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140
COMBINED DRAINAGE.
Several of the metropolitan sanitary authorities made
representations to the County Council, in 1894, on the need of
legislation, " with a view to an alteration in the definition of
the word drain and the word sewer," in the Metropolis
Management Act, 1855 (sec. 250); and ultimately a deputation
representing the vestries and district boards, waited upon
the main drainage committee with reference to the subject.
This committee reported (7th July, 1894), that " a grievance
exists, and that a heavy responsibility is thrown upon the local
authorities to repair combined drains which were laid down
for the benefit of the owners of houses, and with the intention
that the owners should be held responsible for their maintenance."
The committee further came to the conclusion that
" the Council should, as the central authority, promote legislation
in accordance with the views of the local authorities," and
upon their recommendation it was resolved :
" That the Council do apply to Parliament for an amendment of the definition
of the word sewer and drain in the Metropolis Local Management
Act, in the way desired by the local authorities, and that it be referred
to the parliamentary committee to prepare a public bill, and take such
other steps as may be necessary for that purpose."
Such a bill (Metropolitan Sewers and Drains) was brought
in on behalf of the Council in 1896, the special object being to
obtain an amendment of the definition of the word " drain " in
the Metropolis Management Acts. Legislation is certainly
necessary, seeing that many sanitary authorities are unwilling
to repair as " sewers," conduits which they consider should be
regarded as " combined drains," repairable at the expense of
the owners of the houses drained in common thereby. Cases
are not unknown in which a sanitary authority have failed to
abate nuisances in connection with drainage upon the refusal of
the owners of houses to comply with notices requiring them to
execute work which, in the present state of the law, has been
held by the highest legal authorities to be the duty of the