The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-14 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

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The " Lists for Committees (House of Commons) on
Private Bills" of Session 1844 (Parliamentary Paper,
No. 109) offer no feature of novelty. The arrange-
ments of the lists for the forty counties of England, the
two divisions of Wales, the two sections of Scotland, and
the four provinces of Ireland, seem much the same as
those usually appointed of late years.
BANKRUPTCY.—These returns (No. 5), moved for by
Mr. Hawes, and ordered by the Commons to be printed
on the sth of February, exhibit the amount of solicitors'
and messengers' bills of costs, filed in the London and
District Courts of Bankruptcy since the 12th of Novem-
ber, 1842, under the Act 5 and 6 Vic., cap. 122, and 1
and 2 Vic., cap. 110. They are arranged in six classes.
The first four give respectively the amount of these bills
of costs " in the choice of assignees under each of the
first twenty commissions and fiats registered in the
Court of Bankruptcy in London ; of commissions and
fiats transferred and renewed into such Ceurt ; and of
fiats alone therein registered as to bankrupts resident
above 40 miles from London ;"—the same acts, commis-
sions, and fiats, registered in the several District Courts,
and as to fiats alone directed to such Courts. The last
two are returns of the number of affidavits of debt filed
in the London and the District Courts of Bankruptcy
under the 11th section of 5 and 6 Vie., c. 122 ; and the
Ist and 2d Vic., c. 110, respectively. In the first 20
of transferred fiats and commissions from the country,
after 10th November, 1841, the average of costs to choice
of assignees was—solicitors' bills, 76/. each, messengers'
costs, 14/ 1 ls. In ". fiats against bankrupts resident
above forty miles from London, these averages
were, severally, solicitors, 441. 12s. ; messengers,
101. 195." These averages are reported in the re-
maining district returns, as the amounts severally
for Birmingham, of 561. 35., and 10/. Bs.—of
36/. 10s, and 17/. 19s. ; for Manchester (com-
missions and fiats) of 81/ 75., (no return as to
messengers), of 381. 35., and 151. for solicitors and mes-
sengers under " fiats" only ;—for Liverpool, 241., (no re-
turn of messengers' costs under first head of return),
and 281.65. solicitors, and 121. messengers ;—for Leeds,
joint average of solicitors and messengers' costs, commis-
sions, and fiats, 72Z; fiats 70/.;—for Bristol, commissions
and fiats 79/. ; fiats 461.; for Newcastle (joint averages),
25/. 25., and 54Z 7s.;—for Exeter, average 981. 155., (no
messengers' bills or file, and 69Z 9s. 5d.) The other
returns are not complete as to bills of costs. But
the numbers of affidavits of debt filed under 5 and 6 Vic.,
cap. 122, sec. 11, previous to 23d June, 1843, and the
number of summonses issued under the same section by
the various Bankruptcy Courts of London and said
districts, were respectively these—London, 346 and 346 ;
Liverpool, 82 and 92 ; Leeds, 131 and 131 ; Manchester,
83 and 83 ; Exeter, 25 and 25 ; Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
27 and 27 • Birmingham, 81 and 81 ; Bristol, 43 and 43.
In the Court of Bankruptcy of London there were also
filed under 1 and 2 Vic., cap. 110, sec. 8, affidavits of
debt, 122.

