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18
completely dissevered from any relation with pauperism." (May
1877.)
On the 16th June, 1877, the Committee for General Purposes of
the Metropolitan Asylums Board, reported inter alia the purport
of the replies received from the Sanitary Authorities to their report
(February 22nd) showing that certain Vestries and District
Boards and numerous Medical Officers of Health had signified
their (general) "concurrence with the views expressed by the
Managers." Other Vestries, &c., while concurring mainly with
the views expressed by the Managers, disagreed with the somewhat
obscure recommendation that "the proposed Central Authority
should have the powers of the Sanitary Acts conferred upon it,"
evidently, the Committee add, through misconception of its
meaning. The Committee, therefore, explained that they did not
intend "that the Central Authority should supersede or interfere
with the existing Vestries and District Boards in the ordinary and
important duties which devolve upon them, but merely that it
should have such powers of the Sanitary Acts conferred as would
enable it to deal efficiently with all cases of epidemic infectious
diseases occurring in the Metropolis, and to take steps for checking
the spread of such diseases." (Parenthetically it may be observed
that this would be to interfere with and to supersede
the existing authorities, whose duty it is to take such steps for
checking the spread of infectious diseases : and that, in the opinion
of the Committee, they deserve to be so superseded, would
seem to be apparent in the next paragraph of their report in which
they say that) "Little has been done by the existing Sanitary
Authorities of the Metropolis to check the spread of small pox,
and that still less have efficient steps, or has general action been
taken to stamp it out: and hence it cannot be a matter of surprise
that the disease has continued to rage so virulently for so lengthened
a period." Leaving it to others to decide to what extent
this reproach may be deserved by the Sanitary Authorities; and
to what extent these are impeded in their action by insufficient
powers, I venture to say that these bodies even "with the explanation
now afforded of the meaning of the recommendation with
regard to the delegation of the powers of the Sanitary Acts,"
would not look on the "constitution of such a Central Authority
as a great public safeguard, and as the most desirable plan of relieving
them of a very difficult and unpleasant part of their duties,"
nor would they be prepared to admit that these duties "from
various causes they are unable to satisfactorily perform.*
It need hardly be stated that the above reports were forwarded
* The Committee's Report was, I believe, "received" by the Managers; who took
action on it so far only as to wait on the Local Government Board to obtain information
as to the Board's views of the position the Managers would hold in the event
of the 64th clause of the Public Health (Metropolis) Bill, 1877, referred to subsequently,
becoming law.