During this year the vestry have contemplated some alterations in the salaries of the officers, and upon the application of Mr. J. E. Salway, one of the office clerks, for increased remuneration, in December, 1860, referred the whole question of their duties and salaries to the committee of works and for general purposes for consideration. That committee for the purpose of comparison, and in order to have some data before them upon which to form a satisfactory opinion, requested Mr. Tite, M.P., to move the House of Commons for a return from each vestry and district board in the metropolis, of its population; number of houses; extent of its area; aggregate length of its streets; and the value of property, as assessed to live county rate, and the poor rate. The committee wished this return also to show the number of meetings held during the year, whether of the full board or of committees, or sub-committees; as well as the names and salaries of the officers, with particulars of any other benefits enjoyed by them: and that this information might be tabularly arranged in the order of the amount of population of each place. See Appendix No. 6 (page 47). Mr. Tite however replied that Sir John Shelley had moved for such a return, referring to one similar to that printed at page 69 in the second report, but as the return moved for by Sir John Shelley differed from that suggested by the committee, in several important particulars, the vestry requested Mr. Tite to obtain the introduction into it of the additional information. The act for regulating the supply of gas to the metropolis rendered it necessary that the vestry should consider the appointment of a Gas Examiner; and having themselves determined to put in operation in this parish the act for preventing the adulteration of articles of food and drink by appointing an Analyst; a committee was appointed in March, 1861, to confer with Dr. Barclay as to his acceptance of the latter office, and the terms upon which he would undertake its duties, having regard to his diminished duties as medical officer of health. This Committee was amalgamated with one appointed subsequently, and specially, to consider the duties and salary of the medical officer of health, to whom was referred also, the question of the appointment of the gas examiner. In consequence of the heavy amount of the solicitors’ (Messrs. Lee and Pemberton) bill for the year 1859–60, which included the greater part of the law charges in the actions brought against the vestry by the London Gas Light Company and Mr. Hornsby, the contractor, those gentlemen suggested in the following letter to the vestry clerk that they should be taxed:— 44, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, W.C., London, 18th May, 1860.