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 (pages 28 to 36).
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, (page 37).
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 (and faces page 36); 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 (pages 38
to 41); 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 (pages 42 to 46).
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 (page 47).
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’ (Messrs. Lee and
Pemberton) 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:—
44, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, W.C., London,
18th May, 1860.
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,