number of deaths deduced from the returns of the | the streets in which they are situate; no less corresponding quarter of nine preceding years, than 29 per cent more of deaths taking place in and corrected for increase of population, is the worst than in the best-conditioned streets of 46,509. There is, consequently, an excess of Preston, the mortality being 15 and 44 per 11,376 deaths in the quarter. The deaths regis- cent." tered in the December quarters of 1845, 1846,

In reference to the mortality in Leicester, it was said

"Take, for instance, the parish of St. Margaret, Leicester, the average age at death in 1840 was - well-drained streets, 23; partially-drained streets, 17; streets without drains, 13." The following statement was made as to the mortality in Nottingham—

and 1847, are 39,291-53,093-57,925; the mor-
tality in the first is to that of the last quarter
nearly as 2 to 3. A slight increase in the mor-
tality was noted in the returns of the June quar-
ter, 1846; the mortality in the following hot sum-
mer, when the potato crop failed, was excessive.
Cholera and diarrhoea prevailed epidemically. In
the autumn of 1846 as well as the winter and
spring quarters of 1847, the mortality was still
higher. Scurvy prevailed in the beginning of
the year, but in the summer the public health ap-
peared to be slightly improved. Epidemics of Worst.
typhus and influenza, however, set in, and have
made the mortality in the last quarter of 1847
higher than in any quarter of any year since the Best.
new system of registration commenced."

I quote a passage from Dr. Hall, of East
Retford, who has exerted himself zealously
in the sanitary cause: he is talking of
typhus fever:

Sometimes, however, an individual case seems to bring us more into the actual connexion of cause and effect, to put us more face to face with death than any of "About 16,000 a year, which multiplied by 10, the comprehensive summaries of mortality. the recoveries to each death, a calculation lower I do not here so much allude to that painby 18, than Dr. Playfair's, we have yearly in Eng-fully long list of men, whose official duties,

land above 160,000 attacks of this loathsome disease which may be prevented-a disease which does more to pauperise our population, to fill our workhouses with widows and orphans than any other, and for this reason-the typhus fever for the most part attacks men and women in the prime of life-from 20 to 40. This is the age at which the members of the working classes marry; and if the father of a family is cut off, the widow and her children are cast for support on the poorrates. This is a painful cause of pauperism, and

A

nobly understood, and correspondingly discharged, have led them, whether as medical practitioners, as relieving officers, as ministers of religion, into the squalid haunts of infectious disease, the chambers of death. I hold in my hand a list contained in the Journal of Public Health, at the head of which stands the honoured name of Dr. Lynch, and only quote a paragraph at the conclusion:

it becomes more so from its permanence. widow so left with children is seldom married a second time. From the books of the unions it appears to take place only in one case out of thirty. No wonder then the poor-law unions have to support 40,000 widows and 100,000 orphans year af-represent to them the filthy, over-crowded, and ter year."

That positive actual deaths do occur from such causes-causes existing in all our cities, towns, villages, and farms, which we can as easily and effectually remove as we can eat our daily dinners, there is unhappily an accumulated bulk of proof. I quote again from Dr. Hall :

"The deaths of infants in Preston under one year were in well-conditioned streets, 15 deaths to 100 births; middling-conditioned streets, 21 deaths to 100 births; ill-conditioned streets, 38 deaths to 100 births; worst-conditioned streets, 44 deaths to 100 births.

The difference ranged from 15 in 100 in the best-conditioned districts to 44 in 100 in the worst-conditioned. Then referring to a statement of Mr. Clay, of Preston

We see then, and the remark holds good not only in Preston, but also in other towns, that the mortality is in proportion to the condition of the houses in which the children live, and

"A few short months ago, Bishop Riddell, the Rev. J. Standen, and Dr. Charlton, were in communication with the authorities of Newcastle, to

infected condition of Sandgate and the neighbouring localities. The project was then entertained vated part of the town, where, in some temporary of removing fever-patients to a more open ele

or other building, their chance of recovery would be greater, while the spread of the infection among the inhabitants would be kept in check. at the time of the cholera.

A similar suggestion was made by Mr. Greenhow Dr. Bowring, in the paper which he read in Newcastle, in 1838, at the meeting of the British Association, gave a remarkable illustration of the success of such a removal in the case of the plague; but the proposal of June last, in Newcastle, was not adopted; the sanitary condition of the infected district has since undergone little amendment, and the fever

has extended its ravages. The rev. J. Standen is dead-the right rev. Dr. Riddell is dead; mar

tyrs to their self-denying devotion to the cause of suffering humanity."

