On The Frequency Of Fires...
The Times, 1824-11-17T00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF TBM TIMES Sir,-I find, by the Public papers, that the Maaistr*he o ld diesex and Surrey are about to have a meting tr asedei of the propriy o r getting some adeodment made to the act of 14 Gc. Ir., coppmoneiveculsta the Building Act." It isnotorifs t n many cases, that ct i ao becoan e a dead letter, and it i0s tetall ufi efficient itsmanyof its enactments. Ishall not dwei uponut feily of making the distritt surveyors tie sAle judges wbether the prov-ii sions of the act lave otfen ttrictly complied with w for tlough they may be very honourablemen, yetwircumshanes may arise where thke r ba op won us a matter of so mucn importance oughtin ot to be finali ought, undoubtedly, to be s ebjcct to the control of the maostrates, with liberty of' appeal to the sessions This would, indeed, apieac to be the spirit of the present att- t the unhlorp actce of the pdolice- office- is directly contrary,, and utrlesthdsic o urveyin is of opinioet-hat the fase toes not come within t mean oas th act, Ithe strates will niot entertain the co laint. at the and a more oppressive circumstance arises from th fac, thaf building, erected no:oriously against the provisions or t act, a beet s_f fered to stand six iisonths without any comererg of the power of thelaw to reinove iL at leaot thsloist unifa. iu- terpretation of the letter of the actand it dbe kins o attelnpt to plead the spirit of it. And now, Sir, I onme more 4ilec to the case in, point. The house wthich I have lately takenhs got a wooden verandah in front, which joins with a long line of sipilar verartcas all down the street. At the back of the housedthefe ane several wooden buildings, serving for detached effias, wbich oin Imunicate with others similarly situated with respect to ie znio ning houses. Having recentlyaseentherapi exensio oe a. ere in unis_ street by means of these verandabs, and a similar caIa tn Orchaprdo sreet, by means of the woodend buildings situated at the back of some houses in the neighbourhood I reeolved to remove tkoge whicht atre adjoining my oi premises. I amcordingly waited on the dis_.. trict surveyor, and requested his interference, conceiving thathe was the propei7officer to bring the case before the mnagistrates.Bu he refuased to interl'ere, and said that thisi kinid of building was now so comutnoti that thev were universall overloaked by the surveyors. N ot satisfied withi this opinion, I regolved to bring the case myself before the magistrates, and tool, counsel's opinioni or tdee subject ; hut I was surprised to findl that the uniform practice of the courts was againist me, and that I wat precluded froni any re- medy whtever, because the buildings had been erected above six monhIs. NKow, Sir, a nuisance is a nuisance as long as it exists ; aicl I carn see no erood reason why a person should have a fee.simpic irn this species of annoyance merely because he has enjoyed it unidis.. ttirbed for haif a vear. If the law is to be altered, I truast that pro- vision will he m&de for a readyv and expeditious method of removing- nuisances ot this ki nd, whichi have tendedi very, much to spread the ravages of fire in this. city. I nnm Rir.~A B. A. iLNOV. i0. ON TIYE FREQUENCY OF PIREg.