The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-24 00:00:00

t~~

was mentioned no less than three times in the Speech from
the Throne. In the year 1845 a bill was introduced based
upon the principle of a centralisation of authority, whereby
the Secretary of State might send down an inspector,
and imight apply the act by an order in council with-
out the sanction of Parliament. That bill was found
so objectionable and so impracticable that it dropped to
the ground. However, in 1817, another bill was framed
in rather a more liberal spirit, still retaining great powers
for the Government; but it was ultimately so objected to
on that account that it could not be proceeded with. The
next bill was ono introduced by Lord Carlisle when at tho
head of the Woods and Forests—a bill which, as originally
framed, contained provisions of a most arbitrary character.
These provisions were, that it might be applied by an order
in council, and that the act was to supersede all local acts.
He found that there was a great numberef places to which
the act had been applied ; and that when it was first in
operation it was made to apply to many districts in which
it was unpopular, and consequently hard to work. He
found that in the year 1849 the act was applied to 90
places ; in 1850, to 66 ; in 1851, to 36 ; in 1852, to 37 ; in
1853, to 20; and in the period from the let of January to
the let of August, 1854, to only 9. The course he now
proposed to take was this :—lt was extremely objection-
able, he thought, to repeal parts of the existing act, and
allow the rest to remain ; he proposed, therefore, to repeal
the old act altogether, and to bring in a bill which should
contain all the valuable portions of the old act, in conjunc-
tion with the new matter which it was advisable to intro-
duce. At present, in the case of districts or places which
had definite boundaries and local acts, the General Board
of health had power to apply the act by order of
council upon the petition of one-tenth of the inhabi-
tants; and this they could do without the previous
sanction of Parliament. But where there were no defi-
nite boundary and no local acts, it was necessary for
ono-fifth of the inhabitants to petition; the Board
of Hoalth might then issue a provisional order, and the
sanction of Parliament be obtained. It was felt, however,
to be a serious objection that the act might be applied
upon the petitaionndotfhissobsom,,haolluald opnpurmboerse toof
ds cue teeth
yuasa ;
at present experienced in the application of the
the
remedy. population
Great
a
act where partte,s desired it, in consequence of its very
complicated machinery; that machinery ho should propose
to simplify. Another point that had been strongly urged
upon him was the necessity of putting an end to the sys-
tem of plurality of voting under the act ; he should pro-
pose, therefore, that each ratepayer should have one vote
and no mere. Again, a matter that had been found very
galling to local parties was, that the permission. of. the
General Board of Health was required for the dismissal
of surveyors, as well as for tha appointment or dismissal
of medical officers. During the few months he (Sir B.
Hall) had held office he had not interfered in this matter,
because he knew that if ho had refused to grant his sanction
he should be defeated by the local authorities, who would
immediately stop supplies, and then the surveyor er me-
dical officer would cease the performance of his duties.
This clause of the old act, therefore, which had been
very galling in some instances, had, to a great extent,
been inoperative. The next point worthy of notice was
with reference to the limit of the borrowing powers
of the local boards. In some places which were not
wealthy great works were to be accomplished, and
they had the power of borrowing the rateable value
of one year, and no more, and were obliged, moreover,
to pay off the sum so borrowed in 30 years. He proposed
to extend the power of borrowing to the rateable value of
two years, but to retain the 30 years as the period for re-
payment, unless under special circumstances, in which case,
with the consent of the General Board of Health, the
period might be extended to 50 years. He had received
many communications, especially from towns in the north
of England and the manufacturingdistricts, respecting one
of the greatest nuisances that were found to exist there—
he meant the practice of building houses in rows, and back
to back of one another. To that practice it was his inten-
tion, if possible, to put a stop entirely. One of the most
objectionable features in the old act, and which was pro-
vented by a clause inserted by the Ch..ef Commissioner of
-Works in the act of last session, under which the Board of
Health was now constituted, was this—Under the old sys-
tem the General Board of Health appointed inspectors,
who were sent down to places to make a report ; and not
only were they called on to make a report, Ibut they were
permitted to give estimates as to the construction of works;
and going still further, not only to make estimates, but to
carry out the works themselves. He would show the effect
of that regulation, and the house would not be surprised
to find that the act should have got into extremely bad
odour with the public ; because they naturally supposed
that in having engineers appointed by the Government to
undertake their works, they had some degree of moral cer-
tainty that the estimate would to a certain extent be
carried out. Now, here was an account of the towns whore
the works had been completed; and, first, he would read
the list of those which had been inspected and the works
carried out by the same inspector

Amount
Name of Town. Nature of Works. Estimate. raised
on Loan.
--,
£ £
Ashby-de-1a )
, Drainage& water supply 6,500 8 ,000
Zouche ... 1
Alnwick
Croydon
Morpeth Ditto ditto
Ormskirk
20,500 78,062

Another class of towns was those in which the works had
been carried out by an inspector who did lot visib the
town, the estimate having been given by another inapoe.
tor :

Nrane of Town. Nature of Works.

Estlmate

Amount
raised
on Loan.

