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Vestry to pay any compensation, as the facts were in dispute, and the person
alleged to have placed the broom against the wall was in the service of Messrs.
Abbotts, the Vestry's contractors for general cartage of materials. I proceeded
therefore to enter an appearance and to defend the action.
A summons was taken out on behalf of the Vestry for further and better
particulars of the plaintiff's claim, and the Master ordered the particulars required
to be delivered. I also made an affidavit as to the plaintiff's means being insufficient
to meet any costs should judgment be given against him, which was supported by
an affidavit of Mr. Noel, Vice-Chairman of the Paving Committee, and I proceeded
to take out a summons for the action to be transferred to the Shoreditch County
Court, in pursuance of sec. 66 of the County Courts Act, 1888, unless security for
costs were given. This summons was heard before the Hon. Robert Butler, on the
16th July, 1892, when he made an order transferring the action to the Shoreditch
County Court for trial.
No further proceedings have been taken by the plaintiff, and the action has
accordingly lapsed.
CHICK v. QUELCH.
On 22nd October, 1892, a requisition on behalf of Mr. John Chick, of 47,
North Street, Victoria Park, against Mr. Quelch, one of the Vestry's Sanitary
Inspectors, for damages for slander alleged to have been uttered by him before the
Vestry's General Purposes Committee, in reporting the unsatisfactory progress of
the work executed by Mr. Chick in accordance with the Vestry's orders.
As the report of the Inspector was made in pursuance of his duty and was
supported by other evidence, the Vestry resolved to defend the action for him, and I
entered an appearance accordingly.
The plaintiff took out a summons to transfer the action to the Shoreditch
County Court for trial, to save time and expense, but inasmuch as the County Court
Acts only allow the privilege to transfer an action to the County Court to the
defendant, I would not agree to this course, and no further proceedings have been
taken by the plaintiff, so that the action has accordingly lapsed.
TOTALS OF QUINQUENNIAL VALUATION.
Upon the reduction of the assessments of the Gas Light and Coke Company
and others by the Court of Quarter Sessions on appeals against the Quinquennial
Valuation List, it was found impossible to get the Court to alter the totals in order
to give corresponding relief to the Vestry in payment of the General Metropolitan
Precepts. I accordingly entered an appeal by the Vestry against the totals of the
List, and the Assessment Committee were made respondents. This appeal (which
is reported more fully in the Assessment Committee's report) was successful, the