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53
considered the Bill in the light of a reference drawn
in the spirit of Mr. Smith's suggestion, and finding
that the liabilities of the Corporation in respect of
the Holborn Valley improvements still amounted to
£744,000, so amended the Bill as to provide that an
unappropriated surplus from the coal dues of
£100,000 and the savings on the penny per ton,
which has hitherto been retained when the drawback
was paid, amounting to £60,000 should be
specifically appropriated towards meeting the obligation
in question; and also that the coal dues
should be continued for another year from July, not
at thirteen pence but at four pence, which, it was
estimated would bring in a further sum of £142,000,
making in all £302,000. The Corporation having
assented to the reference to the Committee, abided
loyally by its decision, though they would, no doubt,
have been glad to get more assistance in relief of a
heavy obligation incurred for an improvement which
was decidedly of benefit to the whole of the
Metropolis.
City of London Parochial Charities.—It will
be remembered that, in the last report, the Vestry
detailed at length the efforts which were being
made to obtain a grant from the City Parochial
Charities Fund towards the establishment of a
Polytechnic in North London. In September a
draft scheme was issued by the Charity Commissioners
for dealing with these Charities. The
Marquis of Northampton had generously given a
site in the centre of Clerkenwell, where Taylor's
Bow and part of St. John Street Road stood, and
the Scheme of the Commissioners proposed to set
aside for the City of London College, the Birkbeck
Institute, and the Northampton Institute the sum
of £51,000 towards the building, and an endowment
of £5,350 annually,
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