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23
suggestions which the Vestry might desire to offer,
and stating that the President was especially
desirous of having his attention drawn to any
provisions in the Bill which it might be considered
did not accurately reproduce the present law. The
Vestry, however, deemed it inexpedient to take any
action in the matter. Subsequently a Conference
was invited by the Vestry of Kensington, but the
Vestry adhered to its resolution and took no part in
such Conference.
Coal Dues.—At the close of the last parochial
year the Vestry had appointed delegates to a Conference
at the Kensington Town Hall, to consider
the desirability of endeavouring to obtain a reimposition
of the Coal Dues. A letter was subsequently
received from the Corporation of the City of
London enclosing report of the Coal, Corn, and
Finance Committee, from which it appeared that
they were waiting a more decisive expression of
opinion from the Yestries and District Boards
before taking further steps for such reimposition.
The Kensington Conference of Delegates from the
Yestries and District Boards passed the following
resolutions:—
(a) That this Conference of Delegates expressing the views of 19
Parishes and Districts of the Metropolis, having a population of over
1,564,431, and a rateable value of £11,841,332, is of opinion that
the abolition of the Coal Dues has totally failed to afford the relief
predicted at the time that they were abolished, experience having
clearly proved that not only has no gain come to the coal consumers
of London, but that an appreciable increase has been caused by
their abolition in the direct local taxation of the Metropolis, and a
serious obstacle raised to the carrying out of important Metropolitan
improvements.
(i) That this Conference, being fully convinced that the re
imposition of the Dues would not be prejudicial to the coal consumers
at large, but would afford a welcome relief to the heavily
burthened ratepayers of the Metropolis, is of opinion that it is highly