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was not brought forward in the last Parliament owing to the affairs in
the House.
spective case of Travis v. Uttley (1398), tbe effect of which has been to convert
thousands of drains, which had been privately owned and privately maintained, into
sewers vested in the local authorities and maintainable at the expense of the ratepayers,
The state of the law has been described by the Lord Chief Justice, who said in a
recent decision, "It seems to me, as I have before pointed out, to be essential that
there should be some amendment of the law upon this subject. The state of the
authorities is such that it appears to be impossible either to reconcile the various
decisions or to deduce from thom any logical rule."
Several provincial authorities, notably West Ham, Croydon, Carlisle, Leyton,
Wood Green, Sheffield, etc., have been successful in obtaining the powers which the
Metropolitan local authorities ask for by this Bill.
Metropolitan Sewers and Drains.
[8 Edw. VII.]
A Bill to amend the Metropolis Management Acts with respect to Sewers and
Drains.
Be it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, ;md Commons, in this present Parliament
assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows :—
1. In and for the purposes of the Metropolis Management Acts, 1855 to
1899, and the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, or any Act or Acts amending
the same, the word "drain" shall be deemed to include any sewer or drain,
whether constructed before or after the passing of this Act, with which two or
more houses, buildings or premises are, at the date of the passing of this Act, or
may at any time thereafter be connected, or which is used or capable of being or
intended to be used for the conveyance of the drainage of such houses, buildings
or premises directly or indirectly to any sewer which has been approved as such
by the Metropolitan Commissioners of Sewers, the Metropolitan Board of
Works, or the London County Council, but shall not include any sewer so
approved as aforesaid.
2. This Act may be cited as the Metropolis Management Amendment Act,
1908, and shall be construed as one with the Metropolis Management Act, 1855,
and the Acts amending the same.
On the back of the Bill appear the following names:—Mr. Dickinson, Sir William
Bull, Mr. Bowles, Sir William Collins, Mr. Crooks, Mr. Timothy Davies, Sir George
Fardell, Mr. Claude Hay, Sir Henry Kimber, Earl Percy. Sir Albert Spicer and Mr.
Waterlow.
The Boroughs represented are St. Pancras, Hammersmith, Lambeth, Woolwich,
Fulham, Paddington, Shoreditch, Wandsworth, Kensington, Hackney and Islington.