It may be thought-it will not be saidthat these men died in their vocation, that they did what all our soldiers and sailors always do, freely spend their lives at the

call of duty. This, no doubt, is perfectly | wick-terrace, Prescot-street. I found him suffertrue; but we ought not to forget that for those whose case I am now considering, our physicians, and officers of the poor, and clergymen, a grateful country makes no provision for those they leave behind them. I intended, however, to allude more especially to the unofficial victims, those herds of sufferers whose deaths can actually be traced to causes which we can remove, though the blow is generally struck by more lingering and circuitous methods. Among other illustrations of the cause of disease and death from noxious effluvia, arising from want of drainage, may adduce the following:

I

"A long investigation recently took place before Mr. Baker, at the Windmill, Rosemary-lane, on view of the body of Mary White, aged 2 years. The inquiry was instituted by the medical officer of the Whitechapel union, in consequence of the many deaths which have taken place from a similar cause. Anne Briant, a married woman, said she had lived in Hayes-court about a week. During that period there was scarcely a house in which some one was not ill of fever. The child, her mother said, had been labouring under a fever for two months. Witness for the last week assisted the mother to attend the child. It died on Tuesday. Witness had no doubt that its death was caused by the impure atmosphere of the court. Several of the jury observed that the Webb, the summoning officer, said that the whole

witness seemed to be in a state of fever, and Mr.

ing from a severe attack of dysentery; and was all through the lower part of it became most of not many minutes in the house when the smell fensive, arising from the privy and the cesspool, which were situated about four feet from the hall. On making inquiry, I was informed that whenever anything was thrown into it the stench was scarcely to be endured through the house, even to the upper rooms. One disaster after another now occurred in this family; the father and two younger children were attacked with dysentery; the mother (who was near her confinement) soon became a prey to the same disease; and then, to crown the sad catastrophe, the two eldest children were seized with typhus fever, and the father's case took on typhoid symptoms. Here then were seven human beings placed in jeopardy by a most unwarrantable nuisance; and it is to be feared that this is only one instance among many in this town. The mother and youngest child with the infant died; all the others were spared, but their recoveries were very tedious, until I had them removed to another house in the neighbourhood, when in twenty-four hours the change in the father's case was most remarkable, and all the children got rapidly better; but the pecuniary resources of the family were entirely destroyed by their long illness. There were several persons ill in two houses of the same terrace, and doubtless from the same cause."

I might multiply instances. Let me mention a case more particularly brought under my own notice. Any of my hearers interested in agriculture will be acquainted with the name of Mr. Josiah Parkes. He of the inhabitants of the court had the same apis conducting some extensive drainage Mr. John Liddle, surgeon of White-works for the Crown, in executing which pearance. chapel union, said that he was first called to see he had a most intelligent foreman, of the the deceased on the 20th of August, in compliance name of Fewson. I had a letter from him with an order. It was then suffering from fever as follows:and diarrhoea. The parent would not let him go into the room, alleging that it was offensive and dangerous, and the mother brought the child to him at the next house. He prescribed for it, but the medicines would not act as they would have done in a healthy atmosphere. Witness has now six patients in that court. The first witness stated that she knew two children in another house, one of whom was dying of the fever, another was very bad. Coroner (to the surgeon): Do you register this a natural death ?-Mr. Liddle: No, a death from the poisonous effluvia of the atmosphere from the want of drainage. It has been proved that the gas, in its pure state, arising from the decomposition of animal matter, is fatal; and M. Thénard, a French chemist, has found that 1.800 of its volume will destroy a dog, and 1 volume in 250 is sufficient to destroy a horse. Some course ought to be adopted, as the whole neighbourhood is liable to be attacked with fever. The jury returned the following verdict-That the deceased died from diarrhoea and fever, caused by noxious and poisonous effluvium in Hayes-court from want of drainage."

