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provisions of Sections 192, 194 and 195, the last-named Section
giving the auditors powers of surcharging.
In pursuance of the letter dated 28th December, 1898, addressed
by the Secretary of the Local Joint Committee to the
various Local Authorities, and copy of which is found with
Counsel's papers, a meeting of that Committee was held on
January 18th instant, at which delegates from certain Local
Authorities attended in conference with a view of deciding on a
course of action to be taken on the enquiry before the Select
Committee.
The case with the opinion of Mr. H. Courthope Munroe was
read, when the question was at once raised by one of the delegates
as to whether the Local Authorities of the Metropolis have
power to spend money in furthering the objects of this enquiry,
and in obtaining the evidence of witnesses to be placed before
the Parliamentary Committee.
The expenditure is likely to be somewhat large, and before the
delegates would bind either themselves or the Authorities they
represent to any expenditure, they decided to obtain the opinion
of counsel on the point at an early date.
It may at once be said that the Metropolis Management Acts
nowhere expressly empower the Local Authorities to spend
money in promoting enquiries of this kind nor do they empower
them to incur a like expenditure in opposing Bills in Parliament.
The Local Authorities, however, have always considered they
are entitled by implication to oppose any Bill in Parliment
which are regarded as detrimental to the interests of their Districts,
or which they desired to have amended, and they have
constantly exercised this implied power.
Further, it should be remembered that the Standing Orders of
the House require that before Tramway Bills or Electric Lighting
Bills are considered that they should be approved by the
Local Authorities concerned, and the Gas Acts of earlier days
set out in Michael and Will's Book refer to the Local Authorities,
including the Metropolitan Board of Works, now the London
County Council, as the Local Authorities for gas purposes.
Section 2 of the Metropolis Water Act, 1897, 60 and 61 Vic.,
Cap. 56, empowers Local Authorities to aid any water consumer
in his action against Water Company, and this may have
misled some people into thinking that the Local Authorities
could not proceed against a Water Company before that Act
was passed, but it is evident this Section is only required to enable
them, although they may have no grievance themselves, to