On the twenty-second of May, 1860, upon the motion of Mr. Finch, a committee, consisting of the rector (the Rev. A. G. W. Blunt), the churchwardens (Dr. Diplock and Mr. Collier), three past churchwardens (Messrs. Hall, Perry, and Leete), and Messrs. Whitehead, Jones, Miles, Brown, Rabbits, E. O. Symons, Till, and Finch, was appointed to enquire into the charities of the parish, the present particulars of the several properties, and the application of the respective annual proceeds thereof, and to report thereon. At the same time, the vestry clerk reported that, at the request of the rector, he was making arrangements preliminary to the appointment of new trustees, and laid before the vestry the following letter from Mr. Druce:
Mr. Lahee,
Dear Sir, Doubtless you are aware that the information contained in last Saturday’s “Chelsea Times” [20] was provided by me, as far as concerned the Chelsea charities.
The article of this morning [a/][20] would lead me to suppose that it was taken to be the opinion of the writer of such information that under present circumstances it would be to the advantage of the parish that the vestry clerk should be a solicitor; nothing can be more foreign to my opinion, and without compliment, I think the office is now in very good hands. In the wicked old tory times on Easter Tuesday, a man might blow out the steam of discontent, and tell a few truths profitable to the parish to hear; now a few highly honourable and sensible parishioners ‘make things pleasant’ in a comfortable room in a house in the King’s Road. The money of the parish charities is not properly looked after; for many months I have been trying to get the late rector to put matters to rights, but without avail. Being therefore left sole trustee for some portion, and knowing more than most, about the parish school and trust funds, I thought I was the proper person to light the match. Should the vestry appoint the committee on charity affairs, I shall be happy to attend their summons to give them any information in my power: and I think they ought to have a committee, both on this subject and that of the church trustees, and at least chronicle the exact state of facts; for, seriously speaking, we owe ‘liberal opinions’ no small grudge for shutting up Easter Tuesday. I do not recollect that in your charity report [21] you mentioned the large sums belonging to the charity schools, if you did, the vestry ought to have seen that the trustees were dying out. From my experience of the working of the parish charities, schools, &c., I am quite convinced that the vestry should annually qualify themselves to issue a report on all charity money. I have never found anything to make me think otherwise than favourably of the honesty of all dealings with the charity money, but I have found abundant reason to rest satisfied, that without some lay assistance and watchfulness, all matters get into disorder, especially where there are any accounts to keep. This letter is at your service, and may be used as you think fit. I am, dear sir, always yours very faithfully, Wm. Druce. Swan Wharf, Chelsea, 14th April, 1860.
The committee, favoured occasionally with the assistance of Mr. Druce, and strengthened by the addition to it of Messrs. Butt, Tipper, and Callow, have met upon numerous occasions, and are carefully pursuing their enquiry.
CREMORNE GARDENS.
It will be recollected that towards the close of the season of 1858, the vestry thought it necessary to remind Mr. Simpson, the proprietor of Cremorne Gardens, of the arrangement made with them as to the conduct of his gardens, particularly as to the hour of closing; and that Mr. Simpson’s reply, although dated the 16th of August, was not received in sufficient time to be considered until the meeting on the fifth of October, when it was thought to be unsatisfactory. Last year the vestry again moved in the matter, by reminding him of these promises, and requesting to know before Monday, the tenth of September, whether it was his intention to comply with their wishes and those of the parish, by closing the gardens at twelve o’clock at night. No reply having been received from Mr. Simpson at the meeting of the board on the eleventh of September, it was moved by Mr. Delany that the report of the second of November, 1857, which the vestry had refrained from making public in consequence of the pledge on the part of the proprietor, that the gardens should be closed as near to midnight as possible, and that in other respects he would meet the wishes of the vestry, and the comfort of the inhabitants, should be printed for the use of the vestry. The chairman, however, having ruled that this motion was irregular, it was referred to the committee of works and for general purposes to consider the whole question, particularly with reference to the effect, a change in the proprietorship, from an individual to a company, might have in increasing the annoyance of the parishioners; and the report of the committee was presented on the twenty-fifth of September.
That report, which is printed at page 107, recommended the publication of the report of 1857, and the presentation of a petition to the licensing magistrates that the hour of closing might be made twelve o’clock at night, as was the case with other public gardens. A memorial from forty-four owners of property and ratepayers residing near the gardens, urging the vestry to act, was presented at the same time the report was under consideration.
The vestry then decided, by a majority of 17 to 6, to present the petition, but to withold the publication of the report of 1857; and the solicitor being in attendance with a form of petition, which was approved, the seal was affixed to it at once, and it was duly presented.
On the ninth of October, however, a day or two before the licensing day, a communication was received from the solicitors, which induced the board, on a division, by a majority of twenty-eight to eight, to pass the following resolution:—
Resolved, that having regard to the communication now made by the solicitors, from which it appears that the necessary evidence in support of the petition cannot be obtained upon the present occasion, the solicitors be instructed not to incur any further expense in the matter, on the understanding that if the gardens should be kept open after twelve at night, and the nuisance, annoyance, and injury to the parishioners continue, this board, will in sufficient time next year consider the necessary steps to be taken effectually to oppose the application for the renewal of the license in 1861.