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In withdrawing the Bill the president is reported to have said
that "if he re-introduced it, it would be his duty to amend the
Sanitary Law of the Metropolis more than could be properly done
in a mere Consolidation Bill In withdrawing the present measure,
therefore, he did not bind himself to introduce the same Bill next
session, although he trusted it would be possible to introduce it
in an amended state."
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
The cases taken before the Police magistrates were 61 in
number, but for the most part they were of an ordinary sort, not
calling for comment. One of the most serious matters in connection
with judicial proceedings is the loss of time they involve. It
is no uncommon thing for your Vestry's officers to spend the
whole morning in the police-court, only to find their business
postponed at the last. Whatever may have been the case when
the present police-court arrangements were settled, they are most
inconvenient and unsatisfactory now. Only one half the magistrate's
time is occupied at Hammersmith, and he then posts off
to Wandsworth to complete his day's work, whatever may be
the state of business in the home court. At the very least, the
whole day should be devoted to the business coming before the
" Hammersmith " police-court, a large district which includes
Kensington, a parish that has increased manyfold since the existing
districts were settled. A more satisfactory plan would be
a division of the district which should assign a court to Kensington.
Failing some better arrangement, I am disposed to
believe that we ought to take, at least, some portion of our business
before the Justices, who frequently hold their court in the
Vestry Hall. Some relief of the difficulty might perhaps be
obtained by an arrangement with the stipendiary magistrate to
take sanitary business (as a rule) at a certain hour on one day
in the week. An arrangement of this sort is made in respect
of School Board business, which practically monopolises one day
in each week.
I have already alluded in other portions of the report to the
proceedings taken against a man who neglected to obey a Justices'
order for the removal of his children suffering from smallpox.
In another similar case we were unsuccessful through a
defect in the drawing up of the order addressed to the defendant
instead of to a constable. The defendant disobeyed the
order, but escaped the penalty of his disobedience owing to the
above mentioned error.
Virginia Place.—A great scandal arose in the course
of the present year, owing to the disgraceful condition of certain
houses in this place, known as Devil's Alley. They were
inhabited by the lowest class of poor persons, who paid no rent,