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not "a slaughterer of cattle or sheep," and therefore not a fit
person to be entrusted with a license; and one in Lancaster Road,
the holder choosing rather to relinquish the license than to carry
out the necessary alterations for excluding a W.C. from the
slaughter house.
In a special report, in September last, I entered somewhat
fully into the subject of the Slaughter Houses. I
do not feel, therefore, that it is necessary to refer in any
detail to the subject now. But I may remind you that in August
next, the thirty years' grace given by the Building Act of 1844,
will expire, and nearly all the Slaughter Houses will be closed
unless they should be continued, permanently or temporarily, by
express legislation. In the Report already mentioned, I alluded
to the enquiry by the Select Committee of the House of Commons
on "Noxious Businesses" (1873), and quoted the recommendations
of the Committee in favour of the present system of private
Slaughter Houses under "precise uniform and stringent regulations."
The Secretary of State for the Home Department has
recently announced in Parliament, that the Government intend to
legislate on the subject this session, and, "speaking generally
only" in the direction suggested by the Committee's Report,
I regard this as a matter for regret. My own views are favorable
to the abolition of private Slaughter Houses, and the substitution
of a sufficient number of local public abbattoirs to supplement the
larger establishments, which should be found near the markets.
SLAUGHTER HOUSES, &c., (Metropolis) BILL, 1874 *
This Bill, distributed to Members of Parliament, and read a
second time, on the 3rd of July, 1874, excited no less surprise by
its provisions than by the extraordinary rapidity with which its
various stages were accomplished in the House of Commons—the
only tribunal, where, under more favourable circumstances, it
would have had a chance of rejection or of radical improvement.
In saying this, I would not derogate from the credit due to the
House of Lords for amendments which, at the urgent solicitation
of myself and others, were moved and adopted. But to this I
shall refer again. At present I cannot, perhaps, do better than
quote a Report I addressed to your Vestry through your Law and
Parliamentary Committee, briefly explaining the Bill as it first
appeared in the House of Commons.
"Slaughter Houses, &c., (Metropolis) Bill, 1874. 10th July,
1874.—The Medical Officer of Health attended the Law and
Parliamentary Committee at the request of the Works, Sanitary,
and General Purposes Committee with reference to the above Bill.
* This section of the report was not written until after the preceding one was in type.