locks, and other in and upon the same rivers and other water-courses to the inestimable damages of the commonwealth of this realm, which daily is likely more and more to increase unless speedy redress and remedy be in this behalf shortly provided. Wherein albeit that divers and many provisions have been before this time made and ordained, yet none of them are sufficient remedy for reformation of the premises, hath therefore, by," &c. &c. "That Commissioners of Sewers and other the premises shall be directed in all parts within this realm from time to time, where and when need shall require, according to the manner, form, tenor, and effect hereafter ensuing, to such substantial and indifferent persons as shall be named by the Lord Chancellor and Lord Treasurer of England, and the two chief justices for the time being, or by three of them, whereof the Lord Chancellor to be one. The form of the Commission was then set forth. This Act was made per

petual by the 3 & 4 Ed. VI. c. 8.

ses.

Other Acts relating to the Commissions of Sewers are the 13 Eliz. c. 9.- 3 Jac. c. 14.—2 W. & M. 11. c. 8.-7 Anne, c. 10.-47 Geo. III. c. 7. (Local and Personal). 52 Geo. III. c. 48. (Loc. & Per.).—3 & 4 W. IV. c. 22.-4 & 5 W. IV. c. 96. (Bayswater Sewer). -10 & 11 Vict. c. 70. (Loc. & Per.).- 11 & 12 Vict. c. 112. (The Metropolitan Sewers Act).—The 11 & 12 Vict. c. 63. (The Public Health Act, 1848).-12 & 13 Vict. c. 94.-13 & 14 Vict. cap. 32, cap. 90, cap. 108. -The 14 & 15 Vict. cap. 90, cap. 98, cap. 103.

After one or two attempts had been made in the sessions of 1845 and 1847, to introduce a Public Health Act, the question became so urgent, that in opening

the session of 1847-8, her Majesty thus addressed her Parliament: "Her Majesty has thought proper to appoint a Commission to report on the best means of improving the health of the metropolis, and her Majesty recommends to your earnest attention, such measures as will be laid before you relating to the public health." On the 10th of February a Bill "for promoting the public health," was introduced by the Earl of Carlisle (then Lord Morpeth). To the talent, the patience, and the courtesy, evinced during the progress of the Bill through the House of Commons by this distinguished nobleman, the public are mainly indebted for this Act-the foundation I feel of a long course of public benefits, by which the health, the comfort, and the morality of the community will be largely and permanently increased.

IS IT DESIRABLE THAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACT SHOULD BE APPLIED TO MY DISTRICT?

This important question will sooner or later present itself to many of my readers. It will be well if such an inquirer guards himself against an erroneous conclusion, by well understanding, 1. the objects of the Act; and 2. the mode by which, under its provisions, these improvements are proposed to be accomplished.

Now, as to the objects of the makers of this great and important Act of Parliament. These are well and concisely described by Mr. Alfred Walbridge in his excellent little tract on "Popular Exposition of its advantages and benefits,"* to be "to provide for the introduction and maintenance in towns and populous places of an efficient

* Published by C. Knight, 90, Fleet Street.

and economical system of sewerage and house drainage; for the paving and cleansing of streets, &c.; for providing a full and proper supply of water for public and private purposes; for the adoption of such other means as may be necessary for improving the health and comfort of the inhabitants; and also for providing a popular and elective representative local body for carrying out those measures."

Since the Act was passed there have been (to the commencement of the year 1852) about 240 petitions presented to the General Board of Health for the application of this Act to the places from whence these petitions originated. In this list are to be found the great manufacturing towns of Wolverhampton, Leicester, Coventry, Bradford, Bilston, and Sunderland—the agricultural or suburban, such as Croydon, Tottenham, Harrow, Windsor, Braintree, Witham-seaport towns, as Brighton, Southampton, Hastings, Worthing, Torquay, and Bath, &c. To about 140 towns to the date to which I have referred, the Act was applied, either by Provisional Order where there were not any local acts in existence, or by Order in Council where there were such local acts, and where the prescribed limits differed from those described in the petition.

With regard to the cost of applying the Public Health Act. The average expense by Order in Council has not been found to exceed £83. By Provisional Order, which requires to be afterwards confirmed by the annual confirming Act of Parliament, the average cost has not exceeded £121. Let readers contrast this expense my with that of an ordinary Act for the improvement of a town, the average taxed costs of which (in the House

of Commons only) in 1849 and 1850 amounted to £2042 6s. 2 d.; the least expensive Brighton being £1307, and the most costly Bilston £3463.

An opinion is sometimes entertained that when the Act is applied to a district, that thenceforward that district becomes completely under the direction and control of the General Board of Health at Whitehall. It is of great importance that it should be well understood that this is a baseless conclusion. It will be found in practice that the Act must be applied for under sect. 8. in a petition signed by at least one-tenth of the inhabitants. On this petition being received by the General Board an inspector is appointed, and if after a careful survey and publicly hearing evidence his report is favourable, an Order in Council, or a Provisional Order, is issued, under which (provided the Provisional Order is confirmed by Parliament) authority is given, under sect. 12. of this Act, for the ratepayers to elect a local Board of Health from amongst themselves.

Now, when the Local Board is thus formed, to that board almost all power and authority are committed. Its members may see fit to carry out vigorously and conscientiously the public objects of this Act; they may raise by rates, or by mortgage of those rates, sufficient money to satisfy the sanitary demands of the electors, or they may be a timid or a too parsimonious board; they may meet, debate, but do nothing that involves an outlay of any money on permanent improvements. In such a case there is no remedy but for the ratepayers to elect more useful members of their board. A welladvised body of electors will indeed be very careful in the selection of their board. They should, if they can do so,

secure a majority composed of the independent and most sensible of their neighbours-gentlemen not dependant in any way upon their neighbours for their income, and therefore not likely to be deterred from the execution of their duty by any fears of losing customers or the hope of the favours of any section of the ratepayers. It is desirable that there should be tradesmen on the board, but it is equally so that they should not be all merchants, nor even the majority, especially if the board has much to accomplish.

The Local Board then being formed (and one-third of it must be re-elected annually) is free, and unshackled by the General Board in all its resolutions as regards new works.

All the specific powers thereafter possible to be exercised over the Local Board by the General Board are as follows. By sect. 37, they may approve or disapprove of the removal of the local surveyor; sect. 40, of the appointment or removal of the officer of health; by sect. 41, they prescribe the scale upon which any local map for sewerage purposes is made. A ratepayer may appeal to the General Board against the decisions of the Local Board-sect. 64, as to noxious and offensive trades. As to new streets, sect. 72; and against private improvement expenses, s. 120. The General Board may also regulate contracts as to public pleasure grounds, sect. 74, or supplies of water, sect. 75, and burial grounds, sect. 82.

By sect. 119, a Local Board cannot mortgage the rates, or borrow any money, without the previous consent of the General Board of Health. The conditions on which these loans are authorised by the Board, are thus described by them in their Report (on the Public