The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-03 00:00:00

LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF THE METROPOLIS.

The adjourned conference of vestrymen and
guardians, on the propreal to improve the local govern-
ment of the metropolis, was held last evening in on. of
the large rooms of St. James's Hall. The attendance was
somewhat numerous, there being considerably over 200
gentlemen present, and the proceedings, although occa-
sionally interrupted by noisy shoats, were orderly com-
pared with those of the former meetings. Mr. R. H.
GALHWORTHY, of the Marylebous vestry, again occupied
the chair.

The CHAIRMAN, in opening the bushing, recalled to
the recollection of the meeting what lied ossurred
at the previous sitting. A motion was then
qtand seconded to the following effect :
atcit the opinion o' this conference the first of the
two Ms brought into the House of Commons by Messrs.
Mill, Hughes, and Towline is highly important in its prin-
ciple, but that in offset it will, by too restrictive a relive-
neatative body in each proposed municipality, subject the
metropolitan boroughs to the government of bodies too
small and impracticable fos the great public purpose in-
tended, and would mallow up the present parochial ad-
ministration in an odious and intolerable oligarchy." To
that resolution there was no amendment moved, bet on
the motion of Mr. Westerton the discussion which took
place was aijonmed until that evening, and he had there-
fore to call upon Mr. Westerten to resume the proceed-
ings. Before, however, the discussion was continued, be
would suggest that each speaker should be limited to tea
minutes. (Hear, hear.)
Major LYON said he bad been requested by Mr. Wester-
ton to state that it was his intention to be present before
the meeting closed. In the meanwhile he (Major Lyon) had
sin amendment to propose.
ritAdr. ladle (Hackney) claimed to weak as a awn=
councilman of the city of London before the amendment
wan submitted. Since the last meeting the statement of
Mr. James Beal, that these bills would be supported by
the city corporation, had been authoritatively disputed.
He did not approve of the bills because they inter-
fered, not with the poor-law, which required to
be carried out in:.l the same manner all over
Lembo, butlwith the management of the water and
gas supplin, and such like matters, which demanded
local knowledge on the part of those who undertook to
look after them. To extend therefore the area of local

governments as the bills proposed would make matter" 1
worm instead of better ; and, in addition to what Mr.
Hardy had said, that the time was not yet ripe for the :
consideration of the question, be could state that the City
authorities intended to oppose the bills by every means or
their power. There might be defects in the present state I
of things; but what was wanted wee more power to enable I
the existing local bodies to act, and as more power meant
more taxation, he would throw out the suggestion that the I
vestries should seek aid from the imperial taxation. Turn.
pikes had been abolished, and it might be the metropolitan
district' had a claim to assistance from the hackney car- ,
riotand omnibus and cab duties. (Hear, hear.) 1
for LYON then proceeded to move his amendment, /
as follows :—" That it is the opinion of this meeting that g
the bills introduced into parliament by Mr. John Stuart
Mill, for the government of the metropolis by municipal
corporations, are not suited to its wants and require-
ments." He was willing to admit that all Mr. James
Beal bad urged with nerd to bad gas, water, and light- I
ing in the various localities of the metropolis was perfectly 4
true, but would municipal corporations remedy
the evil? (Hear hear.) London could not be :
compared to Manchester, Salford, or Birmingham, .
because those and such like large towns were only the 1
capitals of districts or counties, whereas London was the
metropolis of the kingdom, and the mode in which their
local affairs were managed would therefore not apply to
London. (Hear, hear.) Although the cost of the force
fell upon the ratepayers the government could never be
induced to surrender the control of the police to any muni-
cipal body, as was the case in corporate towns, and he
doubted much whether these bills, if carried, would im-
prove the state of affairs in the other matters where the
government exercised no control. (Hear, hear.) Some.
thing bad been said about elevating the character of the
local representatives and having civic dignitaries for the
several municipalities, who were to give entertainments
like the Lord Mayor in their town-balls, but how was the
expense of these banquets to be provided for? (Hear,
hear.) If the views of some of the advocate" of these
bills were correes, the dinners alone would cost between
40,0001. and 50,000/. a year. (Laughter.) He could not
help thinking that Mr. Mill must have been misled in the
matter of these bills, and that upon consideration the hon.
gentleman, whom they all so much admired and respected,
would be ridneed to see that if municipalities were re-
quired, the measure for carrying them out must 001116 from
the government. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Parrett (Limehouse) seoonded the amendment.
Mlt -Wirmrsneow, who had new entered the room, in
response to • call from the chair, announced that be
attended simply as a listener, and should remain silent
until he law that there was occasion for him to speak.
Mr. WALKER (Pimlico) supported the amendment as •
back street tradesman. (Laughter.) lie was a member
of St. George's vestry, and be had been sent by hie neigh-
bours to represent their interest. They
.agreed with him
that. iu spite of all their supposed inferior ability, small
tradesmen made the best managers of local affairs.{
Mr. WALTON (St. George's) complained that the bills had
been concocted in a mysterious manner. He could nut
believe that they were the production of Mr. John Stuart
Mill. One great defect in them was this, they took power
to make a borough rate, not to be confined to each sepa-
rate municipality, bat to extend over the whole of London.
(Hear, bear.)
Mr. BOLTON (Islington) supported; the bills, and dwelt
upon the variety and conflicting nature of the existing
local boards.
Mr. CAMERON (St. Pancras), who said he had been a
vestryman for ten years and had filled the office of church-
warden, thought the bills deserved the fullest considera-
tion. There was nothing new in them, for the question
had been before the legislature for the last thirty years,
and the alterations they proposed had been more than once
recommended by royal commissions. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. H. S. Dirreasu. (Whitechapel) insisted that the re-
port made by Mr. Ayrton'a committee on the subject under
discussion rested only upon the evidence of Mr. James
Beal, and called attention to the fact that if the bills
paused, the management of metropolitan local affairs
would be transferred from 2,279 vestrymen to 584 common
councillors with the same qualification, viz.' a 401. rental.
Dr. RANDALL (Si. George's, Southwark) advocated the
alterations proposed by the bill upon sanitary grounds.
Mr. TAVERNER (Bt. Marylebone) applied Lord Derby's
I expression to the bills ; if adopted it would he a " leap in
the dark." (Hear, bear.) He could see no liberality in
them whatever, and believed they were calculated, if not
intended, to bring vestrymen and guardians into disrepute.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. BASER, who had proposed the original resolution,
with the consent of the seconder announced his Wien-
' tion to withdraw it amidst much applause.
The CHAIRMAN then put the amendment as a substan.
tire resolution, and, upon a show of bands, declared it to
be carried by an immense majority, only six or seven gen-
' tlemen voting against it.
Thanks were then awarded to Mr. °airworthy for pre-
, siding ; and the meeting, which had lasted upwards of
, two hours and a half, Mantel