The Bill "for better regulating the Buildings of the
Metropolitan districts, and to provide for the drainage
thereof" (brought in by the Earl of Lincoln and Sir
James Graham, and ordered to be printed, on the Ist
instant) comprises, in its present form, 109 clauses, and
(12) schedules, Ato M. Schedule A, referred to in the
preamble, recites from the several Acts therein men-
tioned, the various provisions made for regulating the
construction of buildings in the metropolis and its
neighbourhood—the lithits thereby specified being by
this Bill extended and the said Acts amended. The
preamble sets forth that in many parts of the metro-
polis the drainage of houses is so imperfect as to en-
danger the health of their inhabitants;—the streets so
narrow, in many crowded thoroughfares, that the neces-
sary ventilation is impeded, and risk of accidents from
fire, &c., enhanced;—that many buildings and parts of
buildings used for dwellings are unfit for that purpose;
—that in some populous vicinities works are erected, in
which dangerous and explosive materials are employed;
—in others, deleterious materials are combined, the ex-
halations from which are noxious to human health; and
finally, that much public inconvenience had resulted
from the diversity of practice observed by the officers
appointed under the recited former Acts in carrying
into execution the powers thereby conferred upon
them. The ensuing enactments are specially framed
for the remedy, removal, or prevention of those
evils, the future execution of this Act, and
the superintendeng of the provisions and directions
embodied in it, and the repeal of certain former Statutes
applying to similar object. Clauses 1 and 2 are general
provisions and definitions to be given to certain terms
comprised in the enacting clauses. As No. 3 has regard
to the extent of the operation of this Act (in the event
of the Bill passing), it may be useful to particularise
the limits assumed :—" The operation of this Act shall
extend to all places within the following limits : that is
to say—To all such places lying on the north side or
left bank of the River Thames as are within the exterior
boundaries of the parishes of Fulham, Kensington, Pad-
dington, Hampstead, Hornsey, Tottenham, St. Pancras,
Islington, Stoke Newington, Hackney, Stratford, Brom-
ley (Middlesex), Poplar, and Shadwell :—and to such
part of the parish of Chelsea as lies north of said parish
of Kensington ;—and to all such parts and places lying
on the south, or right bank of said river as are within
the exterior boundaries of the parishes of Woolwich,
Charlton, Greenwich, Deptford, Lee, Lewisham, Cam-
berwell, Lambeth, Streatham, Tooting, and Wands.
worth ; and to all places lying within 200 yards from
the exterior boundaries of the districts hereby defined."
Clauses 4 to 12 empower her Majesty t..) direct, by
Order in Council, the extension of these limits, in the
event of its appearing to the latter " expedient, from the
growing increase of the population or otherwise," so to
direct, "to any place within twelve miles of
Charing-cross or the City of Westminster.—Rates
of buildings and thicknesses of walls and footings,
and rules concerning new buildings, or rebuildings, or
sites of former buildings, to be in conformity with the
stipulations and requirements of the several schedules
B to K; saeh buildings to be under superintendence of
official referees," in terms of schedule C. Certain
exempted buildings, in conformity with schedule A, to
be subject to special supervision. Buildings not within
any of the herein stipulated rates to be in accordance
with directions of the surveyor. Following clauses
regard modification of building contracts, reference to
official referees, and modification of building leases:
these rules may be modified, generally, by Commis-
sioners of works and buildings. Clause 13 requires
builders, in the case of every new work to be by them
executed, to give previous notice to the surveyors ; the
same in respect of any additions or alterations placed
by this Act under the control of the surveyor; and so,
likewise, as to any party wall, external wall, chimney
stack, or flues, begun to be built, pulled down, re-built,
cut into, or altered. and also before any opening made in
any party walls, under penalty of 201. ; and any person,
professed builder, or private owner, to give notice in a
form specified in schedules, of his intention to build any
house, &c., to the same officer, under a similar penalty ;
like penalty for failure of every similar notice in the
case of continuing buildings, or reparations, &c., com-
prehended in the scope of this Act, where the same have
been interrupted for the space of three months or up-
wards, and recommenced, or the builder changed; and
for beginning of such works without notice, or for re-
fusing to admit surveyors, the like penalty. Clauses 14
to 19 declare what regulations shall be observed as to
" buildings generally," touching time to be allowed to
builders for notifying any irregularity or departure
from directions of the schedules to this Act ;
power, in future thereof, to the surveyor to cut into
such works ; special supervision of highest rate
buildings, an enactments touching their survey, ap-
proval, or disallowance ; amendments of defects ; grant
or denial of certificates to qualify such buildings to be
used or oocupied ; penalties for non-compliance ; right
of forcible entry into buildings, if denied, to surveyor at
all seasonable hours before completion, &c.
Clauses 20 to 38 relate generally to the powers to be
taken in executing works, in relation to or infringing
upon adjoining properties, party-walls, party-fences, and
intermixed buildings. 39 to 43 regard the proceedings
to be taken with " ruinous buildings," as to applications
to be made to the official referee under this Act by paro-
chial surveyor or overseers ; survey to be made ; notice
to Lord Mayor, &c., and overseers ; erection of boards
and notices ; sales of old material, &c., and their dispo-
sal. 44 to 50 regulate the expenses of works necessary
to be erected in certain cases for carrying the purposes
of this Act into execution, and also the means of re-
covering them.
Clauses 51 to 59, under the heading" buildings, use
thereof," are very important. They prohibit the use and
occupation of cellars, or rooms unfit for dwellings, as
lodgings ; the attaching of dog-kennels or pig-sties to
dwelling-houses ; the erection of new houses at a dis-
tance of less than fifty feet from any buildings wherein
dangerous employments are carried on—as the making
of gunpowder, detonating powder, Lucifer matches, or
other substances liable to sudden ignition or explosion—
vitriol, turpentine, naphtha, varnish, fire-works, painted
table-covers, &c.—and such trades, in such localities, to
be utterly prohibited therein after thirty years from the
passing of this Act. The same as to the vicinity of
newly-erected houses to buildings appropriated to busi-
nesses or trades offensive and obnoxious. There are
enumerated blood-boilers, bone-boilers, fellmongevs,
slaughterers of cattle, sheep, or horses, soap-boilers,
tallow-chandlers, tripe-boilers—penalties for infraction of
these enactments.

Clauses 60 to 74 define the duties, powers, &c., of dis-
trict and other surveyors under this Act, their fees, &c.
75 to 81, the same as to the official referees hereby ap-
pointed. §2 to 87 the same as to the registrar of metro-
politan buildings. 88 and 89, the same as to the official
referees' registrar. 90 to 100 set out the nature, form,
and course of legal proceedings, where necessary to be
taken under this Act, the costs to be recovered, mode of
recovery, &c. Clauses 101 to 109 are of a miscellaneous
nature, having relation to the case of the immediate
landlord, of part ownership, service of notices, and all
other machinery connected with the operations of this
measure.

The general scope and objects of the Bill are admi-
rably adapted for the health, comfort, safety, and im-
provement of our noble metropolis. To particular
clauses there appear to be grave objections, on the score
of too summary process, and a harsh straining of the
existing law. These objections, however, will doubtless
be obviated in the passage of the Bill through the Com-
mittee. It is a Bill which has long been called for, and
will, we hope, go far to keep down the disgraceful shell,
or rather shed building, profitable as it is to a certain
disreputable class of landlords, of which we see so
many examples in the small streets adjoining the south-
ernmost extremity of the Waterloo-road, and the
vicinity of Lambeth-marsh ; and indeed, in all the new

purlieus of brick and mortar which are fast ruining and
disgracing Camberwell, Peckham, the Hampstead-road,
the High. North-road beyond Islington, and other
suburban localities.