The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-31 00:00:00

fully increased. The deaths of infants and of
young children were frightfully numerous. In
Manchester alone, there had been as many as
13,362 who had died in infancy and early child-
hood within a very brief period; and in Liverpool the
deaths were not less numerous. And he regretted to
say, that by the last returns the statements were not less
melancholy or important. He would now turn to the de-
tails of the measure which they meant to propose for the
amendment of this growing and serious evil. When
Lord Lincoln had first introduced a measure for
improving the sanatory condition of towns he had
truly stated, that with the onerous duties pressing upon
the attention of the Secretary of State for the Home
Department, even with the assistance of the Committee
of Privy Council it would be utterly impossible for him,
even did the p Twin holding that high office possess ail
the qualities of the Right Hon. Baronet who held it
under the late administration, or of his Right Hon.
Friend who now filled that post—it would be utterly im-
possible for him to attend to the duties which this Bill
would impose. To the general care of the internal
Government of England, Scotlaud, and lrdand was
added the general superintendence of the police,
the care of prison discipline, and the ultimate administra-
tion of the poor-law. The Committee of the Privy Council
too, he was sorry to say, was not at the present
moment in the highest favour with the people.
If, therefore, the business in hand was important
enough, and happened to be specially connected with
some other duties and fuucti ,ns, it might be important
enough to justify the constitution of a medical board for
the purpose, framed very much upon the same footing
as the railway board of last session, composed of five
members, three of them to be paid, and the others, mem-
bers of the Government, receiving no pay ; and the
person who fi led the office which he had then the honour
to hold, should be the ex-officio chairman of that board.
This board, which it was proposed should be called
" The Board of Health and Public Works," should
be empowered, either upon petition or otherwise,
to direct an inquiry into what was termed the
sanatory condition of any town or district. They
should be empowered to appoint inspectors upon
reeommendation, who should go down to these dis-
tricts and institute the necessary inquiries ; who should
make and direct surveys, and point out the direction of
streams and water courses, and define what should be
the proper area of any work which was to be
carried out, if there should be a case of neces-
sity for it. On receiving and considering this
report, the board of health would recommend that an
order in-Council should issue, conferring the necessary
powers. Upon the local administration. Now what were
these powers, and what was that administration to be ?
With respect to these powers, he should revert entirely
to the old constitutional foundation, which he found
exercised by the commissioners of sewers, and which
was originally brought forward in an Act passed in the
reign of Henry Bth. As these powers were exercised by
the commissioners, they did not provide sufficiently fur
the construction of house drains in connexion with the
main sewers, or furnish a proper supply of water. That
was the cardinal point on which all the recommendations
of all the various boards had been founded. What was
to be done to a house were these powers of sewerage,
drainage, cleansing, &c., to be entrusted to the occupier?
He would just mention that he should not find it neces-
sary to embody all the previsions respecting these
various functions in the present Bill. These were com-
prehended in the Bills which were drawn up in pursu-
ance of a resolution of a committee of this House last
session, and brought forward in the present session and
passed. Was it right to combine these powers
in the control and superintendence of our local ad-
ministrative body ? What was that body to be f
Lord Lincoln's Bill provided for a new electoral
body, and that certain districts and wards should be
made for the purpose of these elections. He thought
that they had had almost enough of election ,and it
would be hardly desirable to bring forward any new
system for the formation of a body especially analagous
to the town councils. They would be comprised of, and
elected by, the same sort of persons—their attention
would be directed to many similar objects, and on ac
count of that very similarity they were more likely to
be jealous—counteracting and mutually repellent bodies.
Some had suggested a direct nomination from the
Crown, but he thought there would be reason to fear
the antagonism of those bodies chosen by the people.
The system should be framed in such a way as to induce
activity, energy, and practical philanthropy, and a de-
sire to benefit the respective communities of these
bodies. The functions of draining, c:e ossing,and sewer-
age seemed to be the appropriate function ofd municipal
corporation.— (Hear, hear.) It was true that when
these corporatioes were first appointed there was
much jealousy sprieging up, but that evil was de-
oreasing.—(ilear, hear.) It hail been caused by
these bodies feeling themselsa s intrusted with
extraordinary powers of which, by tie eilinary reaction
that attended human affairs, they became j slous. They
had, however, selected the town councils as the parties
most free from objections, and he had reason to believe,
that the more useful functions that were intrusted to
these councils, the more useful would be the men who
joined them. With regard to large pieces of wood land,
where an appropriate outlet for drainage of the district
could be found, these councils would have power, under
the sanction of a higher authority, of appropriating part
of it with regard to those towns in which the Corpora-
tion Act was not in force, and there were very large places
in that condition. He had at first intended to adhere to
the practice of which they had an example in the com-
missioners of sewers, and that they should be constituted
by direct nomination from the commissioners, but he
now proposed that in such towns and cities the com-
missioners should be elected by the rate-payers, and the
Crown on the representation of the Board of Health
should nominate one-third of the number chosen by
public election. With regard to the application of this
Bill to Ireland and Scotland, he hoped that those gentle-
men who had the superintendence of the general affairs
of those countries would adopt the Bill. He did not
think it advisable to embody such a regulation for three
countries in one Act. He proposed that as soon as this
Act was passed. all existing commissioners and trustees
should be abolished. His object was that all conflicting
jurisdiction should cease, and for this purpose it was neces-
sary that all local commissioners and trustees should cease.
