The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-24 00:00:00

'

CITY COMMISSION OF SEWERS.
Yesterday the first meeting of the Commissioners of
Sewers of the city of London under the new Act of
Parliament, took place at Guildhall; Sir P. Laurie in
the chair.
The meeting was very numerously attended, much in-
terest having been excited by the appointment of the
various officers of the court, the general business con-
nected with the sanity regulations, and the reports of
Mr. Simon, the City medical officer, and others relating
to the necessary arrangements to be made to meet future
emergencies.
Mr. Deputy ALLAM moved—" That Mr. Deputy
Peacock, who had so long distinguished himself as the
indefatigable chairman of the commission, and made
such exertion to get the new Bill, should bo re-elected
to the chair for one year."
Mr. SELSON seconded the motion; which was carried
unanimously.
The inspectors and messengers were also reappointed.
SANITARY MATTERS.
Mr. PRIOR then proposed—" That Mr. Simon be
elected to the dice of Officer of Health of the city of
London, under the new Bill," and said that the selection
of that gentleman before the Bill came into operation
reflected honour upon the corporation, as his zeal and
energy were proportioned to his skill, which was equal
to that of any man in the profession.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. OBBARD seconded the proposition.
Mr. STACEY said the Court ought to pause a little as
they were not yet aware of the distinct duties which the
medical officer would have to perform, and the amount
of remuneration he was to receive. As soon as such
matters were settled, it would be proper to proceed to
the appointment, but not till then.--(Hear, hear.)
Mr. WILLIAMS (of Farringdon ward) was of opinion
that the whole medical staff of the City unions should be
connected with the sanitary regulations. That staff con-
sisted of 11 men of great professional experience, and
qualified to act for the benefit of London in any emer-
gency. They visited all the parts of the City in which
disease was likely to exist, and be should wish to see
- them occupy the place which had been marked out for
Mr. Simon, who could not act in so extensive an arena
without the assistance of the commissioners themselves,
or of those men whose high capabilities could be brought
to bear effectively upon any dangerous epidemic, how-
ever general. He considered it to be his duty to move
" that the 11 medical gentlemen who acted for the
unions should have amongst them the 5004 a year which
he believed it had been the intention to vote to Mr.
Simon." He knew they were prepared to act. Mr.
Williams altered the form of his motion by moving
" that a committee be appointed to consider the duties,
&c., of the Medical Officer, &c."
Mr. ELLIOTT seconded the motion.
Some question having arisen as to the nature of the
duties of the office,
The CHAIRMAN said, the Act gave no definitiorfof the
duties, but Mr. Simon was ready to state what he thought
his duties ought to be, and what assistance he ought to
have. As for remuneration, that seemed to form no
part of his case.
After a few words from Mr. Deputy Stevens, Mr.
Eagleton, Mr. Perkins, and others, who spoke in terms
of high praise of Mr. Simon, the question was put, and
Mr. Simon was immediately elected, by a vast majority,
for one year, as medical officer of the city of London.
Mr. Deputy HARRISON then moved, in accordance
with the wish of the Court of Common Council, the ap-
pointment of twelve members, together with the chair-
man,
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medical officers of the city of London, with 501. a year
each. He now hoped the Commissioners would not see
any occasion for such appointments, and that the board
of guardians would take care to supply Mr. Simon with
all the information which that gentleman should consider
necessaryfor
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himtoeobrtain in performing the duties of
his office.—(Hear,
Mr. PRIOR seconded the motion; which was carried
unanimously.
Mr. Simon was then introduced to the Court, and in-
formed that he had been just elected to the office under
the new Act.
The new City Medical Officer then rose, and read a
long and interesting report respecting the present rate
of mortality in the City (which he estimates at about 28
per 1,000 per annum of the population), the defective
sanitary arrangements of certain districts (particularly
the courts which lie between Snow hill and West-street,
Smithfield; those which open into Long-lane, and, worst
of all, those which lie about Moor-lane, Milton-street,
Whitecross-street, and Golden-lane, in the ward of
Cripplegate); and the sanitary clauses of the new Act,
by the enforcement of which he considers that the
Commissioners had within their control as good an
antidote for the spread of fever as vaccination is for
the infection of small-pox. With respect to the
80th clause, which legalised his own appointment
and assigned his duties, Mr. Simon solicited the at-
tention of the Commissioners to the very serious diffi-
culty which must attend all sanitary progress in the city,
unless in the very first instance a perfect spirit of co-
operation was established among the various authorities
who a, e interested in that progress. Reference to the
clause in question (he said) will show that- it must often
be the duty of the officer of health to suggest measures
for the improvement of the general condition of the
poorer classes, or for the relief of some temporary pres-
sure of disease, or for the arrest of infection, and
although the indulgence of this Court might perhaps be
so far extended as to allow him to broach such topics
in that place, yet it was obvious that his doing so
would often lead to inconvenience, and seldom to advan-
tage. Cases might often occur (and, indeed, are now oc-
curring) in which clause 80 contemplated and required
the interference of the officer of health ; but in respect
of which the clause omits to indicate with what authority
or by whose intervention he can act. In all those large
and important works which do so much towards
annihilating the physical causes of disease, in all
which relates to the drainage and purification of
the city, that Honourable Court was quite absolute; but
for what relates to the personal circumstances of the
sufferers, or the measures that may be requisite for
their relief, the Court has declined to provide in its Act
of Parliament. Most of the cases to which he alluded
to were within the jurisdiction of the guardians of the
poor, and he would respectfully beg the Hon. Commis-
sioners to instruct him how, in such cases, they would wish
him to proceed. In the event of a board of health being
formed as a body, with which he might habitually act,
it would no doubt be within the power and discretion of
the Commissioners, and would be of infinite advantage
to the dispatch of business, if arrangements could be
made to avoid those conflicts of jurisdiction which might
at some most critical moment render his best endeavours
ineffectual. Meanwhile, if that Hon. Court should be
pleased to sanction it, ho would propose that a formal
notification of his appointment should be convoyed to
the several boards of guardians, and that he should be
permitted to add to this notification that, in the event of
occasion requiring it, he should (according to the spirit
of the clause referred to) consider himself bound, and at
the same time authorized by that Hon. Court, to co-ope-
rate, to his best ability, in such sanitary movements as
the guardians might originate."
Upon the motion " that the statement be printed and
circulated, it was objected by some members that alarm
might be excited by the dissemination of the truths con-
tained in it; but it was almost unanimously agreed to
that the sooner so important a document met the public
eye the better; and the motion was carried by accla-
mation.
Papers from the several City unions were referred to
the Board of Health.
The following communication was sent in to the
Court, and referred to the Committee of the Board of
Health:—

