The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-12 00:00:00

MARYLEBONE VESTRY.

THE HEALTH OF TOWNS BILL.
On Saturday, at the meeting of the Mary lebone Vestry,
the,Rev. Dr. Spry in the chair,
The Rev. CHAIRMAN said he had to bring before the
vestry a subject which was of vast importance to the
country—he meant the Bill which had been introduced
into Parliament by Government for the Improvement of
the health of Towns in England. It would be remem
bored that the vestry had appointed a committee to con-
sider the provisions of the Bill, and they had now pre-
pared their report, which the vestry-clerk would read.
Mr. FLOOD then read the following report to the
vestry :

" St. Marylebone, April 9th, 1147.
" At the committee appointed to take into considera-
tion the Bill now in Parliament, intituled,' A Bill for
Improving the Health of Towns in England,'
" Present—The Rev. Dr. Spry in the chair, Mr.
M•Evily, Mr. John Williams, Mr. Henry Charles Wil-
son, Sir James John Hamilton, Bart., Mr. Michie,
Mr. Joseph, Mr. Powell, Mr. Calder, Mr. Armson, Mr.
Ball,

" Your committee beg to report to the vestry that they
have taken into their serious consideration the provisions
of ' the Bill referred to them, and are unanimously of
opinion that the Bill is calculated to destroy the right
enjoyed by the people of England from the earliest
period of conducting their local affairs; that it greatly
extends the baneful principle of centralization, is subver-
sive of the principles of representation, as secured
by Hobhouse's Vestries Act, and is calculated to anni •
hilate the powers heretofore exercised by the vestry of
Marylebone.

"Your committee, therefore, unanimously recommend
to the vestry that the most strenuous and unqualified
opposition be offered to this obnoxious measure, and that
the other metropolitan parishes be immediately com-
muriicated with, with a view of strengthening and orga-
nizing an opposition which may he effectual in defeating
the proposed invasion, at least so far as the metroiolis is
concerned. (Signed)
"J. HUME SPRY, Chairman.
JOHN M'Evri,v, A. MICHIE.
JOHN WILLIAMS, FRANCIS CALDER,
EDWARD JOSEPH, GEORGE DANIELL,
JACOB BELL, JAS. J. HAMILTON,
THOMAS POTTER, CHARLES lIARBUT."
THOMAS POWELL,
Mr. G. DANIELL moved the adoption of the report.
He was happy to inform the vestry that the opposition
to this Bill was unanimous, and most determined.—
(Hear, hear.) Should it pass into a law, it would rob
the country of its right of representation, deprive them
of control over all their local funds, and even their
charitable institutions. According to the provisions of
the 13111 a central board was to be appointed, who would
possess all control over the commissioners and the funds,
so that while every responsibility rested upon the shoul•
ders of the commissioners, who should be men possessing
5,0001., they would be quite powerless as far as the
disposal of the parish funds were concerned, for the Bill
completely annihilated Hobhouse's Acts, and the prin-
ciple of local government.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. H. C. WILSON, in seconding the motion, said it
was impossible for centralization and representation to
co-exist. Those two principles were so antagonistical
that they could not work together. The same men who
concocted the disgraceful and degrading New Poor-law
Bill, which had given such universal and unqualified dis-
gust to the country, and which proved a decided failure
iu every respect, also prepared this measure, so impro-
perly called " The Health of Towns Bill."—(Hear, hear.)
They were all of the Chadwick school, of whom William
Cobbeit said it was an unfortunate occurrence that he
was ever allowed to interfere with the laws and liberties
of the country.—(Hear, hear.) The object of this
Health of Towns Bill was manifest. It was to take all
the remaining power from the people, and centralize it in
the hands of a board appointed by and who were the
creatures of the Government.

