Read Ebook: Fifth Report of the Vestry of the Parish of Chelsea in the County of Middlesex Appointed Under the Metropolis Local Management Act 1855: 1860-1 by Lahee Charles

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MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, AND ESTABLISHMENT ARRANGEMENTS.

The result of the ward elections on the 29th of May, 1860, was to effect the following changes in the constitution of the board:--

RETIRING MEMBERS. Mr. BOWERS Mr. LEETE Mr. THIRST ,, BURTON ,, OSBORN ,, TILL ,, BUTT ,, PITT ,, WAIN ,, CARTER ,, PORTER ,, WATKINS ,, COMPTON ,, RABBITS WHITEHEAD ,, CURRY ,, E. RICHARDS ,, R. WOOD, and ,, GABLE ,, G. W. RICHARDS ,, YAPP. ,, JACKSON MEMBERS RE-ELECTED. Mr. BUTT Mr. LEETE Mr. THIRST ,, COMPTON ,, OSBORN ,, TILL, and ,, GABLE ,, RABBITS WAIN. NEW MEMBERS. Mr. BADCOCK Mr. GURNEY Mr. PARKER ,, BLAZDELL ,, HULSE ,, ROOPE ,, DELANY ,, LAWRENCE ,, WALKER, and ,, DOUBELL ,, OXFORD ,, L. E. WOOD. ,, FOY

Descriptions, with plans, of the several wards, with the names and addresses of the members of the vestry representing them, of the auditors of the accounts, and of the officers, as required by the Act to be given in each report, will be found in the Appendix No. 1 .

At Easter, 1860, the usual election of churchwardens, sidesmen, church trustees, and auditors of the church trustees' accounts took place; their names and addresses, together with those of the persons previously nominated as fit to serve the office of overseers of the poor, and submitted for the choice of the magistrates in special sessions, will be found in the Appendix No. 3, .

The vestry on Easter Tuesday also elected John Moore Segar, son of John Moore Segar deceased, for admission into the parochial charity school, pursuant to the will of the late John Chamberlayne, Esquire.

The return usually ordered by the board previous to the annual election, showing the attendances of each member, is reprinted in the Appendix No. 2 ; but as the period embraced in that return does not entirely correspond with the parochial year, the tabular arrangement commenced in the last report is continued:--

From March Vestry Committee Evening Average 25th to Meetings. Meetings. Committees. Attendances March 25th. At Vestries. 1856-7 50 52 nil 23 1857-8 53 59 31 23 1858-9 45 85 37 27 1859-60 45 92 32 25 1860-1 44 109 74 28

A list of the members who have served upon the various committees, and sub-committees, during the year, is given in the Appendix No. 4 ; and the list annually issued by the vestry clerk, containing the names and places of abode of the parochial clergy and lay officers, immediately follows it. Appendix No. 5 .

In November, 1860, in consequence of the numerous additional matters connected with the new building, into which the vestry had now removed, requiring the hall-keeper's attention, the clerk reported that the messenger's duties were not satisfactorily performed, and the subject being referred to one of the standing committees for consideration, a youth was appointed upon their recommendation at ten shillings per week to commence with.

During this year the vestry have contemplated some alterations in the salaries of the officers, and upon the application of Mr. J. E. Salway, one of the office clerks, for increased remuneration, in December, 1860, referred the whole question of their duties and salaries to the committee of works and for general purposes for consideration. That committee for the purpose of comparison, and in order to have some data before them upon which to form a satisfactory opinion, requested Mr. Tite, M.P., to move the House of Commons for a return from each vestry and district board in the metropolis, of its population; number of houses; extent of its area; aggregate length of its streets; and the value of property, as assessed to live county rate, and the poor rate. The committee wished this return also to show the number of meetings held during the year, whether of the full board or of committees, or sub-committees; as well as the names and salaries of the officers, with particulars of any other benefits enjoyed by them: and that this information might be tabularly arranged in the order of the amount of population of each place. See Appendix No. 6 .

Mr. Tite however replied that Sir John Shelley had moved for such a return, referring to one similar to that printed at page 69 in the second report, but as the return moved for by Sir John Shelley differed from that suggested by the committee, in several important particulars, the vestry requested Mr. Tite to obtain the introduction into it of the additional information.

The act for regulating the supply of gas to the metropolis rendered it necessary that the vestry should consider the appointment of a Gas Examiner; and having themselves determined to put in operation in this parish the act for preventing the adulteration of articles of food and drink by appointing an Analyst; a committee was appointed in March, 1861, to confer with Dr. Barclay as to his acceptance of the latter office, and the terms upon which he would undertake its duties, having regard to his diminished duties as medical officer of health. This Committee was amalgamated with one appointed subsequently, and specially, to consider the duties and salary of the medical officer of health, to whom was referred also, the question of the appointment of the gas examiner.

