162 BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM. 
Guardians, and 17 others, nominated by the Local Government 
Board. They have independent control of their own expenditure, 
may borrow money for land, buildings, etc., and they obtain the 
money they need by precepts served upon the Union Guardians. 
In 1869 further powers were given them to enable them to purchase, 
or hire, and fit up ships for training boys for sea service. The 
amount contributed by Lewisham Union to the Asylums Board for 
the year ended March, 1907, was £27,383. 
District BOARD OF WORKS. 
Whilst from 1834 onwards, as we have seen, there has been a 
constantly growing organization to deal with Poor Law work, 
there were a great many other matters in the districts adjoining the 
City of London requiring organized management. The first solid 
attempt to systematise this work was the passing of the Metropolis 
Management Act of 1855, which established the Metropolitan 
Board of Works as a London Authority. Connected with this 
body there was in Lewisham the Lewisham Board of Works, 
consisting of 21 members, elected by the Vestry to represent 
Lewisham Parish and 6 for Penge. Their duties included the 
drainage of the district, lighting, watering, maintenance of 
highways, cleansing, and the removal of nuisances, scavenging, 
etc. They had to see to the carrying out of the Building Act, Sale 
of Food and Drugs Act, and laying out new roads. They licensed 
cowhouses and slaughterhouses, inspected bakehouses, insisted 
upon the supply of water to dwellings, carried on the work of the 
Notification of Diseases Act, and the disinfection of infected houses, 
and had the management of certain recreation grounds. Their 
accounts were annually audited, and a statement had to be prepared 
and published with a printed report every year, in June, at a price 
not exceeding 2d. This body was abolished by the Act of 1899, 
which gave over the work to the Borough Councils. 
THE BorouGH COUNCIL. 
The work of the Borough Council, though a newer body than 
the Guardians, affects all residents much more directly, and is very 
extensive. Literally, from the cradle to the grave, they have to 
deal with matters affecting the welfare of the inhabitants. They 
carry out the law for insisting upon the milk sold being of a 
standard quality, and they have control of the burial grounds, 
while they constantly give evidence of their work in street cleansing 
and lighting, dust collecting, the provision and maintenance of 
baths and wash-houses, the building and controlling public libraries, 
and in many other matters. 
By the Local Government Act of 1899, they became the Rating 
Authority in the place of the Local Guardians, and had the power 
