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The Metropolitan Public Gardens Association agreed in November, 1896, to lay out
the Square as a garden and provide caretaker's box, eight garden seats and a drinking
fountain for the sum of £194. The Vestry resolved to accept the offer and the work is
in hand.
(c) ST JOHN'S CHURCHYARD.
The Housing Committee have had the improvement of this churchyard under consideration,
and after interviewing the Rev. G. P. Pownall, agreed to proceed to obtain
a Faculty for the removal of the tombstones, and to obtain permission to lay out the
churchyard as a public recreation ground. The draft petition has been prepared,
advertisements, as required by the Open Spaces Act, 1887, of the intention of the
Vestry to apply for the Faculty will shortly be issued.
(d) ST. MARY'S CHURCHYARD, HAGGERSTON.
The condition of the paths of this churchyard rendered it necessary to lay in a
proper system of drainage thereto. Plans and specifications have been prepared and
tenders invited for the work.
The dwarf railings in the churchyard are being straightened and repaired.
PARLIAMENTARY MATTERS.
(a) LONDON CANALS PROTECTION.
In consequence of an agitation initiated by the Shoreditch Vestry, set out at
length in my report of 1896, on page 39, as to the dangers of the fences of the
Regent's Canal passing through this parish, a Bill was introduced into Parliament
in 1897 providing for the proper fencing of all dangerous water-ways of the canals in
London, and giving powers to the Vestries to summon Canal Companies neglecting
to erect such fencing after notice from a Board of Jurisdiction, who are to have
powers to make, order and require the necessary fencing to be erected, and such cost
to be borne by the local authority; but the Bill, however, was not passed into law,
and has been re-introduced in the first Session of 1898, and is still under the consideration
of Parliament.
(b) METROPOLITAN SEWERS AND DRAINS BILL.
The Vestry considered a letter of the London County Council pointing out the
difficulties met with in regard to the introduction of this Bill, which was intended to
get over the difficulties raised as to what combined sewers and drains were repairable
by the Vestry or by the owners, and asked for the views of the Vestry upon the
matter. As the Holborn Board of Works convened a conference upon this subject
the Vestry supported this movement, and appointed the Chairmen of the Public
Health and Works Committees, together with the Chief Sanitary
Inspector and myself, to attend such conference which was duly convened
at the Holborn Town Hall, when the lines of the previous Bill were generally