The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-06 00:00:00

PUBLIC HEALTH BILL.

. -
On the m,)tion that the Speaker leave the chair, in
artier to go into Committee on this Bill,
Mr. HUME said he should not object to their going
into Committee, but would take the sense of the House
against the Bill on the report.
Col. SIBTBORP objected to the Bill as wholly un-
necessary, and because the city of London was ex-
empted from its operation. There was no part of the
country wood more in need of sanitary regulations
n th.s. And y..* i$ Trete oxoludett, through
the exercise of City influence with their representa-
tive, the Noble Lord at the head at the Government.

Mr. URQUHART rose to move, pursuant to notice,
that in in the opinion of the House, the existing law
provides protection against, and remedies for. the nui-
sances which affect the health of man, but subse-
quently withdrew this amendment, and moved that
the Bill be committed that day six months. His ob
jection to this Bill was, that it suspended the functions
Of that House, and delegated its authority to tax the
people to another body. 011 that ground alone he
thought it would not only prove an abortive attempt to arl-
vance sanitary reform, but absolutely retard it. It would,
of coarse, be ardently advocated by those who expected to
partake of the benefits expected to accrue from the
patronage it created, amounting to a variety of places
for medical inspectors, engineers, and others. It was
difficult for men with such anticipations to maintain their
inn grity. and he could not, therefore, refrain from say-
ing that this Bill came before the House in a most suspi-
cious guise, as tar, at least, as its political and personal
aspects were concerned. He objected to it also as estab-
lishing a new-system of centralisation, which would
usurp the power of local bodies, take from them the
character of citizens and Englishmen, give rise to end-
less corruption, reduce all to a dull monopoly, and place
in the hands of a central government an amount of
patronage and power which, in addition to the degrada-
tion of our character and the deterioration of our cir-
cumstances, would entail upon us a new and enormous
load of taxation. The Noble Lord, in introducing the
Bill, never once made reference to the existing sia
Lutes regulating the powers of municipal bodies, and
providing for the prevention or suppression of nui•
sances ; and this he locked upon as a most unusual
and culpable omission. Now tne common law, as Lid
down by Blackstone, provided rem-dies against such
nuisance, and any new law on the subject ought at least
to make reference to it. The means of executing the
common law in respect of nuisances had in the olden
time been confided to courts leet; before there had
existed the assize of nuisances, but these had been lost,
and now they were reduced to seek the ordinary remedy
of trie law. Again, it had formerly been the practice to
appoint Commissioners under the Crown. These Com-
missioners had, however, no appointments to give. et,
profits to make, but weie simply sent to inquire into
the survey nuisances, and rep, al upon whose defaults
they existed. Such a course, he contended, would b.
useful in the present day. But this Bill was introduced
to establish a special Board to sit in London, and to have
the management of everything connected with the sub-
ject. Indeed, the Noble Lord opposite (Lord Merpeth).
when he introduced this measure, said he wished the
Bill went further, and therefore it was clear that it was
oily an instalment of the unconstitutional measures
which might be expected to follow. The Bill would
surrender the authority of the Legislature, the power
of rai,ing taxes, to an extrinsic body; and this power
the Noble Lord on the introduction of the Bill
had expressed his doubts whether ?ornament
would consent to surrender. He (Mr. Urquhart) hoped
those doubts would be realised.—t, lear, hear.) In all
the Noble Lord had stated with reference to the Sanitary
Commission he (Mr. Urquhart) fully concurred ; and
he was cure, that if the Noble Lord had confined himself
to remedying evils in that respect, and had abstained
from the dangerous course of legislation now under the
attention of the House, the Noble L trd would have de-
served•the weed of praise and :he gratitude of his coun-
try.—(Hear, hear.) But instead of adopting that course
he had claimed this objectionable measure in the name
of the people of England, in the name of humanity, in
the name of public liberty and of public suffering. On
each of these grounds he (Mr. Urquhart) denied his
Lordship's plea. There were no Health of Towns Bills
in France, America, Spain, and Germany; and why was
it that the condition of the people of this country had
been reduced to the lowest ebb of degradation? Was it
not because the Legislattire had passed bad laws affecting
the labour and industry of man ? Away, then, with
this mawkish philanthropy, and restore the con-
dition of the people of England by a recurrence to
the. principles of equal legislation. As to the
Bill itself nothing could be so extraordinary and
extravagant as its provisions. Its most material
feature was the creation of a board of five commis
sioners (one to be a minister), to whom were to be con-
fided the most extensive powers ever given to any body
of men in this country. This board war to be appointed
during her Majesty's pleasure, and hence each commis-
sioner-would become a mere puppet in the hands of the
Ministry. This board, with such powers, ought, if at all,
to be appointed, Ike the judges, during good behaviour,
and the local hoards under their control ought to be re-
lieved from Government centralisation. lie was certain
if the Bill was pass,:d it would speedily have to be altered
on the demand of the people. It had at present taken
the country by surprise, its objects were almost unknown
and yet petitions with twenty thousand signatures had
been presented against it, while only five thousand had
apps-ared in its favour. He held a petition, which he
had not yet had an opportunity of presenting against the
measure, and It bt.re the signatures of several medical
men who had signed a petition for the measure in
ignorance, at the time, of its provisions. This was a
proof that the mass of the nation was ignorant of the
proposed legislation. Even now deputations had come
up from various towns to protest against the Bill.
These would increase—petitions would be laid upon the
table,
:and remonstrances addressed to every individual
Member against the measure, if time was afforded ; and
he must remark, that if the Noble Lord had thought
the Bill so beneficial in its object and'isci reflect in its