The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-17 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.
Elizabeth Pollard, a lodger in a house in St. Mary Axe,
which is let out in tenements, was brought before Alder-
man Wilson, charged with having acted in violation Of
the 41st clause of the 2d and 3d of Victoria, cap. 71, by
keeping part of the house in which she so resided in a
filthy •and unwholesome condition. -

The owner of the house had, it appeared, found it ne-
cessary, in consequence of the tenant's disinclination to
pay, and her very disagreeable domestic habits, to make
importunate demands upon her for rent, as the only
practicable mode of getting rid of her altogether. Irri-
tated by such a course of proceeding, she was determined
to retaliate the annoyance upon all the other lodgers, in
the most intolerable way, in order to compel them to
leave the house in which she was so unwelcome a
resident. The landing place and stairs near her room
bore testimony to her skill in violating the particular
clause, and the common sewer was compared to them
with decided advantage to the latter. In the fear that
the health of the rest of the inhabitants would be injured
it the defendant were allowed to indulge her whim, it
had been thought necessary to try what the Police Act
would do with such an offender.

The defendant did not deny the accuracy of the
charge, but said that the misunderstanding arose from a
dispute as to the amount of the rent due to the landlord,
whom she did not consider herself bound to accommo-
date by any nice attention to any part of his house.
The landlord said that, as the Alderman might
readily suppose, the rent was no object, in comparison
with the removal of the parent of such a nuisance, and
he would if she forthwith departed forgive not only the
rent, but all that had hitherto been done.
The defendant, upon the recommendation of the
Alderman, acceded to the proposition of the landlord,
and promised to deliver up her tenement in a clean and
wholesome condition.

The case led to some observations from Alderman
Wilson, upon the probable efficacy of a new Act of Par-
liament, if acted upon vigorously by the authorities em-
powered by it. The police act referred to, Alderman
Wilson said appeared to him to be much too
tardy in its, operation. He could not help
avtiling himself of the opportunity of expres-
sing his gratification at the very salutary and im-
portant Act, which had been passed at the close of the
last session of Parliament, intitled, " An Act for the
more speedy removal of certain nuisances," and which,
although a first and experimental carrying out of the
principles and recommendations of Mr. Chadwick's in-
valuable sanatory report, was calculated to effect vast
benefit to the community. It was his full determina-
tion to use his best exertions to put in motion the ma-
chinery afforded by the Act referred to in every loca-
lity where he possessed any influence or interest, and
he was confident that when the facilities, which the
Act furnished towards the removal of the pestiferous
nuisances, which were so abundant in the metropolis,
and in other parts of
.the country, became known
the intelligence and public spirit of all classes would be
combined to carry out the excellent objects of that Act
of Parliament. From the first section of the Act, it ap-
peared that it was competent for the town council of any
corporate town, or for the commissioners of police, or
the trustees for the drainage, paving, or cleansing of
any town, or in case there should be no such town
council, commissioners, or trustees of any borough, city,
or place, then that it shall be lawful for the guardians of
the poor, upon receiving a certificate in writing from
two duly qualified medical practitioners of the filthy and
unwholesome condition of any dwelling-house or other
building, or of the accumulation of any offensive or
noxious matter, or of the existence of any foul or offen-
sive drain, privy, or cesspool, to bring a complaint before
two justices, who shall summon the owner or occupier, and
unless sufficient cause shall be shown to the contrary, shall
forthwith make an order in writing for the removal or
abatement of the nuisance in the certificate described.
There was also a provision in the Act, giving the magi-
strates power to excuse an occupier on the ground of
poverty, and to defray the consequent necessary expenses
of the removal of nuisances out of the poor rates. In
making such valuable enactments the Legislature had
done its duty in a manner to be most sensibly felt. It
only remained, therefore, for the public bodies—the
Town Councils, the Commissioners for Paving, &c., and
the guardians of the poor—to do theirs. The Act was
for a limited definite period, i. e. until the Ist of August,
1847, and the end of the then /next session of Parlia-
ment ; but there was no doubt that if found to work well
its provisions would be enlarged and rendered per-
manent.