Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-11-29

From the days of Elizabeth to those
OF Charles IL. the various English GOV.
ernmentS tried by every means within
their power to preserve the kingdom
from the evils" attendant upon Il
huge metropolis, The frequent out,
b~reakings OF the plague arterward
c~tlmlnattGg in the terrible visitation
which carried of oven 10000 PERSONS
the fear that with the delugc of build.
ing the population would be poisoned
by breathing in N auother's faces"
tle Iucapacljy OF the police of the time
To preserve order and their utter heln.
leSsncss in the face OF mob low-theso
were among the contributory causes
which brought about n long series OF
veNatlons and annoying prohibitions.
In 1850 Il proclamation was issued
prohibiting the erection within three
miles of the city gates of any new
houses or tcncmcnts upon sites where
no former house had been known TO
have been erected. Later came another
proclamation. by which it was ordered
that only IN family should live in
the past seven years and still inlet
should remain empty. and that all I'm.
finished buildings on new foundations
should be pulled down.
There would appear to have been
neither order nor system in these vary
ing proclamations, which were issued
every six or sever years. Thus at one
time buildings were prohibited within
ten miles of London. at another las
quoted above within three miles, and,
while under Elizabeth unfinished
houses only were required TO be pulled
down, orders We're issued later under
which houses which had been erected
several years We're ruthlessly demol.
ished.
Further proclamations OF the same
period commanded that persons Of
livelihood and means should reside in
their counties and not abide or s%ojourn
in the city of London, so that counties
remained unscrved," but these seem to
have been of no effect until the reign
OF Charles L., when they were renewed
and definite steps taken to enforce
obedience. All persons of livelihood
and means u|nconnected with public
offices were ordered within forty days
from the date of the notice to resort to
their several counties and with their
families continue their residence there,
and they were further warned mot to
put themselves to Unnecessary charge
in providing themselves to return in
winter TO the said cities'-i. e., London
and Westminster--'as ii was the kings
firm resolution to withstand such great
and growing evil"
Even this had little effect upon the
public in its first issue, and n copious
list vas prepared of offenders. includ.
ing IA great number of the nobility and
ladies' and gentlemen, who were accus
ed Of living in London for several
months after the given warning. Most
of these had made a pretense of quit
ting the city. TO return again after a
brief absence, hoping thus to escape
the penalty of their ~disobedience.
1t came as a bolt from the blue In
1875 when Mr., Palmer, a large land
holder in SUSSEX, was brought into the
star chamber and fined fl 900 for dis
0beying the proclamation as to living
In the country and remaining In Lon
don after the prescribed period. lie
NpE a hprhptay un1 hn ,trasal IA, hto Ia
Tense TINT he had never been married,
had never been a "housekeeper' and
had no house fitting for a maj Of his
birth to reside in, his own mansion IN
the country having been burned down, |
but his judges were inexorable, and
the fine was accompanied by n severe
reprimand for having deserted his ten
ants and neighbors.
i. the same year information was
filed against Sir John Sucking, the |
poet, and many others for the same of.
Tense, and such was the terror caused |
by these prosecutions that on all sides
folk Of condition and quality were to
be seen preparing for flight into the
country, cursing the hardship Of being |
confined to their country houses and
leaving town and its pleasures behind. |
To encourage gentlemen to live more
willingly In the country, says a writer
OF the times, all game fowl. such as I
cartridges, ducks and hares,
were at certain times forbidden to he
dressed or eaten In any inn.
In a proclamation issued by Charles
IL. IN 1G6l-one of the last In this d.
rcction-among the Inconvenience set
forth as daily growing by the spread
new buildings were: The increase /,
the people In such great numbers
a. to prohibit their proper government
by the wonted officers, the enhance
OF the price Of vlfuais, the en-. ,
.angering of the health Of the city in
habitants and the damage done to
the tradespeople In the boroughs by
the migration downward OF the popula-
ton.
But IL was all of no avail. Nothing
stop the increase OF ''upstart
London" MS IL was termed by some Of
the old writers, and the prediction OF
James I. that England will itself be !
London. and London England" is fast
approaching verification. What would