Launceston Drainage& water supply
Rugby

4,500
11,609

7,800
18,000

16,109

25,800

Ho also hell in his hand a return of towns where the
works were in progress and incomplete ; and the following
was the result with reference to those which had been in-
spected and the works carried out by the same in-
spector :

Amount
Name of Town. I Nature of Work 3. Estimate raised
on Loan.
Berwick-
& t I 14 'OO 10,00(3
• wa er supp y ,o
Southampton . Ditto ditto
I(urslern . Drainage
Epsom
Rotherham
SclLy Ditto ditto
121,240 139,010

At Dover, where the works had been carried out by air
inspector who did not visit the town, the estimate having•
been given by another inspector, tho amount of the esti-
mate for drainage and water supply was 16,5001., and the
cost of the works was not less than 50,0001., being a diffe•
ronce between the estimate and the cost of 34,5001. And
he could find but one case in the office where the cost of
the works executed had been loss than the estimate, and
that was in the case of Leighton. Hero, if the house
would permit him, ho would road the letters which ho had.
caused to be addressed to the superintendent inspectors a
few days after he acceded to office, in order that they
might perform their duties in conformity with the provi-
sions of the Act of Parliament :

" General Board of Health, August 31, 1814:
" Sir,—l am directcd by Sir Benjamin Hall to say that
he will appoint you as superintending inspector' and will
recommend the Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's
Treasury to assign you a salary of 8001. per annum, com-
mencing from this date.

"It must be distinctly understood that you do not;
directly or indirectly, by yourself or by a partner, become
engaged in any surveys, contracts, or works, and do not
outer into any business or speculations during the time that
you are connected with this department.
" Th• act under which the appointments are made is
limited iu duration to one year, and until the end of the
then next session of Parliament ; and you must not con-
sider yourself entitled to have any claim upon her Majesty's
Treasury, for compensation or otherwise, in case your ser-
vices should not be required beyond that period, when a
re-appointment, if approved by the then president; will be
necessary....

" I run directed further to refer you to the section of the
act which relates to the appointment and dismissal of
officers engaged by this board.

"Yam, sir, your obedient servant,
(Signed) "A. DAVIES BERRINGTON."
In order still further to carry out what he conceived to be
the intentions of the Legislature, ho collected the various
instructions which had been issued from time to time by
his predecessors to the superintendent inspectors. These
he found comprised in a volume of upwards of 300 folio
pages; and for the purpose of showing whet were the
duties of the inspectors, he would read the instructions to
the house :

"The inspector is to show that there is no intention or
desire on the part of the General Board of Health to force
the application of the act upon the district, against the
desire of the inhabitants.

" will state that those ratepapors only who will do-
rive direct advantage from the works will be charged with
the cost of such works.
"The superintending
inspector will especially urge that
the object of the inquiry is to elicit facts for further con-
sideration, and not to make out a case for indiscriminate
application of the act.
" Ho will seek the aid of all parties best qualified to
afford information and will so conduct the proceedings as
to give every one the opportunity of being heard ; and he
will invite all persons, especially those who deny the want
of improvement, to accompany him in his tour of inspection.
"Having ascertained the existing state of the district,
the superintending inspector will examine and consider
how far it may be advisable and practicable to apply the
remedies of the publics Health Act within such oost as the
inhabitants might be reasonably called upon to bear.
"To arrive at any accurate conclusion as to the cost,
proper plans, setting forth the levels, kc., must be fur.
1 nished, and these plans are not to be undertaken by the su-
' perintending inspectors, but by persons selected to act by
the local authorities, after the locality shall have adopted
the act ; but it will be the duty of the superintending in-
spector to make such general examination as will enable
him to pronounce as to the practicability of remedial mea-
sures, and this may frequently serve for preliminary guid-
ance of tho local beard and their surveyors in working out
the necessary plans.
" It will generally be desirable that the superintending
inspector, after completing his inquiry, should atteend(an-
an-
other meeting of the inhabitants before leaving the dis-
trict, at which meeting he will state the conclusions at
which ho may have arrived, and the recommendations
which ho will ho prepared to make. An opportunity will
objections which may be raised, all which may facilitate
further
thus bo afforded to receirewisitlig.agtesttliioenssaamnd
same
tcitlinlesideexrpl any
that
tall I;rotatceeiendcinntg:.
w Ho
h,
may
be transmitted from thehic
locality to the general hoard, in reference to his report,
eanccairceosnhsoi consideration."
el
,should alt)ieo nl
;'i'd upon
the table of the house in a few days. As a consequence of
issuing these instructions, and their being read at the
public meetings which the different inspectors had had to
he might mention the case of a town in the north
willT
e .E..reeicnesi vtieutcht instructions he fullest
tw would attentionak
praying him to
land with a population of 20,000. A petition came
u:')fit,tfli that town
ter-petition also arrived, praying
apply this act. A very
strong counter-petition him not to
apply the act. He thereupon sent down as inspector,
whom he desired to read these instructions the first thing
after a meeting. had been convened. The inspector did se,
and upon having the assurance that it was not his (Sir B.
' inteutiou to force the Act upon, thew without Vl*