Board Room, Manor House, September 24th, 1860.
To the Vestry of the Parish of Chelsea.
Gentlemen,—We, the undersigned, of your Committee of Works and for General Purposes, beg to present the following special report upon the resolution passed by you on the 11th instant (25):—
“That the Committee of Works be requested to consider the whole question relating to Cremorne Gardens as to past proceedings, present injury and annoyance to the parishioners, and the probable increase of such damage and nuisance in consequence of the proposed change from one proprietor to a company; to report thereon, and the course they would recommend to be adopted to mitigate, and, if necessary, put an end to the evil.”
With reference to the first portion of the enquiry we have had laid before us, the whole record of your former proceedings, with the evidence taken before the licensing magistrates in 1857, which we have attentively considered; and we are of opinion that the second report presented by the Committee at that time contains much that is valuable, and only requires to obtain due publicity to have a great effect in diminution of the evils to which it adverts—evils which the unfavourable weather during the past season has prevented from becoming so intolerable as during the seasons of 1858 and 1859, but which the return of a hot summer, and the intended change from the direct responsibility attaching to one proprietorship to the infinitesimally reduced responsibility of the individual shareholders in a public company would, in the opinion of your Committee, largely increase.
Nor, it is to be feared, would these evils be confined as heretofore to the summer months, for the prospectus of the new company offers the bait to shareholders that the gardens may be made profitable during the winter also.
Having regard therefore to the magnitude of the question with which we have to deal, and the advice of a sub-committee appointed by us to consult the solicitors as to the course to be pursued, we recommend that the report before alluded to, be printed and circulated, and that a petition be presented forthwith to the licensing magistrates, praying that the hour of closing Cremorne Gardens may be made twelve o’clock at night, as has been the case with other public gardens, and that the solicitors be instructed to take all necessary steps in that behalf.
Respectfully submitted,
Wm. Hall, Chairman.
W. Newton Finch.
Alexr. Blazdell.
W. Lawrence.
William Foy.
J. Cowan Breun.
Henry Oxford.
Wm. Sansum.