Mr. Roche, surgeon to the Lying-in Hospital, Liverpool, to the editor of the Journal of Public Health :—

"On the 28th of September, 1846, I was requested to visit a young man residing at Hard

"Fewson is here, his mother being dead; she was buried yesterday. She was a nice, clean, hard-working, respectable woman, and, what is very vexing about her death is, that a nasty filthy town drain that runs under their house has been the cause of it. I tell Fewson he should inform Lord Morpeth of it. Such deaths are really awful, and of very common occurrence. Fewson is my superintendent of drainage in the Phoenixpark. He writes me that he fears his father will fall a sacrifice also to the same disease." I wrote inquiring into the circumstances of the man, and received a letter from Mr. Crosskill, celebrated as a successful inventor of agricultural implements, in which he says

"I find that within a space of 30 yards square there are 16 houses, wherein there have been 18 cases of fever, one of which, Mrs. Fewson, has died; and several others have had a very narrow escape. One medical gentleman, Mr. Boulton, a magistrate, who has attended 16 out of the 18 of the abovenamed fever cases, is of the same opinion as myself, that these fever cases are brought on by the bad state of the drain, which is alongside of the 30 yards square; in fact, Fewson's house, I believe, is partly built upon it. The

drain is a public one, for the use of the east part | been spoken of in high terms, and the ability to of the town; it is arched over about 20 feet be- afford abundance generally acknowledged; yet yond the 30 square yards, but from the yards the water from the pumps is complained of for there are side drains and grates without cesspools, its impurity, and many of the poorer classes have and also beyond the 20 feet it is an open drain, a great distance to fetch their water. On the the stench from which is at all times very offen- head of expense, there were, in 1842, 82 deaths sive; it is one of the worst drains we have, but above the average of Huddersfield and Beverley. the whole drainage of the town is very bad, very The general expenses of these, at 47. 108. each, shallow, with little fall, so that they always con- amounted to 369,1377. Deaths were, from contain large quantities of stagnant water and filth, sumption, 41 above the average of England. which, I fear, nothing can remove except your Taking the duration of illness at nine months, the Health of Towns Bill." expense of sickness at 10s. per week, there is a loss from excess of deaths from consumption of 7281. If for every death there are 20 cases of sickness, an excess of 82 deaths would give 2,296 cases of unnecessary sickness. Take the average expense of each case of sickness and medical attendance at 10s., there is a loss from unnecessary sickness of 1,1481.; excess of funerals, 3691.; deaths from consumption, 7281.; unnecessary sickness, 1,148: total, 2,245."

Another correspondent writes to me as follows:

"I made inquiries of one of the most practical men in Beverley, who is well acquainted with the drainage of the neighbourhood, and is now professionally employed in the Barmston drainage, which runs from near Beverley to the sea, and he, while quite admitting how open the locality to which your Lordships' attention has been called is to complaint, yet assures me that there are many worse instances in the town, and that nothing but a general deepening of the drainage can effectually remedy the evil under which the town, in this respect, labours. This can only be accomplished through some such measure as your Lordship's Health of Towns Bill; and until that has been passed, and it is rendered compulsory on local authorities to deal with these evils, I feel assured your Lordship will not attain any satisfactory result by interference in an individual case like that which has been pointed out to you at Beverley."

Am I taking an extreme instance? Is Beverley a remarkable place for its insalubrity? How is Beverley spoken of in a recent report of the state of Ipswich-a place I should not have thought exposed to any extraordinary unwholesome influences? I quote from Mr. Glyde's Report on Ipswich

“Average annual deaths in Suffolk (from a cal

culation of seven years), 1 in 51; in Ipswich more than 1 in 42. If we assume the population during this period to have been 25,600, and the rate of mortality to have been the same as Beverley and Yarmouth, the number would have been 512 instead of 603, showing a loss of 728 lives in eight years.

This reference to Beverley shows that it is regarded as a favourable instance of a salubrious town.

"Infantine mortality is considered one of the most important tests that can be applied to prove the sanitary condition of a town. In Whitby, 26 per cent; in Lancaster, 29; York, 31; Ipswich, 39 per cent die under 5 years of age. In Ipswich there are 103 streets and lanes, 15 of which are without any drainage, 19 with surface drains on one side only, extending only partly through them, and 42 streets and lanes not paved. Where there is no drainage, dampness is a general complaint. Paper rots on the wall, water rises in the cellar, and things get mouldy in the cupboard. There are several cases where 10 or 12 houses have privies in common. The purity of the water which comes to the town has

Now, of course, I cannot pretend to take the House through all the provincial towns, concerning which the most afflicting and appalling statements have come before me. I shall mention only one or two of the most recent details. This is from the account of a public meeting at Newcastleon-Tyne. Dr. Headlam said

"He was sorry to say that streets and suburbs were rising with the same disadvantages. Streets were built without sewers, the ground not even levelled, and the soil in the centre saturated with filth."

Mr. Currie, of the Working Men's Associ ation, said

66 He and other members of the committee were appalled by the scenes they had witnessed. He had never conceived that a locality existed in so miserable a condition as Sandgate. There was

not a privy in its whole length or breadth."

