That under the Act for the Better Local Management of the Metropolis, 18 & 19 Vic., cap. 120, the Metropolitan Board of Works found themselves unable, from the defective powers of the said Act, to give any relief to the said Counters Creek District from payment of the charges upon it above mentioned, and in consequence thereof a great amount of dissatisfaction has existed in this and other districts similarly circumstanced.
That in consequence of such and other defects in the practical working of the Metropolis Local Management Act, the Vestries and District Boards constituted under the said Act have instigated the Metropolitan Board to introduce the said Bills to your Honourable House to remedy the same, and for other purposes.
That your Petitioners being by the said Metropolis Local Management Act constituted the authority to order the levying of the rates under the said Act, have incurred a considerable amount of unpopularity and censure in performing a duty which is against their own consciences, and repulsive to the feelings of the ratepayers residing in that district.
Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray your Honourable House that the said Bill, with certain amendments and new clauses which your Petitioners propose to endeavour to effect the introduction of, when in Committee may pass into law.
And your Petitioners will ever pray.
Chas. Lahee,
Vestry Clerk.
Given under the common seal of the said Vestry, this 23rd day of April, 1861.
The Four New Clauses.
1.—In Clause 46, line four, for the words “twenty-six” substitute the word “thirteen;” add a clause after said clause as follows:—“If any member of the Metropolitan Board of Works shall be absent from the meetings of the said Board for thirteen consecutive weeks, he shall thereupon cease to be a member of the said Board; and the said Metropolitan Board of Works shall immediately send notice of the fact to the Vestry or District Board by which such member was elected, whereupon which Vestry or District Board shall forthwith proceed to elect a new member for the said Metropolitan Board in the room of the member so ceasing to be a member as aforesaid; and such election shall be conducted in accordance with the 44th, 45th, and 46th sections of the firstly-recited Act, so far as the same are respectively applicable.”
2.—Provided always that in construing the 6th section of the firstly-recited Act, in calculating the number of Poor Rate assessments in any parish, each house, or piece or parcel of land, tenement, or hereditament rated to the relief of the poor, shall be counted and taken as a separate Poor Rate assessment.