That Your Petitioners are informed and believe that two Bills, intituled respectively “The Metropolis Local Management Act Amendment Bills, Nos. 1 & 2,” are now before your Honourable House, by the first of which relief is proposed to be given to the late Counter’s Creek separate sewerage district in this parish, for certain sums expended in respect of the Counters Creek Diversion Works, and improperly charged upon the said district in respect of the construction of sewers and works for the general benefit of the Metropolis; and by the other it is intended to settle upon equitable principles the parishes, districts, and parts, upon which certain debts of the Metropolitan Commissioners of Sewers shall stand charged, having regard to the benefit derived by those parishes, &c., respectively from such expenditure. 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_.