Mr. Gallen resided in Westgate:—

"The annual value of the property was 25,0001. Little more of the property than was valued at 50,000l. was sewered. Places quite as bad as Sandgate."

Dr. White:

"The statements of Mr. Currie and Mr. Gallen were not overcharged. The misery of Sandgate could not be conceived; it must be seen to be realised. In one single room in that locality he had seen thirteen cases of fever."

Mr. Greenhow:

They were too well aware of the unusual prevalence of fever in Newcastle for some time past. During the whole of the time while the gaol was surrounded by fever, there had been even less disease than usual within its walls. To what was this to be attributed? Simply to the adoption within the prison of those sanitary regulations which it was their object to extend to the whole community."

Dr. Lonsdale, in his report on Carlisle, says

"In the assurance tables of this country, the mortality in Carlisle within the last twenty years

used to be estimated at 1 in 54 of the inhabitants; | With regard to a particular part of Shefbeing lower than the present average of the fif- field, they sayteen healthiest counties in this kingdom. Now, in 1841, it was 1 in 39; being actually higher than that of the average of the fifteen unhealthiest

counties. If, as is now admitted, the healthy and natural standard of mortality in England and Wales is 2 per cent per annum, or 1 in 50, it is evident that Carlisle, with its rate of mortality 1 to 39, or more than 2 per cent per annum, stands greatly in need of sanitary improvement." I might give you similar recent accounts of Hull, Bradford, Wolverhampton, and Hertford; but I feel that it would be out of the question to trouble the House at more length. I am greatly obliged to the House for the indulgence which it has already extended to me. I shall only quote one more extract, and that applies to the sanitary condition of Sheffield. It is from a report by James Heywood, chemist, and William Lee, civil engineer. They

say-

"We wish we could find language sufficiently strong to impress upon the council the absolute necessity for immediate action. The case is desperate, and supineness would be criminal. After the first few days' experience in our recent inspection, we were able, with an awful precision, not only to detect the unhealthy parts of the town, but the portions of streets, and the particular houses in streets and in courts, especially liable to febrile and other diseases. In hundreds of

these we were able at once to describe to the suf

ferers all the symptoms of the disorders with which they were afflicted. The result of that inspection is a conviction which nothing can ever remove or weaken, that besides all the instances in which persons ultimately recover from long sickness and consequent distress, 1,000 at least are destroyed every year in this town by diseases which would have no existence under complete sanitary arrangements. To realise in the aggre gate this unnecessary amount of mortality, and to appreciate the concomitant evils of domestic bereavement and pecuniary embarrassment, struggling poverty, and helpless pauperism following in its train, must appal the mind of every member of the council, and lead to the most strenuous efforts in the application of remedial measures."

They go on to say—

accumulation of refuse so great, that the house
The cesspools here are generally full, and the
adjoining is seldom occupied, and scarcely tenant-
of the children born in this yard who were at-
able. It is a remarkable fact, that scarcely any
tempted to be brought up came to maturity, for
out of the four houses which it contains (one ge-
nerally empty) no less than thirty children have
died within the last forty years."
In regard to another place, they say—

"Sixteen cases of fever and one of death have

occurred in the adjoining houses within a few in houses whose windows are directly opposite to months; and four cases of fever and two deaths the point where drainage from this lane escapes into Edward-street. It is worthy of remark that no such cases have occurred in places further removed from this vicinity; the inference in this instance is irresistible." They add

"We would suggest the adoption of the following measures; namely, better constructed dwellings, both as regards light and ventilation, and a liberal supply of water; the substitution of water-closets for the present open privies, and as many as possible of them in relation to the number of houses; also more spacious and commodious yards, well paved and drained, with public washing-houses and baths in populous districts; and, above all, places for proper and rational recreation."

In the course of this survey, too long I fear for the patience with which the House has treated me, but with reference to the materials most rapid and imperfect-I have carried you to some of the towns and cities of this country most distinguished by its special characteristics.

