3.—Notwithstanding anything in the said recited Acts or this Act to the contrary, Be it enacted, that the Vestry of the Parish of Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, shall from time to time raise and levy the sums which they may require for defraying the expenses of executing the said Acts and this Act, and shall for that purpose make separate equal pound rates upon their parish or part thereof, in like manner as overseers are required to do with respect to the sums for which orders are by the firstly-recited Act directed to be made upon them by Vestries and District Boards; and shall in raising such sums act upon the like principles, and have the like discretion, as provided in the firstly-recited Act with respect to orders upon Overseers by Vestries and District Boards, subject to the provisions of this Act, and shall for that purpose have free access to, and be at liberty to copy or adopt any assessment to the Poor Rate in the said parish, or any part or parts of such assessment; and such Vestry shall have power to appoint a collector or collectors for levying the amount of such rates, and to pay him or them such salary, poundage, or allowance as they may deem just and reasonable; and shall take such security from every such collector for the due execution of his duty as they shall think reasonable and proper; and such collector or collectors shall proceed in the same manner, and shall have the same powers and remedies, and be subject to the same regulations and directions with reference to the levying of such rates, as if he or they were an overseer or overseers of the poor, and shall pay over the amount of such rates to the said Vestry or otherwise, as such Vestry may direct; and such collector or collectors shall, when and in such manner as shall be required by the said Vestry, make out and deliver a true and perfect account in writing, signed by him or them, of all monies received by him or them, in manner provided by the 65th section of the firstly-recited Act; and in default of his or their so paying over such moneys, or making out and delivering such account in writing, he or they shall be subject to the penalties mentioned and contained in the said 65th section of the firstly-recited Act in the case of officers or servants failing to account for moneys received; and it shall be lawful for the said Vestry by order in writing, to require the Clerk to the Guardians of the Poor of the said parish or other person having the custody or control of any rate for the relief of the poor in such parish, or of any other rate or of any book containing a copy of any such rate as aforesaid, to furnish within such period, not being less than seven days, as shall be limited in such order, a true copy of such rate for the relief of the poor, or other rate or of such copy thereof, as aforesaid, or of such part or parts of the same as shall be specified in such order, on payment or tender for such copy at the rate of sixpence for every twenty-four names (inclusive of all the particulars in the several columns in the rate, so far as such particulars have reference to such names respectively), and the said copy shall be examined by and signed by such Clerk, or other person, and shall be verified by his solemn declaration, if the said Vestry shall require the same, which solemn declaration any Justice of the Peace or Commissioner duly authorized is hereby empowered to administer, and any person having the custody or control of such rate, or copy thereof, who shall refuse or neglect to make and deliver to such Vestry or any person by them authorised to receive the same, such copy or extract, or to make such solemn declaration as aforesaid, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding £10 for every such offence, and to a further penalty of £10 for each and every day during which the said offence shall be continued, to be recovered by a summary proceeding.
4.—That in place of the 109th Clause, the following be inserted:—“The two hundred and thirty-fourth section of the firstly-recited Act is hereby repealed, and in lieu thereof be it enacted, that all penalties or forfeitures payable or recoverable under the firstly-recited Act, or this Act, and all penalties or forfeitures recovered by any Vestry or District Board acting as the local authority for the execution within their respective parish or district of ‘The Nuisances Removal Act for England, 1855,’ shall go and be paid in manner hereinafter mentioned, anything contained in an Act made and passed in the session holden in the Second and Third years of the reign of Her present Majesty, chapter seventy-one, or in any other Act or Acts to the contrary notwithstanding;—that is to say, shall go to the Vestry or District Board of the parish or district in which the offence was committed, or to the Metropolitan Board of Works in case the injury shall have been sustained by, or the offence committed in respect of that Board; and all sums which shall go to or be recovered by any Board or Vestry on account of any penalty or forfeiture, shall be paid to their treasurer, or into such bank to their account as they may direct, and shall be applicable towards the general expenses of such Board or Vestry.”
APPENDIX No. 20.
CHELSEA CHARITIES.
The Articles in the West Middlesex Advertiser referred to in Mr. Druce’s letter at page 20, in the Report.
April 7, 1860.
The peculiar position in which the parish of St. Luke’s, Chelsea, at the present moment stands, induces every one interested to prevent by every possible means the occurrence of future discord arising from what may in after years be difficult to correct. Probably for many years, no period has ever existed in which the parish of Chelsea has been more dependent on the wise action of its patrons, property holders, and inhabitants in general than at the present moment. Circumstances having afforded us opportunities of acquiring much knowledge of its affairs generally, and deeming that the kindest act would be to communicate some portions of that knowledge to our fellow-parishioners, we venture to intrude the following matters on their attention. Our readers are aware of the movement made with reference to the assessments, but they may also know from personal experience, the great difficulty of the question, and from having been for some years, careful observers of the actions of many of those gentleman who bestow so much of their time and ability on parochial affairs, we are thoroughly convinced, that such matters are carefully and honestly administered; and although the watchful check of the ratepayers and other Societies is very beneficial, we doubt whether much good would arise from any material change. The attention of the Vestry, and the separation to some extent of church matters from the general interests of the parish, has deprived its officers of the advantage of a “legal vestry clerk,” and thus the local authorities in whom are vested many of its charities have lost their best and proper adviser, and many of the charity interests are not in such a state as they should be in a well-ordered parish; for instance, the sums of money belonging to the St. Luke’s, Chelsea, parochial school stand thus—
£764 13s. 4d., the gift of Earl Cadogan, stands in the name of Lee Jortin, Esq., and others, some of whom have passed away, and Mr. Jortin, is not so strong in health as his friends would wish him.
£692 2s. 4d., the gift of Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Bryan, stands in the name of the Rev. Chas. Kingsley and Philip Burrard, both dead.
£100 the gift of Mr. P. Burrard, stands in the name of the Rev. C. Kingsley and Mr. Walker, both dead.
£450 the gift of Mrs. MacPherson,