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80 CONCLUSION.
dant supply within his immediate reach; the effective
preservation of public cleanliness; the construction
and maintenance of sewerage, paving, lighting,
for all the streets, courts and passages of this great
City;—these constitute an immense amount of responsibility
and labour. Those other objects to which
I have referred, are partly such as cannot be accomplished
without the further interference of the
Legislature. It is a point solely for the discretion
of your Honourable Court to determine, how far
you may be willing to enlarge the sphere of your
sanitary operations, and to undertake the difficulties
of a new campaign.
To your Officer of Health the Act of Parliament
allows no such option. 'Whereas the health
of the population, especially of the poorer classes,
is frequently injured by the prevalence of epidemical
and other disorders,' therefore it is appointed
for his duty, that he shall report on whatsoever
'injuriously affects the health of the inhabitants
of the City,' and that he shall 'point out
the most efficacious mode of checking or preventing
the spread of contagious or other epidemic
disease.' Actuated by obligation of the duty thus
expressed in your Act of Parliament, after full
reflection on all that those expressions imply, and
with the deepest sense of the responsibility belonging
to one who is honoured with the task of advising
the first Corporation of the country in