The recommendations went on to state that all works
should be undertaken by competent and impartial
persons, complete surveys of the proposed works should
be made, and all works performed by contract, and paid
for by the public board. These recommendations it was
proposed by the Government to carry out in the pro-
posed Bill. Medical inspectors would also be appointed
under the Act, whoso duty it would be to visit all
portions of the districts consigned to them. Local sur-
veyors would also be appointed byjahe Town Council,
and approved of by the public board, to see that the
works were all properly performed. An inspector of
nuisance would also be appointed. Provision would
also be made in the Bill to put down the smoke nuisance
by the proper
_ budding and ventilation of the houses to
be built. With respect to a sufficient supply of water he
thought that it was a fact not to be disputed that tubular
sewers and a constant and sufficient supply of water were
absolutely essential to procure good sewerage. The
Noble Lord then went on to read reports from Dr.
Hale, Dr. Robertson, Mr. Hawkesley, and other me-
dical gentlemen, showing the insufficient supply, and
the bad nature, of the water supplied to numerous
places in the country, and urging the necessity of con-
veying water to every house, and not to allow the per-
sons to make long journeys to the springs, or reservoirs,
for the purpose of obtaining it. It seemed, said the
Noble Lord, that they had not much advanced in this
respect since the days of Andromache, who had " to
bring water from Hyperia's well." All these altera-
tions it could not be supposes could be carried out with-
out additional rates, but he did not suppose that the
benefits to be obtained under this Act would be dearly
purchased by the imposition of a small additional
rate.---(Elear, hear.) The Noble Lord then went on
to allude to the calculations of Dr. Lyon, Dr. Play-
fair, Mr. Coke, Mr. Smith, of Deanstown, slr. Hol-
land, Mr. Gardiner, and other eminent persons.
on the subject of the immense loss which the country
sustained by the operation of the present inefficient
sanatory regulations, by the expenses of medical at-
tendance, premature deaths, and the rates of mortality,
and also the immense sums lost to the country by al-
lowing the refuse or manure of the country to run
away in water. In conclusion, the Noble Lord said that
he could assure the House that the measure had been
drawn up with the utmost consideration by the Govern-
ment, and with a sole desire to make it beneficial to the
Interests of the public, and he would be most thankful
if the measure, and the consideration which it would
receive from Parliament, and the ultimate sanction which
he hoped it might obtain from the Crown, should be
useful in carrying out to some degree the aim of the
Government. Tilsit aim was to diminish as far as in
them lay those noxious influences within their reach,
which now so paintully afflicted the large majority of
the inhabitants of the towns and cities in this great
empire, and which proved the never-failing source of
uncleanliness and disease. To counteract these noxious
.influences they proposed to let in a flood of pure air
and pure water, and by thus doing, diminish, as far as
they could, the prevalence of those epidemic diseases
which had now and then shown themselves with such
fearful ravages. The object of the Government in the
present measure was to wage war wherever they could
against filth, stench, and miasma, and its sure tenden-
cies and consequancies—bodily weakness, langonr, fever,
and death-dealing pestilence—and thus, as they hoped,
be instrumental in lengthening the lives and adding to
the happiness of all classes of her Majesty's subjects in
these realms. Ho would move for leave to introduce
the Bill.
Mr. MACKIN YON thought the Government entitled
to the greatest praise for bringing forward the present
Measure, and he begged to tender his thanks, on his own
account and those of his supporters, for the very com-
prehensive measure they had introduced. The Noble
Lord was not, perhaps, aware of the great difficulties he
Would have to contend wish in his contest against the
existing corporations of the country, and more especially
those of the m tropolis; he, however, wished him most
heartily all the success which the Noble Lore's most
sanguine wishes might lead him to anticipate. He should
like to know the Noble Lord's intention with regard to
the removal of cemeteries from large towns, and he hoped
he would explain the intentions of her Majesty's Go-
vernment on eh,k subject, as the proposed measure did
not deal with it
Lord al ORPE iII said that a measure for that pur
Purpose was under consideration.
The Eli 1 of LINCOLN said, that though his precious
knowledge of the subjects just brought under the consi-
deration of the House by the Noble Lord, was such as
to enable him to address himself to the various points re—
ferred to. ha would defer it to a future occasion
going into tl.e subject at length. lie would take
the liberty, however, of sayins, wit's regard to
the obierva•ions of he lion. Member for Leamington
(ilr. Mackinnon) that the proposed rnea,ure was not
more comprehensive than the one which lie (Lord Liu
Coin) had the honour to submit to the House about