The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-02 00:00:00

GKNERAL PROVISIONS.

We now come to the fuarth and last division of the
act, which has reference principally to the question of
rates, the providing, in fact, of the ways and means, the
keeping and audit of the accounts, the imposition of
bye-laws, the conduct of legal proceedings, and the
venei al dealing with all those rights which must invari-
ably be interfered with in the passing of an act like the
present, which interferes with the management of private
property without taking it off the hands of the owner.
In the first place, it enacts that in future ne cellar is to
be let unless it is seven feet high, and has au open area
of at least three feet wide in front of it. We now cone
to the question of expenses, and may as well state at
once that full co,peosation is to be made out of the
general district rates to be levied under this act, to all
persona eustaining any damage by reason of the exercise
of any of the powers of this act ; and in case of dispute
as to amount the same shall be settled by arbitration in
the resent]. provided by this act ; or, if the compenew-
tion claimed do not exceed the sum of 211., the same
may be ascertained by and recovered before justices in
a summary eiaanner.
Penalties of all kinds are to go to the district fund,
and certain rules are laid down with respect to the re-
covery of private expenses. The followieg deductions
shall be allowed to occupiers in respect of payments
made on account of private expenses :
Every occupier holding at a rack-rent shall be entitled.
to deduct from the rent payable to his immediate
landlord three-fourths of the amount paid by such
occupier in respect of private expenses.
Whenever any premises are supplied with water by
a local board of health for domestic, trading, or manu-
facturing purposes, the local board may make for such
supply such charge as may be agreed upon between the
local board and the persons receiving the supply.
Water rates are to be paid in advance, and-power is
given to stop the supply if they are not paid. The
general expenses will be paid out of a general dietriot
rate, which is to be a tax upon all occupiers. In fact,
the model of Sir B. Hall's act has been followed in this
as in many other respects. The assessment is to be
made on the net annual value, and where the owner is
rated instead of the occupier he shall be assessed
upon such reduced estimate as the local board deems
rea,onable of the net anneal value, not being less that
two-thirds nor more than four-filths of such annual
value. Where such !Aimed estimate is in respect of
tenements, whether occupied or unoccupied, then each
assessment may be ins,;• on one-half of the amount at
which such tenements would be liable to be rated if the
same were occupied, and the rate were levied on the

occupiers.
The usual provisions are set out at great length with
reference to the making of the rate, its publication and
collection, the power of appeal, and the proceedings
necessary to recover it. The local board have also power
to divide their district and to recover the separate rate.
Powers are also given to borrow money by the local
board at ordinary rates of interest on security of the
rates ; but for exact terms we refer any person who may
desire to lend to the act itself—a useless recommenda-
tion, for no doubt they would be only too careful to
study its provisions before parting with their money.
The accounts of the local board are to be audited on the
25th of March in each year, due notice is to be given,
and all books to be produced. The rest of the act is
purely technical, detai.ing the manner in which legal
proceedings may be taken, imposing the penalties for
obstructingg,ixlgis:itadcee,facainndg bootahrdere,imnjautrtienrsg. localwr We may
mention, in districts constituted in pursuance of the
Public Health Act, 1848, or any local ant incorporating
the raid Public Health Act, or any part thereof, the local
board may, aetwitlastandiog that they adopt She provi-
sioLs of this act as to streets and roads, levy et highway
rate and pay the expenses incurred by them is respect
of such streets and roads out of such rate, in cases where
such board is at the time of the passing of this act
empowered by local act of parliament to levy such rate.
Nothing in this act contained shall in anywise abridge,
lessen, or defeat any power, right, privilege, or liability
of any local board of health under or by virtue of any
ocal act of parliament.
Oxford and Cambridge have each special provisions
vesting the governing power in case of the adoption of
the act in commissioners, in the former the vice chan-
cellor and the mayor exercising a sort of conjoiat
authority ; 15 commissioners being elected by the
university, 15 by the town council, and 15 by the rate
payers. The act contains the usual swing clauses,
saving the rights of individuals and companies inter-
fere with, and providing for the settlement of all
disputes by arbitration.
The act only contains two schedules setting out the
voting papers in the first place for or against the resolu-
tion adopting the act, and the second for the election of
the members of the local board. Of course there are a
multitude of small details whichit is necessary to provide
for in the clauses, but the above may be taken as a
complete summary of all the important provisions of the
Public Health Act of 1858.

THE VACANT CANOMILLES.—The Lard Chancellor has
bestowed the canonry of Bristol Cathedral, vacant by
the death of the late Rev. John Surtees, M.A., on the
Rev. John Guthrie, ALA., Prebendary of Salisoburyt;
vicar of Caine, Wiltshire, and domesti chaplaion
"q 2
Marquis of Lansdowne. The new 046,!,,1'0n.,i
beard
to hold what are termed "L andhrch opi
the reputation of being ana earnest
..st
elergyrnan• We under/44d that the
pr ;Rao!
itonrut.ge
Richard
to or k ift e
(e;tc; of
ulltooorennit • r Cathedral.bee