The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-11 00:00:00

but looking upon the matter as a whole, he thought
the directors had done all they could. His belief was
that the line would ultimately be most beneficial to
the shareholders.
Mr. DAVIDSON, one of the directors, tr: sted that
the shareholders would appoint a committee to look
into the affairs of the company, and point out some
means of carrying them effectively into operation.
Several shareholders said they did not desire the
appointment of any committee, or wish to impugn
the conduct of the directors ; all they complained of
was, that the directors had been too lenient.
The CHAIRMAN said that, in future, it was the de-
termination of the directors to enforce the payment of
calls or forfeit the shares. In cases where parties
were solvent legal proceedings would be taken against
them immediately upon the commencement of the
term.

The report was then adopted, ordered to be printed,
and circulated among the proprietors.
A PROPRIETOR suggested that the names of the
defaulting shareholders should be published. He
believed, if such a course was adopted, it would in-
duce many to pay their calls that otherwise would
not do so. . .

A resolution requesting the directors to give im-
mediate in.tructions to their solicitor to enforce the
payment of all arrears of calls that are not paid by
the Ist of November, was proposed, seconded, and
carried, after a short discussion.
Air. DARKLY, M.P., one of the directors, had the
greatest hopes that the company would participate in
the 500,0001. loin, notwithstanding the letter that
had been received from Earl Grey. _ _ _

The meeting was then made special, for the purpose
of considering and deciding upon the expediency of
applying to the Legislature of British Guiana for an
Act to amend the Act by which the company was in-
corparted by reducing the capital of the company
from 260,000/ to 175,0001. _ _ .

Resolutions were proposed, seconded, and carried
for effecting this purpose, and enabling the directors
to borrow money.
Thanks were voted to the chairman and directors,
and the meeting broke up.

PUBLIC HEALTH.—PRECAU-
TIONS AGAINST THE CHOLERA.
The following circular has been issued from the
Poor-law Board to the clerks of the several boards of

guardians :
REMOVAL OF NUISANCES ACT.
Poor-law Board, Somerset House, Oct. &.
Sir,—The Poor-law Board desire to call the attention
of the guardians to the provisions of the statute 11 and
12 Vict., c. 123, passed in the last session, to renew and
amend the Act of the 10th year of her Majesty, for the
more speedy removal of certain nuisances, and the pre-
vention of contagious and epidemic diseases.
The guardians will remember that the Poor-law Com-
missioners, by a circular letter dated October Bth, 1846,
brought the provisions of the 9th and 10th Vict., c. 96,
under the notice of the guardians.
The object of the statute is twofold. It provides (I)
for the more speedy removal of certain nuisances, and
(2) for the prevention of contagious and epidemic
diseases; but the provisions for the ,latter object do not
take effect till called into action by an
,order from the
Privy Council.
The first section enacts that upon receipt (or as soon
afterwards as can be) by certain bodies therein enume-
rated, or by any guardians of the poor, of a notice in a
form set forth in a schedule to the Act, or to the like
effect, signed by two or more inhabitant householders
of the parish or place to which the notice relates,
stating—
" That to the best of their knowledge and belief any
dwelling-house or building in any city, town, borough,
parish, place within or over which the jurisdiction or
authority of such bodies or guardians extends, is in such
a filthy and unwholesome condition as to be a nuisance
to, or injurious to the health of any person;
" Or that upon any premises within such jurisdiction
or authority there is any foul and offensive ditch, gutter;
drain, privy, cesspool, or ash-pit, or any ditch, &c., kept
or constructed so as to be a nuisance to or injurious to
the health of any person;
" Or that upon any such premises swine, or an accu-
mulation of dung, manure, offal, filth, refuse, or any
other matter or thing are or is kept so as to be a nuisance
to, or injurious to the health of any person;
"Or that upon any such premises (being a building
used wholly or in part as a dwelling-house) or being
premises underneath any suck building, any cattle or
animal are or is kept so as to b 3 a nuisance to, or in-
jurious to the health of any person ;"
Such bodies or guardians, or some committee thereof,
appointed in this behalf by such bodies or guardians,
shall, after twenty-four hours' notice in writing delivered
to some person on the premises, or if there be no per-
son there, affixed on some part of the premises (or in
case of emergency without notice) by themselves, their
servants or agents, with or without medical or other
assistants, enter and examine the premises with refer-
ence to the matters alleged in the notice of the com-
plainants, and do all that may be necessary for such pur-
pose ; and if upon such examination, or upon the certifi-
case of two legally qualified medical practitioners, the
existanoe of the nuisance appears, such body or guardians
shall thereupon lay a complaint before a justice of the
peace, who shall summon the owner or occupier to appear
before two justices to answer such complaint.
Such justices are then required, if the existence of
the nuisance is proved to their satisfaction, to make an
order for cleansing, whitewashing or purifying such
dwelling house or building, or for the removal or abate-
ment of the cause of complaint in such manner and
within such time as shall bo appointed.
This order is to be served in the same manner as the
summons, and if not complied with, the owner or oc-
cupier against wham it is made will be liable to a
penalty not exceeding 10s. for each day of default, and
the guardians or other body mentioned therein shall
themselves or by their servants enter the premises and
cleanse them, or remove the cause of complaint, and
do all that may be necessary for carrying such order
into effect.
Any dung, manure, or other thing which is removed
may be destroyed or sold, and if sold the proceeds shall
be p aid to or retained by the guardians, and shall be ap-
plied by them in aid of the poor-rate of the place in which
the removal shall have been made.
It should be mentioned that the statute provides in
section 16, that whoeoever shall wilfully obstruct any
person acting under the authority or employed in the
execution of the Act, shall be liable to a penalty not
exceeding five pounds for each offence.
Sect. 3 provides, that the costs and expenses reason-
ably incurred in obtaining the order or carrying it into
effect may be recovered from the owner or occupier of
the premises in respect whereof they have been incurred
as a debt in the County Court, or by summary process
before two justices, unless such justices shall think fit
to excuse such person upon the ground of poverty or
other special circumstances.
The statute then enacts, in sect. 4, that all costs and
expenses reasonably incurred as aforesaid in carrying
into effect any of these provisions, and not recovered
from the owner or occupier of the premises in respect
whereof they have been incurred, shall, upon an order of
two justices, be retained, paid, or defrayed by the trea-
surer of the guardians or by the overseers of the poor
out of the funds in their hands applicable to the relief of
the poor, and shall be charged to the parish or place
wherein the premises in respect whereof they have been
incurred shall be situated. By the samo section pro-
vision is made for the payment of these costs when in-
curred in extra-parochial places. This order, if not
obeyed within 21 days, is to be enforced by a warrant
of distress.
The guardians will perceive that this provision ex-
tends, as the similar one in the former Act did, to the
expenses incurred by any party authorized to take pro-
ceedings, and consequently is not confined to expenses
incurred by themselves.
By sect. 7 the drainage of filth, &c , from houses not
occupied before the 4th of September, 1848, into open
ditches, so as to occasion a nuisance to or be injurious
to the health of any person, will subject the occupier to
a penalty of 5L per day during the continuance of the
offence, and he may also be indicted for a misde-
meanour.