In consequence of the heavy amount of the solicitors' bill for the year 1859-60, which included the greater part of the law charges in the actions brought against the vestry by the London Gas Light Company and Mr. Hornsby, the contractor, those gentlemen suggested in the following letter to the vestry clerk that they should be taxed:--

Dear Sir, We have given the subject of our Mr. Pemberton's conversation with you respecting our bill of costs, mature consideration, and feeling the delicate position in which the vestry are placed as trustees accountable to their constituents, we would suggest that for the future all our bills be referred to Mr. Richard Dax, of the Temple, barrister at law, for taxation, and to certify the amount properly payable to us. This course is adopted by the Great Western and North Western railway companies, the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway company, the Shrewsbury railway company, the Metropolitan railway company now in course of formation, all of whom refer their solicitors' bills to Mr. Dax for the satisfaction of the shareholders, and we believe it to be the practice with nearly all railway and other large companies; should the vestry resolve to do so, we shall feel great pleasure in submitting our bills to Mr. Dax, and being bound by his certificate, as it is extremely distasteful to us that any doubt should exist in the minds of the vestry as to the propriety or amount of any item charged by us, which however there almost necessarily must be, from the technical manner in which solicitors are obliged to make out their bills. We ought to add, that we have no sort of personal acquaintance with Mr. Dax, who is the son of the late Master of the Exchequer, and a well known author and authority on the subject of solicitors' costs. Should the vestry adopt our suggestion, we must ask to be allowed to make out the bills now before them, afresh, as they are not framed for taxation, and that in future, our bills should be delivered half-yearly and paid within a short time after they have been certified, and we remain, dear Sir, your's faithfully,

LEE & PEMBERTON.

The vestry, having accepted the proposal, returned the bills to the solicitors as desired, and requested Mr. Finch, a solicitor and a member of the vestry, to attend the taxation. This, after a strong protest from the solicitors, he did; and the accounts amounting to ?914. 3s. 5d., as originally delivered, were settled by Mr. Dax at ?998. 8s. 7d., including the costs of taxation.

The law costs for the present year have been submitted to the same process, and have been certified by Mr. Dax to be correct at the amount at which they were sent in,--viz., ?177. 1s. 6d.

Mr. Miles having been elected to preside at eighty-three meetings, out of the one hundred and fifty-three held during the year, his services as chairman were again acknowledged by a vote of thanks on the twenty-first of May. The thanks of the vestry have been also given during the year to Mr. Perry on the eighth of May, for his exertions as delegate at the metropolitan and county association for the equalization of the poor rates; and to Mr. Foy on the fourth of December, for the tasteful way in which the decorations of the vestry hall, on the occasion of the inauguration dinner were carried out by him.

GENERAL WORKS.

Appendix No. 7 , represents the cost, during the past year under the several sub-heads of paving, lighting, watering, cleansing, &c., and the provision made for meeting the same, by orders upon the board of guardians.

The surveyor's return upon this subject forms Appendix No. 8 .

PAVING.

The cost of the item of paving during the past year, exceeding the estimate by four hundred and fifty pounds, has been unusually heavy,--viz., ?3042 2s. 10d., after allowing for the sum chargeable to the several public companies and others for works executed for them. This is about twelve hundred and fifty pounds more than the cost of the same item of expenditure in the year 1856-7, after making the same allowances; upwards of four hundred pounds more than in 1857-8, eight hundred pounds more than in 1858-9, and six hundred pounds more than last year. It has been occasioned mainly by the purchase of the following materials, and by works executed in the places hereinafter named:--

In the last report it was stated that the question at issue between the Chief Commissioner of Her Majesty's Works, &c., and the vestry, as to the taking charge and maintenance of the Chelsea Bridge Road, was in an unsatisfactory state, and the position of that question was stated in the appendix to the fourth report , at pages 45 to 52, up to the receipt of Mr. Austin's letter of the 27th June, 1860. The proceedings since that date will be found in the Appendix to this report, No. 9 .

LIGHTINGS

Mr. Hughes observes with reference to this twenty-seventh section,--

"There was some discussion as to the propriety of making the requirements of this clause compulsory instead of merely permissive. After the fullest consideration however, it was thought essential, with the view of avoiding discussions in vestries, and especially with the view of counteracting the underhand and secret influence which the gas companies exert in many vestries and district boards, to make the clause compulsory. There are many instances on record, where powers are given to local authorities, and yet these powers, although highly important to the public interests, have never hitherto been exercised. Hence an additional reason for positively requiring them to provide apparatus, &c., for testing the gas, and to appoint and pay an inspector for the purpose. It is true that no time is fixed within which the apparatus is to be provided and the inspector appointed, but I apprehend it will be competent for any ratepayer to compel, by mandamus, the performance of this duty by any vestry or district board, within a reasonable time.

