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10
Parochial Officers were not required by the Act to take any part in the
election of the Members of that Board, except to furnish the Rate Books
and the attendance of the Collectors, but being requested to assist the
Returning Officer of Hackney in the election as regards Shoreditch, I
and a portion of the vestry's staff readily did so, and we had the satisfaction
of knowing that the election in Shoreditch was conducted to the
satisfaction of all the candidates, and with far less complaints, as to
arrangements, than were made respecting many other districts in the
Metropolis. The Yestry has received a precept requiring it to pay
£882 13s. 2d. to the School Board, towards its general expenses. This
is a charge upon the Yestry Rate.
A new Jury Act came into operation this year, but subsequently to
the preparation of the Jury List for the year. Hence, so far as the
preparation of the List, it has not in this Parish been acted upon. The
next List must be prepared in accordance with it, the chief features of it
are, first, that the assessment to the Inhabited House duty again
becomes a qualification, and this and the increase in the Poor Rate
assessment will, perhaps, swell the List by some hundreds of names.
The other feature is, that the Overseers are to indicate those entitled to
serve on Special Juries, which was a duty formerly performed in the
Sheriffs' department.
Some other proposals have been made in Parliament, regarding
Registration of Yoters, the Ballot, Election Expenses, Local Government,
etc., but if they have any result, it will be more in place to notice
them in the next year's report.
PRIVATE BILL LEGISLATION.
The only Railway Bill, affecting the Parish of Shoreditch, introduced
during the Sessions 1870—71, was the North London Railway
Additional Powers Bill, but which so slightly concerned it, that it was
not considered necessary to oppose it.
The matter of Tramways appears now to command the greatest
attention from the speculative world, and have been brought prominently
before the Legislature. Considerable powers have already been granted