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30
present condition the street will continue to be one of the slums
and plague spots of Westminster, the existence of which costs
so much to the nation and to the ratepayers."
Demolition Orders were sealed on the date above mentioned,
and were, with one exception, complied with during
the year. This exception was with reference to a house in
Lewisham Street in respect of which the Vestry granted to
the owner, upon his closing the house as a dwelling, by the
severance of sewer connections, the removal of cisterns, &c.,
and internal alterations, a modification of the Order so far
as absolute demolition was required, so that the shell of the
house might be utilised for storage purposes.
This stringent action, taken in the best interests of the
parishioners, provoked a discouraging correspondence with
the Home Office, the particular attention of the Vestry
being directed to the alleged "evils arising from houses
being demolished without provision being made for the
people dishoused," although, as it was pointed out, only 36
small tenements were affected, irrespective of the fact that
the demolition was necessary "in the best interests of the
people themselves, as well as of the whole neighbourhood."
Public
Mortuary
In December the Vestry received a communication
from the Coroner of Westminster
(Mr. Troutbeck), submitting the necessity, in view of
the Sessions House having been taken over by the
Middlesex County Council, for the provision of proper
accommodation as a mortuary and Coroner's Court. The
27th Annual Report of the late District Board noted the
fact that during the year 1882-3, an agreement was entered
into between the Board and His Grace the Duke of Westminster,
whereby a piece of land in the Horseferry Road,
used by the Vestry as a store-yard, was secured to the
Board and their successors for the purpose of building a
public mortuary, with all necessary appurtenances, subject
to the determination of the respective leases or other