There is a like provision with respect to drainage from
water-closets or privies constructed after the 4th Sep-
tember, 1848, and the penalties in that case will attach
whether the privy or water-closet so constructed be
attached to a house occupied before or after that day.
The statute requires each or any of the several bodies
named in it to take proceedings upon receiving such a
notice as has been described from competent parties.
As, however, the guardians will have to pay the expenses
of the proceedings wherever (as must frequently be the
case) they are not recovered from the owner or the oc-
cupier, it will be most expedient for them to have the
conduct of the whole matter. They will do well, there-
fore, to promote rather than to discourage applications
being made to them under the statute.
It is also desirable that the guardians should be aware
that by the interpretation clause, sec. 22, the words.
"guardians of the poor" mean " the guardians, directors,
wardens, governors, parochial board, or other like
officers having the management of the poor fer any
union, parish, or place, where the matter requiring the
cognizance of any such officers aries ;" and the word
" owner" means " any person receiving the rents of the
property in respect of which that word is used from the
occupier of such property on his own account, or as
trustee or agent fur any other person, or who would re-
ceive the same if such property were let to a tenant."
The Board think it may be useful to advert briefly to
the chief points of difference, regarding the removal of
nuisances between the present Act and that which has
just expired.
By the present Act a notice from two householders is
sufficient to enable the guardians to act ; by the late
Act a certificate, signed by two duly qualified medical
practitioners, was needed before the guardians could act.
By the present Act it is made imperative on the guar-
dians or other bodies to whom notice is given to proceed
forthwith in the manner prescribed ; by the late Act it
was discretionary with the guardians and other bodies,
whether they would take the proceedings for the abate-
ment of the nuisance. By the present Act a penalty of
los. is imposed upon the owner or occupier who dis-
obeys an order of justices, for every day he makes de-
fault ; by the late Act no such pecuniary penalty was
imposed ; by the present Act, to enable the guardians or
other bodies to determine whether proceedings ought to
be taken or not, an entry of the premises for the pur-
pose of examination is authorised ; by the late Act a
right of entry only was given to enforce the order of
the Justices when made. Under the present Act ex-
press powers are given for distraining a defaulter's g..ods
Wherever they may be found. The Act also authorizes
dung, &c., found on the premises to be destroyed or sold.
These powers were not giyen_by titekite-Act-; the pre.