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to deal with the important question of hospital accommodation.
The Sanitary Act, 1866, (sect. 37), authorizes Vestries and District
Boards— being the "Nuisance Authorities,"— to provide hospitals for
the "sick inhabitants" of their respective districts. The power
conferred by this section has not been exercised, for in 1867 the
"Metropolitan Poor Act" was passed, under the provisions of which
hospitals for small-pox and fever were erected by the Managers of
the Metropolitan Asylum District— this Act, by a general provision
for the whole Metropolis, thus virtually superseding the necessity
for separate action on the part of the Vestries, &c. The Managers
having thus begun a great work which legally devolved upon the
Vestries, and having almost met the requirements of the Metropolis
by providing accommodation out of all proportion to the needs of the
pauper class, with which alone, theoretically, they have to do, have
always expressed willingness to complete the task if called on to do so.
In January, 1877, however, the pressure of the small-pox epidemic
being somewhat severely felt, the Local Government Board addressed
a communication to the several Vestries and District Boards calling
their attention to the provisions of the 37th section of the Sanitary
Act, 1866, "urging them to 'provide accommodation' for that large
class of persons not needing relief, but whose isolation in hospitals
is necessary for preventing the spread of the disease." In the event,
no steps were taken to give effect to the views of the Board, but in
March, 1879, a deputation from a 'Conference' of Vestries, &c.,
waited upon the then President, Mr. Sclater Booth, the principal object
of the Conference, as it ultimately took shape, being to induce the
Government to obtain Parliamentary powers to enable "Nuisance
Authorities" to enter into contracts with the Managers of the Metropolitan
Asylum District for the reception and treatment in their hospitals
of non-pauper cases of infectious diseases, at the cost of the several
Vestries, &c. The President intimated his willingness to do this—
as he had already made the attempt in the abortive "Public Health,
(Metropolis) Bill, 1877," which was defeated by the opposition of the
Vestries—and accordingly, on the last day of the Session, "The Poor
Law Act, 1879," became law. By section 15 of this Act the
Managers are now enabled, with the approval of the Local Government
Board, to contract with any Vestry, &c., in the Metropolis (as the
" local authority " acting in the execution of the Nuisances Removal