---- -
Sir PETER LAURIE denounced the Bill as a base at
tempt on the part of the Government to rob the people
of the last remnant of their liberty. lie assured the
vestry that the city of London were already on the alert
in this matter, and would assert their right and go to
the Queen for the purpose of inducing her Majesty not
to allow so obnoxious a measure to become the law of
the land.—(lleac, hear.) What Mr. Wilson had said
about this measure being one of that class which
might justly Ir.) termed of the Chadwick school of
legislation was quite correct. Why, it was well
known that Mr. Chadwick went to Belgium and
Germany to see the workings of tyranny there, that
they might introduce a similar system into England.—
(Shame.) This was no Health of Towns Bill at all, but
a mere subterfuge to create influence and place and pa-
tronage for the Government. Only yesterday he (Sir P.
Laurie) met a friend of his, a Commissioner of the
Westminster Sewers, and on asking him if they did not
mean to oppose this measure, he replied, " We are ap-
pointed by the Crown, and how can we, as officers of the
Crown, oppose our own masters?"—(Laughter.) He (Sir
P. Laurie) could only say that the Commissioners of
Sewers of the City and the Tower Hamlets meant to
oppose it, and he hoped every commissioner and parish
in the kingdom would do so.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir JAMES HAMILTON said, without any reference to
what party it might be who had introduced the measure,
whether it be Whig or Tory, he viewed it as a most
tyrannical invasion on popular
.rights, and as such he
felt bound to give it his determined opposition, and he
most cordially, therefore, joined in the report of the
committee.

Mr. JOSEPH denounced the Bill as a tissue of the
grossest absurdities that were ever suggested for the im-
provement of the public health. Amongst its provisions
were the following:—ln the first place there was to be
an office of health—(Laughter)—streets to be managed;
also crossings and scavenging; order houses to be white-
washed—(Laughter)—no interment to take place less
than two feet six from the surface; to prevent noxious
businesses, and compel manufactories to consume their
own smuke—(Laughter)—to approve of places for pub-
lic meetings; management of cellars for letting or not;
regulation of lodging-houses, which are to be registered
cleansed, and ventilated; lighting streets, and supplying
water by public cisterns; to provide slaughtering-houses
and license them ; to affix penalties for having chimneys
on fire ; commissioners may provide engines, firauen,
and plugs, and affix rewards ; to provide places of public
recreation, public bathing places, and public drying
grounds ; payment of rates ; and to provide public
clocks.—(Rene wed laughter.) In fact the Bill was to
provide for everything but that which its title really in-
dicated.—(llear, hear.) It was altogether a complete
piece of Irish legislation ; for, while it ordered the
votes to be taken by ballot, it directed that each person
should subscribe his name to the voting paper, and that
the papers should be left a month for inspection, so that
it might be ascertained how the votes were given.
Mr. GEORGE DANIELL said there was
.not one word
in the Bill about light and air—two necessary things to
ensure health.

even
CHAIRMANthheeh
ri
gt
of considered that it was impossible to
conceive a more obnoxious measure, which took away
appeal. If the surveyor ordered a
change in a gentleman's mansion, internally or exter-
nally, and persisted in its necessity, there was no appeal,
and the building would have to be altered according to
his order.—(Sharne.)
The report was unanimously adopted and a committee
appointed to watch and oppose the Bill, and to call on
all the other metropolitan parishes to co-operate in that
o ject.

fur the ensuing
ELECTION
John Williams and Nlr
" CutinctiwAnbENs. The following
gentlemen were appointed churchwardens and sidesmen
sides-
man, the Right Hon. Lord Kenyon and George Spencer
Smith, Esq. ;
Parisi; churchwarden and sidesman, Mr.
year :—Crown churchwarden and sides-
Richsrd Adams Esq., a.nd Mr. Thomas Potter ; All
llal ph. After James Nisbet ; St. Mary's,
:7;;ouls, Robert Skypne; Esq., and Mr. Joseph Wing-
field ; Christchurch Admiral Daly and Mr. Richard
Hickman ; Trinity, Mr. Justice Erie and Mr. 13.:,njamin
the vestry se-
parated. sum© routine business

ANOTHER SECEDER THROUGH TRACTARIANISM TO
P OPERY. —lt is rUMOUeeII that an Irish gentle.
oman, son-
in:law of a Noble Earl,
and who made himself very con-
spicu
i.sus last
the Romish
year by his advocacy of reproductive la-
bour, about to add his mini+, to tilts list of perverts to
some tinse shown itself by the support invariably given
to the Roman Catholic candidate for any office in the
Church. His bias towards popery has for
disposal of which he had a voice, no matter how well
qualified the Protestant competitor. Having lately, as
torem.in of the Grand Jury, a sum of money for distri-
bution to charitable societies:
he gave it all to the Romish
charities of the assizo town,
though there are several
most meritorious Protestant charities in it. To crown
all,. he appeared in the crowded streets OR the Monday
before Easter with palm in his hat—a melancholy exhi-
bition truly
I—Church and State Gazette.