The Express.
London, England, 1866-08-02 00:00:00

THE CHOLERA.

Yesterday at the meeting of the St. Pancras vestry, Cam-
den-town, Mr. Churchwarden Ramon in the chair, a
long and stormy discussion took place on the subjectof the
cholera and the mode of carrying out the orders 'a council
for it prevention. At • special meeting held on Monday
the vestry, in addition to the suntan board, appointed
a special committee, to be designated " The Cbolera Com-
mittee," and, on the ground that they were about to ad-
journ for a month, the vestry delegated the whole of their
powers to carry out the orders in council in respect to
cholera. Yesterday the committee presented a report to
the vestry, asking that the finance committee might be
authorised to sign cheques for any expenses the cholera
committee might feel it advisable to incur. Mr. W.
H. Wyatt, aa'rman of the special committee,
w owed, and Dr. Collins seconded, that the re-
commendation in the report be complied with.
Mr. North said he should oppose this motion in the fin;
place because he thought the powers of that vestry ought
never to be delegated to a committee. (Hear, and " oh.")
Secondly, because from what had already transpired it
that over this cholera question the committee
Edetermined to spend the ratepayers' money like water.
(Cries of " Oh, oh," and " hear, hear.") One of the very
Scat acts this committee did was to agree to give Dr.
Hillier, the medical officer of health, in addition to his
salary, two guineas per day and his cab hire. (" Hear,
hear," " ob, oh," and " Shame.") Fourteen gamess per
week additional ! Tben, each of the other medical officers
were to have an extra guinea per day. If this were per-
mitted 4,0001. or 5,0001. would be spent in no time. All
these preparations were creating fear in the public mind,
which would do more to aid cholera than anything else.
It appeared to him there was some jobbery somewhere, but
he would oppose the committee having the powers sought
for. Mr. Rabies was willing to make any neoessary prepa-
rations to check an epidemic, but as there had been only
nine cases of cholera m St. Pancras, and all in one spot, he
saw no necessity for the expenaivemachinery contemplated.
Mr. J. It. Collins called upon the vestry, after having taken
a step in the right direction, not to stultify itself by refus-
ing them the means of carrying out the duties with which
they had been entrusted. Other gentlemen condemned
what they contended was the extravagance of the commit-
tee, while. Mr. Jonathan Salter, Mr. Cameron, and others
argued that for the credit of local self-government, for the
sake of consistency and humanity, the vestry should sup-
port their committee.
The motion was ultimately carried on a division by
majority of 26 to 17.

Mr. J. M. Wills. a surgeon, of No. 32, Upper East Smith-
field, camebefore Mr. Paget, at the Thames polies-court, yes-
tenlay,and said he was appointed temporarily to look after
the health of the 'curers of St. Botolph Without, Ald-
gate, forming of the Whitechapel district, in which
he was sorry to say there had been many fatal cases of
cholera. A fortnight ago he was called to a lodging-house
in Burr-street, at the eastern end, and immediately, behind
the St. Katherine Dock. A woman died of Asiatic cholera
of the worst type. A man died of Asiatic cholera next
day, and the day following that a second woman was at-
tacked with cholera, whom he sent to the hoepitaL The
lodging-house had since been closed, to the great loss of the
landlord, a foreigner. He now wanted an order to destroy
the foul clothes mid other things left in the house.
Mr. Pakjet inquired under what act of parliament he
I was required to act!
Mr. Wills said is pursuance of the powers vested in him
he had caused the bodies to be removed and buried im-
mediately after death. The Privy Council had directed
" that the vestry or board shall in dwellings where
cholera or diarrhces exists cause proper disinfectants to be
used in sufficient quantities for the purpose of disinfecting
the discharges from the sick, and the bedding, clothing,
and other things thereby infected, and the utensils and
privies in which such duchargea may have been received,
and cause every article of clothing, bedding, or
furniture which shall have been infected with any
such discharge, and which they shall find incapable
of being speedily disinfected, to be forthwith destroyed,
the vestry or board within a reasonable time replacing all
such articles, or paying the reasonable value to the owner."
There were blankets on the top of the house on which the
cholera patients died, and things in the house, such as
stinking rags and linen covered with excretions, and be
wanted to get at them, disinfect, and destroy the things.
He had seen the solicitor and clerk of the Whitechapel
Board of Works, who did not know how to act. Prompt
action was necessary if the fearful epidemic was to be
arrested in its p
Mr. Paget would lre very glad to assist the applicant
if he could. He had no power to imam an order. The Privy
Council had issued printed orderesnd reyulations and the
vestries and district boards were directed to enforce: them.
He had no power to give an order. If there was a nuiaanos
in existence and the vestry or district board refused to act,
private individuals could put the law in motion, and come
to him for a summons under the Nuisances Removal Act.
Mr. Wills—l can't get into the house. I wish to pre-
serve the health of the inhabitants. The cholera eidsts in
a virulent form, and it is extremely mortifying when you
have an order of the Lords of the Privy Council and want
to act upon it, that the order should fall through.
Mr. Pyer, the chief clerk—Surely, in such an emergency
as the present, the Whitechapel District Board of Works
would be justified in sending their officers into the house,
and destroying and diainfectmg the things instanter. The
seine can be ascertained afterwards.

Mr. Paget it came to this. The Privy Council had
given directions to vestries and district boards to do cer-
tain things, and they had no power to enforce those orders.
Ire was utterly powerless, although he was desirous of
doing all the practical good in his power. He thought
this was a very proper case in which an immediate applica-
tion should be made to the Secretary of State.
Mr. Wills said the work was fearful He and other
members of the medical faculty were overwhelmed, rind
the Board of Works now shrunk from the responsibility of
enrol :Aug the orders of the Privy Council. He then
retired.