I have mentioned places which supply a great portion of the fuel that feeds our chimneys and furnaces—which forge the iron and steel which first shape and then waft along our countless manufactures-which weave the fabrics that on the banks of the Wolga meet and outsell the products of all the looms of Asia, and clothe the furthest tropics. Then let it not be said, or if it has been said hitherto, let it be said no longer, that the hives of this vast industry, the sources of these in"That the water supply, cleansing, and paving, numerable supplies of comfort and civilisaare at present in the hands of three distinct bo- tion to mankind, the homes of the men dies, under the authority of as many distinct Acts who do and make these things, should be of Parliament. The sewerage, though much has been done during the last few years, is illegiti-pre-eminently the seats of filth, of disease, mate. All these must be harmoniously worked of degradation in its worst shapes and together as parts of the same system; and we are firmly convinced that this can only be done by placing them and all other sanitary arrangements under the control of one public body. We believe that in Leeds, and several other large towns, the sectional boards, tenacious of life, oppose this transfer of their present limited powers; but common sense dictates that in Sheffield and all other incorporated towns, the municipal council is the only body to whom these important powers should be intrusted."

forms; that toils the most unsparing, exertions the most successful, should be beset by influences the most deadening and enervating; that the herculean labour of England, which cannot be said to be still in its cradle, is not able to strangle the noisome reptiles which infest it. Even here this night, I claim for British labour and its agents, all the assistance and ap

pliances which our fostering care, our ad- | cious operation; but he was ready to supvancing knowledge can suggest. I do not port the principle of the measure, and even ask you to overlay either local exertions or to contribute out of his own pocket to individual enterprise with State interfe- assist in carrying any measure which rence, or stifle them with too much looking would benefit the working classes. He after. I wish you to leave them in their hoped, therefore, having made this declaordinary action to their own resources and ration, which he would strictly adhere to, development; but I wish you to see that that he might be allowed to call upon the the imperial knowledge, science and skill noble Lord to introduce a measure which -our best heads, and most adroit hands, should not be partial in its operation, for are made available to show them the pro- it would afford him the most sincere gratiper paths, and to take care that they do fication if he could assist the noble Lord in not go far astray from them. carrying any measure which would, in the least degree, benefit his fellow-creatures.

VISCOUNT DUNCAN hoped it was unnecessary to assure the House that he would be the last person to rise for the purpose of placing any obstacle in the way of a sanitary measure. He had listened with the deepest attention to the speech of the noble Lord in introducing the present Bill; and he rose merely with the view of directing the noble Lord's attention to one omission which he had hoped, from the notice he (Viscount Duncan) had placed that night on the table, would not have occurred. The noble Lord had remarked that there had been a great deal said and little done with respect to sanitary measures. He fully concurred in that assertion. But the noble Lord had also been pleased to say, that he had observed great apathy respecting this measure out of doors. He begged to tell the noble Lord that there was no apathy about sanitary measures out of doors, and that the working classes were anxiously looking for the interference of the Legislature on the subject. The noble Lord stated the object of the measure was to check obvious abuses. Now, he had listened attentively to the noble Lord's list of obvious abuses. The noble Lord had mentioned defective sewerage and drainage; but he thought the noble Lord spoke rather under his breath when he came to the subject of ventilation, although he remembered that not many years ago the noble Lord was quite eloquent on that subject, as well as on the window-tax. But how did it come that—

COLONEL SIBTHORP was sure there would be but one feeling pervading the House of an earnest desire to remedy those evils which the noble Lord had so powerfully set before them. When the noble Lord brought forward a similar measure last Session, he could not acquiesce in it, not that he was less anxious than others for the welfare of his fellow-creatures, which he was sure the whole tenor of his life disproved; but his main reason for objecting to the measure was the reluctance which appeared to exist on the part of Her Majesty's Government to include the metropolis in the boon which was to be conferred on other towns. He thought that reluctance savoured of a wish to favour the constituency on account of the support which they had given to a leading Member of Her Majesty's Government. He confessed he did cheer when he thought that the noble Lord had introduced the metropolis into the present measure; but he had since found that he had been too hasty; for he had just learned, with some degree of disappointment, that the metropolis was still to be excluded from the Bill. The reason certainly could not be that the metropolis needed this measure less than other places. Let them look at St. Giles's and Billingsgate, and other parts of the metropolis, and let the noble Lord tell him what there was in those places which could induce the House to withhold from them the boon which was to be granted to other towns. They were told that a Commission had recently been appointed, and that the House must wait for its reports; but, he would ask, why were these reports not upThose once familiar words?" on the table, and in possession of Members, He held in his hand an extract from a before the noble Lord brought forward his speech delivered by the noble Lord in Bill? The noble Lord had further told Wakefield, in the year 1846: that speech them that two paid Commissioners were to was delivered by the noble Lord after his be appointed under this Bill; but the noble re-election; and he said, amongst other Lord had not told them what was to be matters, that the homes of the bulk of the their salary. He distrusted these mea- population were inferior to what he should sures of partial, and, therefore, of suspi- wish them to be; they were capable of

"His lips were now forbid to speak