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of the total cost at once, such moiety would be accepted in full of all
claim. Under this arrangement the entire of the moiety due in respect
of Pownall Road has been received and the work executed, and other
roads are in progress, both as regards collection and works. The amount
to be met by the Vestry is included in the loan of £15000 previously
alluded to.
NEW PAVING LOAN.
The necessity of completing the repairing of the carriage-way of
the High Street, Shoreditch, and of replacing the Macadam of MurrayStreet,
and portions of Hoxton Street, and Pitfield Street with granite
pitching necessitated a new loan, and accordingly £15000 was obtained
from the Metropolitan Board at £3 18s. 6d., per cent. for fifteen
years; £5000 was taken up at Lady-day, and £10000 at Midsummerday
last. This is the first loan obtained from the Metropolitan Board.
It may here be observed that the first loan obtained by the Yestry
in 1856, for sewers works, will be extinguished in July next; and
another of £5000 will be paid off in November.
The state of the indebtedness of the Vestry, in respect to loans,
will be seen by reference to the table in this report.
SUPPLY OF GAS.
The Gas Question has received during the past year much attention
from the Vestry, as it has from other public bodies. While the Metropolitan
Board, and the Corporation of London were endeavouring to
obtain by Legislative action greater control over the Companies as
regards extension of capital, dividend, price, and quality of gas, the
great companies were concocting schemes of amalagation, and seeking
various additional powers, to which schemes in a modified sense, the
Government gave its support. It is unnecessary to enter into all the
details, suffice is to say that the Vestry considered that the interests of
the consumers in this parish would be injuriously affected if the
amalagation of the Independent Company—a small but economically
managed Company, supplying nearly the whole of Shoreditch—should
be effected with the Imperial and the Gas Light and Coke Company
without some special protective provisions were secured. For this
purpose the Vestry had communications with the Metropolitan Board,