The annual Festival of St. Ethelburga, Bishops-
gate-street,was observed last week. The seniors were of the
extreme ritualistic class. Holy Communion was celebrated
daily at noon and between one and two the " To Deno"
was sung, followed by a brief address. Incense and vest-
ments were in use, and a crucifix was borne by a chorister
in scarlet cassock before the priests in procession, and
placed over against the low pulpit during the sermons.
The clergy wore their birettas. On Saturday Brother
Ignatius preached from the words of the gospel for the day.
The church was so crammed that the doors had to be closed.
The rev. gentleman wore the serge hood of his order, and
• short surplice over it. On entering the pulpit lie
kissed a scarlet stole and placed it over his shoulders,
commencing his discourse by a vehement outburst against
the Rev. Mr. Voysey, incumbent of a Yorkshire pariah,
whose doctrines he condemned in violent language. He
requested his hearers to bear the name in mind, and for
that purpose spelt it to them twice, letter by letter. The
clergyman in question was accused of " propounding
damnable and diabolical views ; though resident within a
short diatanoe of the archiepiscopal capital of the northern
province, he was permitted to continue to officiate,
whilst now-a-days the bugbear of popery was being howled
and yelled after ; • strategy of the devil to lead men's
thoughts away from the deep-seated errors of infidelity
around them." Dr. Evans, and the Revs. G. Akers,
Iffibill, Going, and the Bishop of Dunedin, steals° amongst
the preachers.
Intelligence is said to have been received from
Mrs. !Moakley, the wife of the Liverpool solicitor who
recently absconded with about 40,0001. worth of money
belonging to various clients, to the effect that she and her
husband were in Switzerland, and that Mr. Stockley's
health was so seriously affected that it was doubtful
whether he could live long.
DBCORATIONS AT THE MANSION-HOUSE.—At the
Court of Common Council yesterday Mr. W. Hewett,
the chairman of the General Purposes Committee, brought
up a report from that committee, which recommended
that • sum of 2,8501. should be expended in decorating
the Egyptian-ball and the saloon at the Mansion-house.
This gave rise to a long discussion, the nommen-
dation contained in it being objected to b' several'
members on the ground that no subetr.ntial decors.
Live repairs had been carried out in the interior of the
Mansion-house for • great many years, anti that when such
repairs were carried out at all they should be all com-
pleted at ono, and that, therefore, was not advisable to
expend so large a sum upor, a portion of the building.
Several amendments were, proposed, but they were all
I negatived, and oventue:dy the report was egrstd to.