The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-09 00:00:00

REPORT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE.

This morning wan issued the second report of the
select committee appointed to inquire into the local go-
imminent and local taxation of the metropolis.
Convinced of the neceuity for establishing a strong and
efficient local administration in London for the purpose of
assuring the health, comfort, and convenience of the in-
habitants, the committee set forth in • series of resolu-
tions the conclusions they have arrived at as to the means
of attaining this object in a way consistent with the
special circumstances of London and the seat of her Ma-
jesty's government. These resolutions are as follows :
1. That there should be • separ►te commission of the
peace for the whole metropolis, as defined by the Metropolis
Local Management Act, on which should be placed some
of the principal persons connected by property with each
district of the metropolis. 2. That to ensure an efficient
body of justices, the commission should be revised and re-
issued at stated periods. -1. That the justices should hold
general sessions for the metropolis, and should exercise the
functions usually discharged by the sessions of cities
having a separate quarter sessions, except as hereinafter
resolved. 4. That the justices of each district should
hold district winnow!, for the purposes of determining all
questions requiring the decision of justices, and arising
in the district connected with the local government of
the metropolis, which are nut of a general character; and,
to preserve uniformity, an appeal should lie to the gene-
ral sessions. 5. That the constitution of the Metropolitan
Board of Works should be altered as follows:

A. That the owners of property in the metropolis
should be represented on the Metropolitan Board by the
justices of the metropolis, selecting from amongst the
justices connected with the districts a proportion of the
members of the Metropolitan Board.
B. That in the event of the property occupied by the
crown being assessed for the rates levied by the Metro-
politan Board for permanent improvement*, which to your
committee seems just and reasonable, the crown should be
at liberty to appoint two members to the Metropolitan
Board.

C. That one or more members of the Metropolitan
Board should be elected, as at present, by the governing
body of each district as hereinafter defined.

That there should be elected directly by the rate-
payers in each district of the metropolis a proportion of
the members of the Metropolitan Board.
6. That the relative importance of each district, and
the number of members connected with it on the Metro-
politan Board, should be determined with regard to the
number and rateable value of the houses and other pro-
perty, and the population and area of each district.
7. That the powers tad duties of the Metropolitan Board
having been much enlarged since its first establishment,
its name should be made more conformable to its present
and future condition, and it should be called " The Muni-
cipal Council of London." 8. That the president of this
council should be periodically nominated by the board,and
be approved of by the crown. 9. That the Municipal
Council should discharge all its executive duties
by means of committees composed of a limited number
of its members, subect to the review of the council.
10. That the Municipal Council should exercise the powers
now possessed by the Metropolitan Board, and should also
be entrusted with a supervision over the supply of water
and gas to the metropolis, with the protection of the pub-
lic interests in regard to railways and other undertakings
affecting the inhabitants at large, and with such other
functions as parliament may from time to time appoint to
be exercised by the chief authority for the general man-
agement of the affairs of the metropolis. 11. That it is de-
sirable that the crown should consider the expediency of
allowing the amount of the yearly main drainage rate to
be reduced, on the period for which it is to be levied being
extended as long as may be requisite to discharge the
main drainage debt and interest. 12. That the
power conferred on local authorities in the metropolis to
Improve existing thoroughfares, and to take property com-
pulsorily for that purpose, under the 57th Geo. 111.,
oh. 29, should be expressly extended to the Municipal
Council, and such defects in the act as interfere with the
due exercise of that power should be amended. 13. That the
Municipal Council should be invested with such powers as
may be necessary to make a uniform assessment throughout
the metropolis. 14. That there should be au appeal from
such assessment to the general sessions of the justices for
the metropolis, 15. That the existing divisions of the
metropolis for the purpose of local government under the
Metropolis Local Management Act are in some cases
too small and inconvenient, and should be re-adjusted.
16. That each district should be divided into convenient
wards, and the members of each district governing
authority should be elected directly by the ratepayers in
each ward. 17. That it is desirable that her Majesty's
government should ascertain in what manner the metro-
polis can be beat divided into districts and wards, in
accordance with these resolutions. 18. That the govern.
ing authority of each district should be called "The Com-
mon Council" of the district. 19. That the Common
Council 'Mould elect annually a chairman and
deputy-chairman. 20. That in order to prevent
repeated elections, all persons to be elected both
for the municipal council and the Common Council, as well
as persons elected to other offices, should be nominated
and elected at the same time and in the same manner.
21. That the nomination should be made at a meeting of
the inhabitants, either by ratepayers present, or by writing,
and that the election should afterwards take place in the
manner prescribed by the general order of the Poor-law
Board of January 14, 1867. '22. That all the functions
now exercised within the district by the vestry or local
board should be vested in the Common Council. 2.1.
That it would be inexpedient to authorise any district
authority to levy rates on the owners of property,
unless the Metropolitan Board, after it has been
reconstituted by the owners of property being represented
in it, shall determine such rates to be just, for the pur-
pose of paying half the cost of effecting some defined per-
manent improvement which ought to be made, wholly or
partly, at the expense of the district. 24. That the pro-
ceedings of the Common Council should be public, and the
accounts of each year should be printed and delivered to
each ratepayer, with a report of the year's admini.tration.
i 25. That it s expedient that there should be one police
force for the metropolis, but the committee are of opinion
that it should bo a subject of further consideration under
what control the police of the metropolis should be placed.
26. That should the charge of the police of the metropolis
and of the rural districts within the present limits of the
metropolitan police, be deemed too extensive, it is
expedient that it should be diminished by transfer-
ring the metropolitan police of the remoter dis-
tricts to the police of those counties in which they
aresituate, where an efficient county police is established.
27. That as the coal and wine dues are collected for the
benefit of the metropolis, the accounts of them should be
audited by the auditor appointed to audit the accounts of
the Metropolitan Board. 'ZS. That the Municipal Council
should take measures, consistently with the rigida of pro.
per Sy, to free the thor .ughfares and bridges within the
metropolis from tolls, gates, and bars. 29. That the pro-
visions of the Building Act should be amended so as to
prevent the erection of dwellings injurious to health. 30.
That all local acts, so fax as may be necessary to carry out
the principles embodied in these resolutions, should be re-
pealed. 31. That it is desirable her Majesty's govern-
ment should submit to parliament a bill to carry the fore-
going resolutions into effect.
The committee consisted of the following members :
Mr. Ayrton, Mr. Tite, Mr. Barley, Mr. Locke, Mr. Alder-
man Lawrence, Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen, Mr. Mill, Mr.
Hanbury, Lord John Manners, Mr. Beecroft, Mr. Turner,
Sir William Gallwey, Mr. Bentinck, Mr. Sandford, and Mr.
Kekewich.

DEPUTATION TO MR. GLADSTONE. —We are in-
formed that the deputation from the National Reform
Union will wait upon Mr. Gladstone on Saturday afternoon
next, at 3 o'clock. The members of the deputation will
assemble at the Westminster Palace Hotel at 2 o'clock,
and proceed thence to Mr. Gladstone's residence at
Carlton-house-terrace.

Late on Tuesday evening the boards of the
London and Brighton and the South-Eastern Companies
signed an agreement for a fusion and amalgamation of the
two companies on the North-Eastern principle. This, of
course, ia subject to the approval of the respective proprie-
taries, and, subsequently, to confirmation by parliament,
application to which is advised in the present session, if
possible. The agreement provides that until such confir-
mation be obtained the traffic receipts of both companies
are to be divided in proportion to earnings. The South-
Western are to be invited to join in this federation, and
the question is reserved as to the feasibility of the Chatham
and Dover traffic being worked by the united companies.