" Old Jewry, Jan. 10, 1849.
" Gentlemen,—ln anticipation of the beneficial powers
with which you are now invested for the preservation of
the health and comfort of the inhabitants of the City,
and desirous of aiding this great work, I have caused
diligent inquiry to be made upon the various matters to
which the Act entitled City of London Sewers Act,
1848,' especially refers.

"It would be difficult to suggest reasons more potent
in favour of this measure, or rather for the necessity of
it, than the returns I have now the honour to bring under
your notice, which you will perceive are made in dis-
tricts corresponding with the police divisions. These
returns embrace nearly 200 cases, many of them of long
standing and of aggravated character, and all deserving
of attention. _

" Though these returns are the result of considerable
labour and perseverance, they must not be regarded as
complete, and still less must their value be determined
by this preliminary representation of public and private
nuisances.

" To give efficiency to this law by realising the bene-
ficial objects contemplated by it, I venture to repeat
what I have before urged, the extreme desirableness of
having periodical returns, not less frequent than
monthly, of a similar character to the present, not only
pointing out objects which deserve attention, but also to
report whether efficient remedies have been applied ;
and I submit there is no medium by which those objects
can be so effectually and economically obtained as
through the agency of the police.
" As an illustration of my views upon this subject I
beg to direct your attention to a letter I had the honour
to address to your board on the 17th of April last, in
which you will find the following remarks, and which
appear to we to be still more appropriate now that you
are armed with every requisite authority.
" The" state of our streets generally, and especially
the narrow and more confined streets, alleys, and courts
is very unsatisfactory, and calls for daily supervision,
which none could so iffi2iently give as the police. That
it would cast serious additional duties on the police
establishment is obvious, but this ought to be no con-
sideration when the public health and convenience are
concerned.'

" Such were my recorded views in 1844, and I adhere
to the conviction teat, under the sanction and with the
cordial co-operation of the Commissioners of Sewers,
the City of London might be placed, in all the great
elements of health and comfort, in a condition that
would have no parallel in any other city, ancient or
modern, and place the Commissioners of Sewers of the
City of London beyond the reach of grasping centrali-
sation, and the ungenerous influence of envious misre-
presentation. _ _ _

" The principle I propose to establish is that of sleep.
less superintendence over the various departments o.