"The second section of the clause imposes an obligation on the gas companies--namely, that each of them shall within six months erect at the prescribed distance from their works, an experimental meter and other apparatus for testing the illuminating power of the gas.

"With respect to the number of separate places for testing the gas, inasmuch as there are thirteen companies included within the act, and each must provide a testing house 1000 yards distant from their works, there must evidently be not less than thirteen of these. But if each local authority also erects a separate one at some central part of its district, thirty-eight of these will be necessary. A power is afterwards given for two or more local authorities to combine, and then the number will probably be somewhat diminished.

"All this necessity for a duplicate set of testing establishments is rendered essential by the absurd requirement of the act as to testing the gas at 1000 yards distance from the works. Now as the erection of this apparatus by the companies and the establishment of a permanent testing place away from their works will be very expensive to the companies, it is just possible they may be very glad to be relieved from this expense, and may consent to the testing at the establishment of the local authority being sufficient evidence of the illuminating power as well as the purity of the gas. This is the more probable as it must be perfectly well known to the companies--at least to their engineers--that so far as the company is concerned the gas may just as well be tested in the centre of any district supplied, as at the limited distance of 1000 yards from the works."

Under the provisions of the fiftieth section of this act, the duty is imposed upon the Metropolitan Board of Works of raising the costs and charges incident to its passing; and that board have accordingly levied under their precepts upon the several vestries and district boards, the necessary amounts for meeting the claims received.

The accounts sent in by the various parties were submitted to the proper officer of the House of Commons for taxation with the following result:--

Less paid by Mr. Wyatt . . . 1413 0 0 5022 13 4 House Fees on Taxation to be paid by Dyson & Co., 42 0 0 3818 8 1

The proportion of the above with which this parish is debited by the precept of 1861 is ?106 16s. 5d., but that proportion is based upon the amount of the accounts as sent in; as reduced by taxation it will only be ?81 12s. 8d. But as the vestry has already contributed two hundred pounds to Mr. Beal in answer to his various appeals, and expended upwards of twenty pounds in making experiments as suggested by him, they will have a large sum to receive back

In November, 1860, a proposal was made by the vestry of St. James', Westminster, to recognize the services of Messrs. Beal and Hughes throughout the enquiry into the supply of gas to the metropolis, and the passing of the recent measure by raising some fitting testimonial, and a committee of that vestry having been appointed to carry it out, Messrs. Hall and Perry were deputed to confer with them as to the best mode of doing so.

The Bill to amend the Metropolis Gas Act, introduced by the government into parliament for transferring to the metropolitan board of works, so far as regards the metropolis, the powers conferred by the acts for regulating measures used in the sale of gas upon the justices of the peace, of appointing inspectors of meters, having received the royal assent , it will be the duty of that board to take the necessary steps for carrying it into execution. To aid in accomplishing this transfer, the vestry on the tenth July, 1860, expressed their opinion that the appointment of inspectors of meters in the metropolis would be best placed in the hands of the metropolitan board of works, and petitioned parliament and memorialised the justices of the peace upon the subject. See Appendix No. 10 .

The number of public lamps in the parish on the 25th March, 1861, was as follows--

Lighted by the London Gas Company 696 ,, Western ditto at Kensal Town 30 726

WATERING AND SCAVENGERS.

The following tabular statement shows the cost of these two services for the last five years:--

From March to March. Watering. Cleansing. Total. 1856-7 ?1109 5 10 ?1977 19 4 ?3087 5 2 1857-8 709 13 8 1563 9 3 2273 2 11 1858-9 941 4 0 1143 15 0 2084 19 0 1859-60 1192 1 2 1218 18 5 2410 19 7 1860-1 1126 0 7 1145 12 6 2271 13 1

The contractors were fined ?40 10s. for neglect during the year.

IMPROVING.

The principal charges under this head are for works over the Ranelagh sewer at Sloane Square in rebuilding the south wall; and in fencing the enclosure opposite Royal Avenue Terrace.

REMOVING NUISANCES.

The removal of the dust, ashes and refuse from the houses of the inhabitants, and the public courts and alleys during this year has cost ?311 2s. An alteration in the form of the contract as to the mode of executing the works by which the parish is divided into daily districts, was made during this year, which has very greatly lessened the public inconvenience, and consequently the number of complaints. See Appendix No. 11 .

SANITARY MEASURES.

The return of the proceedings taken by the vestry under the metropolis local management act and the nuisances removal act, as required by the former statute to be published, will be found in the Appendix No. 12 .

Forty-seven slaughter houses in the parish were licensed by the magistrates in October, 1860, not one having been opposed by the vestry. A list of them is given in the Appendix No. 13 .

The tenant of No. 3, Queen's Road East, having been detected in slaughtering upon his premises which were not licensed for that purpose, the attention of the board was called to the subject, but as it appeared that he had been acting under the impression that the premises were licensed, in place of other proceedings, a letter of warning was written to him, and the offence was discontinued.

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