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" ' Burial Act, 1857—Section 25.
" ' Except in the cases where a body is removed from one
" ' consecrated place of burial to another by faculty granted by the
' ordinary for that purpose, it shall not be lawful to remove any
" ' body, or the remains of any body, which may have been interred
" ' in any place of burial, without licence under the hand of one of
" ' Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, and with such
'' ' precautions as such Secretary of State may prescribe as the
" ' condition of such license ; and any person who shall remove any
" ' such body or remains, contrary to this enactment, or who shall
" ' neglect to observe the precautions prescribed as the condition of
" ' the license for removal, shall, on summary conviction before any
" ' two justices of the peace, forfeit and pay for every such offence
" ' a sum not exceeding ten pounds."
COMBINED DRAINAGE.
For many years past, the law relating to Combined Drainage in the
Metropolis has been in a most unsatisfactory state, and has cast an unduly
heavy burden upon the ratepayers.
The St. Pancras Borough Couucil have taken a very active part in
endeavouring to remedy the present anomalous condition of the law, and
have invited the support of the Corporation in their efforts to amend the
legislation dealing with the question.
Although, owing to their drainage works being mainly constructed under
local Acts, the Corporation are not so immediately concerned in this matter
as the Metropolitan Borough Councils, yet it was felt that the support of the
Corporation should be extended to any movement for improving the existing
condition of affairs, more especially as it has been estimated that the cost
incurred by the ratepayers of London in reconstructing sewers due to combined
drainage, has amounted during the three years 1904-6 to a sum of no less
than £65,000, and it is certain that such liability will continue year by year
as owners of property become better acquainted with the legal position, and
therefore will be more ready to take advantage of the difficulties which local
authorities experience in proving the liability of the owners for drainage
works.
By invitation of the St. Pancras Borough Council, a Conference of representatives
of the City and Metropolitan Borough Councils was held at the
St. Pancras Town Hall on the 27th June, 1907, to consider the whole
matter, when it was referred to a Committee of the Conference to prepare for
presentation to the President of the Local Government Board a Petition and
Draft Bill dealing with the law relating to this question.