HC Deb 11 February 1862 vol 165 c168
MR. BRISTOW

, in moving for leave to introduce a Bill to amend the Metropolis Local Management Acts, said, that the Bill that he asked leave to introduce was precisely similar to the Bill which passed that House during the previous Session, and which would have become law but for the late period at which it was sent up to the other House of Legislature.

MR. LOCKE

observed that since the introduction of the Bill in the previous year the report had been published of a very important Committee which had sat on the local taxation of the Metropolis. Amongst other questions which that Committee had considered was one connected with the Metropolitan Board of Works, and the mode of electing its members. It would be a moot point whether the Board represented the ratepayers at all, for it was elected, not by them, but by the vestries. It was true that the vestries themselves were chosen by the ratepayers, but the mode of election at second hand had been found defective in every case in which it had been adopted. He hoped, therefore, that during the progress of the Bill through the House either the hon. Member for the Tower Hamlets or himself would be prepared to introduce provisions for establishing a direct representation of the ratepayers.

Leave given.

Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. BRISTOW and Mr. TITE.

Bill presented and read 1o.