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7
house for the Poor of St. Luke's it should not be assessed at a higher
value than the property was assessed at previous to its being so applied,
i.e., £19. In 1849 the Trustees of the Poor of this Parish sought to set
aside this exemption, but the Queen's Bench decided that the Workhouse
was by the Local Act not liable to assessment to a greater extent than
the £19. In 1868 the Parish of St. Luke was joined to the Holborn
Union for Poor Law purposes, and the occupation of the Workhouse
passed to the Guardians of the Union, in addition to which the Holborn
Guardians had erected a building at a cost of about £13,000 on the
land. As the exemption by statute applied to the Guardians of St.
Luke only, it was contended that it could not apply to the Guardians
of the Holborn Union, and the premises were assessed at £1800 gross
and £1200 nett value. The Holborn Guardians appealed primarily to
the Assessment Committee and subsequently it was agreed between the
two parties to submit the matter in a Special case to the Queen's Bench.
At a period subsequent to Lady-day, 1872, the matter came before the
Court for argument, and it then transpiring that the Guardians of the
Holborn Union paid to the Parish of St. Luke a rental for the use of
the premises, it was held unanimously by the Judges that the exemption
ceased. No formal decision was given, it being left to the Holborn
Guardians to withdraw or amend the case, with an intimation that the
case if amended must be decided in favour of Shoreditch. The assessment
is therefore virtually confirmed.
THE SMALL POX EPIDEMIC.
This disease which had raged with great violence in this parish
during the Autumn and Winter of 1870-71, so far subsided as to allow
of the temporary Hospital to be closed in May. The total cost of the
Hospital, including Building and Furniture, Medical Attendance,
Nursing, Provisions, Removal of patients to Convalescent Homes, &c.,
was £1317 1s. 6d., from which may be deducted
Fees for admission of patients £64 16 6
Sale of old building, &c. 62 0 0
Nett cost £1196 5 0
It is only due to state that Dr. Sutton neither asked for or received
any extra remuneration for the arduous duties imposed upon him by
this visitation.