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12
which had been for ten years a source of great annoyance to
the neighbourhood. Complaints had been repeatedly made
to the Commissioners, who cleared the filth out of the vaults,
but it soon again accumulated. Ninety carcases of dead cats,
which had been skinned, were removed from the vaults on
one occasion, and 20 found in the cistern of a house close by.
There were 32 of these vaults, 16 of which were in this parish,
all of which have been securely enclosed with a fence eight
feet high, by order of Mr. Selfe, the magistrate, after the
whole of the offensive matter had been removed, and brick
rubbish thrown into the vaults. It seems to be a defect in
the law that the police should have no power to prohibit
persons from throwing down unhealthy refuse in such places,
if they are private property.
No. 2, Hindon Street, Pimlico. —The owner of this
house was summoned on February 23rd, to the Westminster
Police Court, under the 8th Section of the Nuisances
Removal Act, because " the premises were in such a state
as to bo a nuisance and dangerous to health," but he did
not appear. I told the magistrate, Mr. Arnold, that there
was no water supply to the closet, that the wash-house was
out of repair and dangerous, the rain-water pipe defective,
and that the walls of an upper room were soaked through
with rain, which also penetrated the roof. I was then
advised to apply to the Vestry, under the 81st Section of
the Metropolis Local Management Act, to serve a notice
requiring the owner to supply a water-closet, and if he
declined to do so they would cause the work to be done at
his expense. I wrote, however, first to him, asking him to
come or send his agent to ascertain what was required. He
sent his agent, and the work has been finished.
This case appears to me to show the confusion of our
sanitary laws. No doubt the Magistrate felt a difficulty, on
referring to the 13th Section of the Nuisances Removal