The estimate upon which the sums were originally proposed to be raised by
the metropolitan board of works for the services of the year ending the
thirty-first of December, 1860, gives the following particulars as
applicable to this parish:—
£ _s._ _d._
Sewerage and Drainage 1168 17 1
Metropolis Improvements 411 5 2
General Purposes, viz.:—
Salaries, Wages, &c. 271 16 8
Printing, Stationery, &c. 45 14 6
Rent, Taxes, &c. 23 9 0
Repayment of Loans, &c., special:—
Principal 283 12 5
Interest 272 17 5
Ditto ditto, general:—
Clergy Mutual, £140,000 255 15 2
Bank of England, £400,000 351 14 10
Clergy Mutual, £42,000 31 16 1
Contingencies 40 0 11
£3156 19 3
This estimate, however, having been printed and sent to the various
vestries and district boards, underwent considerable discussion and some
modifications, the principal of which latter, were, that instead of
including the whole cost of the new buildings in Spring Gardens in the
precepts for 1860, it was determined to spread it over three years; an
item of £20,000 for deodorization was reduced to £10,000; the amount for
special charges was reduced by £5,000; and the sum of £2,000 was
substituted for £5,000 for minor improvements. These alterations, with a
credit of £364 10s. 10d. (the remaining portion of the £3053 16s. 3d.
adverted to in former reports), had the effect of diminishing the amount
required from this parish to £2239 10s. 9d., and it was thus apportioned
by the precept dated 11th May, 1860:—
£ _s._ _d._
The Whole Parish 1004 13 3
The Counters Creek District 518 19 1
The Ranelagh District 715 18 5
£2239 10 9
In September, the third precept for the Main Drainage rate was received,
amounting to £2928 2s.; and in the following February the ordinary
precept for 1861, £2580 1s. 4d.; therefore within the period comprised in
this report this parish has been required to provide for metropolitan
purposes the large sum of £7,747 14s. 1d.
The orders made by the vestry in pursuance of these precepts, and the
rates made by the board of guardians thereunder, are shewn in the
following table:—
Date and amount of Order of Vestry. Date and amount of Rate Rateable value of Gross amount of
made by Guardians. property charged. Rate.
WHOLE PARISH.
1860, July 2 £1004 13 3 Oct. 3rd ¼d. in the £ £219,477 10 0 £228 8 9⅜
1861, Apr. 9 £1499 12 6 May 1st. 2d. in the £ £220,927 0 0 £1839 3 8
RANELAGH DISTRICT.
1860, July 2 £715 18 5 Oct. 3rd 1d in the £ £184,992 0 0 £770 9 1½
1861, Apr. 9 £600 16 11 May 1st 1d. in the £ £186,421 0 0 £776 3 10
MAIN DRAINAGE.—WHOLE PARISH.
1860, Oct. 23 £2300 0 0 Oct. 31 3d. in the £ £219,477 10 0 £2741 5 3¾
The metropolitan board of works early in February of the present year
determined to re-introduce into parliament the bill for amending the
Metropolis Local Management Act, containing the same provisions as were
in the bill of last session, with the exception of the introduction of
certain clauses for the re-apportionment of the Rock Loan; but in
consequence of the strong opposition to those clauses, the board deemed
it expedient to withdraw them from the bill, and to embody them in a
separate bill, and the two bills were accordingly introduced into the
House of Commons. The first of them, after great delays, passed through
the House of Commons on the nineteenth of July, 1861, and was read a
first time in the House of Lords on the twenty-second of that month, but
in consequence of the advanced period of the session, it was found
impossible to procure its passage through the required stages in order to
its becoming law this year. The bill No. 2, having relation to the Rock
Loan, being strongly opposed by certain members of the House of Commons,
was withdrawn.
With respect to the abortive bill of 1860, the solicitors of the
metropolitan board reported: “We think it will be nearly correct to
estimate the expense to the board, exclusive of printing, &c. by the
printers of the board, and expenses of that kind, at about £1650.” It is
to be hoped that the failure of 1861 will be somewhat less costly.
The vestry of Chelsea have at various times responded to the invitation
of the metropolitan board for suggestions during the preparation of the
several bills for amending the Metropolis Local Management Act; for
convenience of reference, their labours in this respect will be found in
the Appendix No. 19, (pages 77 to 103).