The measures necessary to be adopted in order to improve the sanitary con dition of large towns and populous dis tricts are comprised under the following heads:— I. Drainage, including house and street drainage, and the drainage of any place not covered with houses, yet influencing the health of the inhabitants.
2. The paving of streets, courts, and alleys.
3. Cleansing, comprising the removal of all refuse matter not carried off by drainage, and the removal of nuisances.
4. A sufficient supply of water for pub lic purposes and domestic use.
5. The construction and ventilation of buildings in such a manner as to promote rather than injure the health of the inha bitants.
The Second Report of the Commis sioners gives Thirty Recommendations to the legislature, each of which is pre ceded by the reasons on which the re commendation is founded. We can only afford space for a summary of these re commendations.
No. 1 recommends that in all cases the local administrative body shall have the special charge and direction of all works required for sanitary purposes, but that the crown shall possess a general power of supervision.
Nos. 2 to 11 relate to Drainage; sur veys and plans ; definition of area for drainage by the crown ; appointment of surveyors ; investigations by authority of the crown, on representations duly made ; management of the drainage of the entire area by one body ; purchase of rights of mill-owners and others ; construction of sewers, branch sewers, and house-drains ; rating of landlords when house is let in separate apartments, or when the rent is collected more frequently than once a quarter, or when the yearly rent is less than 101. ; providing of funds by the local administrative body, distribution of cost among the owners of the properties bene fited, and charge of house-drains on owners of houses to which they belong; power to raise money, and provision for gradual liquidation of debt in No. 12 recommends that the Paving be under the same management as the drain ing; but that it be performed by the local public officers.
Nos. 13, 14, and 15, relate to the Cleans ing of all privies and cesspools at proper times and on due notice ; removal of large collections of dung; and abatement of nui sances arising from noxious exhalations from factories.
Nos. 17 to 21 relate to the supply of Water, in sufficient quantities not only for the domestic wants of the inhabitants, but also for cleansing the streets, scour ing the sewers and drains, and the ex tinction of fires; purchase of the interests of water-companies, and placing the ma nagement of the supply of water under the local adminstrative body ; the esta blishment of public baths and for the poorer classes ; and especially re commending that the supply of water in the mains be not only constant, but at as high a pressure as circumstances will permit.
Nos. 22 to 26 are regulations for Build ings, including power to raise money for the purchase of property, for the purpose of opening thoroughfares, and widening streets, courts, and alleys ; prohibition of use of cellars as dwellings, except when they are of certain dimensions and pro perly ventilated; provision for building all new houses with proper privies, and for a good system of ventilation in all edifices for public assemblage and resort, especially school-houses.
Nos. 27 and 28 recommend that power be given to the local administrative body to compel landlords to cleanse houses, duly reported to be in a noxious state from filthiness—and that power be given to magistrates to license and issue rules for regulation of lodging-houses for the re ception of vagrants, tramrrs, and persons of similar wayfaring habits.
No. 29 recommends the appointment of a medical officer in each town or district, who shall report periodically on the sani tary condition of such town or district.
No. 30 recommends the establishment of Public Walks, and that the local admi nistrative body be empowered to raise 'lie necessary funds for the management and care of the walks when established.
A large portion of the Report of the Committee on Lord Lincoln's Bill,' be fore mentioned, is occupied with showing that the supply of water, wherever prac ticable, should be constant, not only in the main-pipes, but in the branch-pipes, thus doing away entirely with the use of wa ter-butts; and contending that in most cases such a constant supply is not only practicable but economical, and that it would contribute in the highest degree to the cleanliness of houses iu crowded dis tricts, and consequently to the health of the inhabitants.