The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-10 00:00:00

eiders issus4 by the Gement Board of aealsk to theAsvend
glow, to
aid:isfelefe.• Re had a pe4bee,-osi thle
ftm S somplainhag of the *pennies of the est.
When t P " Health Act was passed the object wais to
',vivid* for the sanitary improvemenkof the people. No
doubt that was • very deshable object; tint the 'antennae
'was, Beat is emsequence of ithe.Disarel of Health centralisieg
all. the power in their own hands, greet injustice was done
in several localities. The Public Health Let declared that
no interference should take place with ant towns unless
one-tenth of she inhabitaata petitioned foe each interference.
When that interference was asked for, an inspector was
sent down to inquite into. the state of -the town, and to
report to the board. In every ease these inspectors of course
expected that it was desirable to carry out the Public
Health Act, and apply it to the particular locality to which
they were sent. On this report being made,
the board issued what was called a provisional order—which
embodied the Police Act, the Improvement of Towns Act,
and the local act referring to the town, all is one. Tbie
was not enough, for this provisional order was buried in
some dark cellar which was scarcely accessible to say one,
and it got at it was impossible to understand what it meant.
There were 71 towns where the Public Health Act was ap-
plied by means of provisional orders ; 66 where it was ap-
plied by orders in council. There were 22 provisional
orders pending, and 12 towns where the Board of Health
declared that it was not expedient to apply the act at pre-
sent. All of these towns were large and important places,
There were complaints_ from several other localities. One
of these was Bromyard. When the ratepayer of that
place knew that it was resolved to force upon them the
Public Health Act on the pretence that one-tenth of the
inhabitants had petitioned for that purpose. they assem-
bled in public meeting, and resolved by 1,266 to
336 against the application of the act. In Worcester
again, the board attempted to force the act, contrary to the
express wish of the mayor and corporation of the place. In
Portsmouth there was a majority of one in the town council
in favour of the application of the act. But as the general
body of ratepayers would have to pay the expenses, he con-
sidered that their feelings ought to be consulted
and respected on • matter of this kind. Since
the establishment of the board they had received
no less than 80,000 letters, and they had despatched
56,000. Besides this there were 1,030 letters asking for the
opinions of solicitors, in order to explain this clear act of
parliament. The correspondoooe cost 20,0001., in addition
to the 10,0001. salaries which the board d. There
were, no doubt, very excellent men on that board, but
it seemed to him that they were committing the same
fault as the Poor Law Board had committed, namely,
that of not consulting local feelings. (Hear, hear.) He
bad confidence in the present head of the Board of Works,
and he trusted that these provisional orders would not be
enforced contrary to the wishes of the ratepayers. If the
act was to be carried out in its present form, he hoped the
thing would be done openly, and that an effectual inquiry
would be instituted on the subject. The hon. baroaet con-
cluded by moving for the following returns—Returns of all
places which lave petitioned the General Board of Health
for the application of the Public Health Act, 1848, with
the dates when such petitions were received, distinguishing
the towns where provisional orders have been conilmurd,
and where orders in council have been issued, with the
dates of such provisional orders and orders in council,
stating whether an original or an amended order, with the
dates of any such amended order that have been issued to
such towns: Of the towns that have been struck out of the
schedules of the several confirmatory bills in parliament,
with the dates when they were so struck out, distinguish-
ing those towns whose provisional orders have subsequently
been confirmed by parliament: Of the names of any places
to which inquiries have been directed with the view to the
application of the Public Health Act, without any
local application for the same : Of the places which
have sent memorials to the General Board, complaining of
the manner in which the Public Health Act has operated,
or of the manner in which it is proposed by the general
board to apply the same to their town, with the number of
petitions for the amendment of the said act which have been
presented to this house; and, account of the expenses of
applying the Public Health Act by provisional order, and
Order in Council, with the total amount expeaded in the
application of the said act, distinguishing the expenses of
each preliminary inquiry, and of the printing and publica-
tion of the several reports and statements sanctioned by the
board in relation thereto. _

