph and Telephone Wires in
1885 be submitted as the basis of such legislation "
and asking the support of the Vestry in the matter.
A letter, dated 7th February, was also read from
the Vestry of St. Luke, forwarding resolution—
"That the Metropolitan Board of Works be requested
to oppose, on behalf of the Yestries and District
Boards of the Metropolis generally, the Bill promoted
by the United Telephone Company, to be
introduced into Parliament during the coming
Session, so far as the Bill relates to Overhead
Wires ; and in the event of the Company agreeing
to introduce the requisite clauses for duly and
sufficiently safeguarding the interests of the various
Local Authorities, to offer no opposition to the
portion of the Bill relating to the laying of Underground
Wires."
The Vestry agreed with the views expressed by
the Vestry of St. James, Westminster, and a
communication was made to the Government
accordingly.
On the 23rd February the Vestry received a
letter from the Vestry of Lambeth, referring to
Conference of Delegates from Vestries and District
Boards, held in 1885, on the subject of overhead
wires, and suggesting that as the United Telephone
Company have introduced a Bill into Parliament to
give them further powers with regard to placing
wires over or under the streets of the Metropolis,