Mr. LASLETT seconded the motion. The inhabitants
of Worcester were extremely badly treated in this matter.
The town was surveyed, end a bill of coats was presented
for that to the amount of 1,0001., though the surveyor after-
wards consented to take 6001. The people of Worcester
would not consent to the application of the act unless they
were allowed some control over the officers. Ho would
move for a committee of inquiry to investigate the com-
plaints made by the inhabitant:of Worcester.
Ilk W. MOLESWORTII said he did not rise for the
rrof defending all the acts of the Board of Health
s eensposition of that board. Yet he must say that
they were anxiously desirous to benefit the public. The
Beard of Health had two duties to perform—the first was
to pat the water supply, the drainage, and the sewage of
awns under local authority ; and next, it bad to superin-
tend these things. They proceeded en the application of
eastenth of the inhabitants, upon which they issued a pro-
visional order, which was something in the nature of a pri-
vate bill. The east of local improvement acts was 2,4001.,
whereas the test of a provisional order was only 1021.
Now, the 161 towns to which provisional orders were
applied cost only 15,0001., whereas local acts would have cost
them MT 360,0041.1 b had said that he did not defend the
constitution of the board, nor would he defend even its admi-
nistratisa in ell eases. It was, therefore, the ict•ntioa of
the seveannent to introduce a measure for the alteration of
the Ward, sad the amer.dinent of the Public Health Act
and he was not without hopes that the contemplated
improvements would give satisfaction. (Hear, hear.)
The ease of Worcester was under consideration, and
he hoped that the matter of complaint would be satisfac-
torily adjusted. (Hear.)
Lord SEYMOUR said he agreed with the right hon.
gentleman, that the constitution of the board required
amendment,' as well as the Public Health Aet itself. (Hear,
hear.) He thought it would be best if they could go back
to the system of giving local acts at a small expense.
Mr. EVELYN thought that the different towns should
have some control over the unitary arrangements VIM
affected them. Under the present system the small team
of England were completely in the power of the Waldo Se
complained of the proceedings of the board with no*to
Dorking.
Mr. HENLEY was glad to bear that the AIM low ad
deems intended to propose changes in the eseilleedee et
Ile board and the Public Health Act ; and be biped that
be would introduce the changes as soon as possible.
Mr. WHALLEY remarked that a great SOWN of the
evil was to be fined in the way in which the private busi-
ness of the house was conducted, and the cut of procuring
bills.
Mr. BROTHERTON protested against the youngest
member of the house finding fault with the mode of con-
ducting the private business, with which he must be totally
unacquainted. (" Hear, hear," and laughter.)
Mr. HUME said he agreed with his Loa. friend in his
denunciation of the mode in which the private business
was carried on.
The reviles was this agreed to.
SOUTHAMPTON ELECTION.
Mr. H. A. HERBERT, referring to a report which had
been presented to the house at 12 o'clock from the South-
ampton election committee, now moved that Robert E.
Bowe: be kept in the castody of the Sergi ant-at-Arms, and
that he be brought before the committee from time to time
as the committee might require. This individual, whose
evidence counsel declared to be of importance, relined to
take an oath on conscientious grounds; and when asked if
he was a Quaker, Moravian, or Separatist, he said that he
was a Separatist, but when the affirmation required to be
made in that case was put to him he demurred and refused
to declare solemnly that he belonged to the sect called
Separatists; " alleging that when he said he was a Separa-
tist he meant that he had separated himself from other reli-
gions sects. Under these circumstances he believed that no
other course was open to him, as the chairman of the com-
mittee, than to make the motion he had. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUME said that he agreed to the motion, but as he
felt strongly that their legislation with regard to oaths was
not comet, he thought that this person should be called to
the bar, and asked why he refused to take the oath.
The motion was then agreed to.
LOUTH ELECTION PETITION.
The petition against the return of Mr. Kennedy was dis-
charged, the Speaker having received notice that it was not
the intention to prosecute it.
CHATHAM ELECTION.
On the motion for adding Sir W. Jolliffe to the Warwick
election petition,
Mr. STAFFORD asked for the indulgence of the house
in reference to a matter which was somewhat personal to
himself. It had been stated in a leading article of a paper
of great infioence and circulation, that the late government
had returned to the old system of dispensing government
patronage for political purposes in respect to the late ekes
Lion for Chatham. To that statement he offered his an-
qualified contradiction, and ell he asked for was that the
house would suspend its judgment till the evidence was
printed. (Hear, hear.) He asked this se an act of common
justice from the house which he was sure they would not
refuse to the meanest criminal. (Hear, hear.)
The motion was then agreed to.
BLACKBURN ELECTION.

On the motion of Mr. W. PATTON, the report, minutes
of proceedings, and (*Wanes in the Blackburn election
petition were ordered to be printed.
GRAND JURIES IN IRELAND.
On the motion of Mr. WM•now a return was ordered
of the number of cases in which bills for murder or man-
slautthter against police, yeomen, or military, have been
presented to grand juries in Ireland since the year 182.0 ;
specifying in each can whether the Mil was found true or
ignored, and also specifying the locality in which the loss of
life took plan, and the number of pt Mill killed, and also
whether the parties against whom bills have been found
have been convicted or acquitted by the petty jury.
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS.
Oa the motion for eonsideriug the amendments to this
bill,
Sir W. JOLLIFFE asked for some explanation of the
discrepancy whied seemed to exist in the blll. It teemed
that a sum of no lea than 1,221,0001. was asked to be trans-
ferred for the purposes of the bill, whereas the cdt bt
amounted to only 961,3021. This bill alto capitalised the
arrears of interest, which was objectionable.
Mr. IIU3IE did not think that any statement could re-
move the doubt which exbdtd with regard to the report on
this subject. The report *tided that 296,0001. interest had
been allowed to accumulate up to the sth of January
It was a great slur on a public department that such a sum
should bo allowed to accumulate. Re thought that the sub•
ject should be referred to a committee up-stain.