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renewal in any case. The Committee nevertheless found occasion to
complain of neglect by several of the licensees in respect of
certain of the bye-laws (Nos. 5, 10, and 16) framed with the object of
preventing nuisances in the conduct of the business; and proceedings
having been instituted, several of them were mulct in penalties of three
pounds. The Committee took note of the fact that at some of the
slaughter-houses no provision of a permanent character had been made
for watering the animals whilst in the lairs: but they observed with
satisfaction that at most of the premises the "Local Authority"
(Metropolitan Board of Works) had succeeded in getting the licensees
to carry out a recommendation by your Vestry for the provision of a
syphon-trap with fixed grating, in lieu of the bell-trap with removable
cover.
The most satisfactory feature in connexion with the annual
licensing was the fact, then made known, that the Local Authority
have now endorsed in principle the views expressed, and the action taken,
by your Vestry in 1874, on the subject of the approaches to slaughterhouses;
and they opposed the renewal of the license of a slaughter-house
in Chelsea on the ground that the only means of access to the premises
is by a flight of stairs in a dwelling house. The Board occupied a
difficult, not to say a false position in thus opposing the license after
having, without protest, tolerated the use of the premises under the
same conditions for five consecutive years ; and so the magistrates
appeared to think, as they declined to give effect to the opposition.
It was incidentally mentioned that a statement of the Board's present
views on this subject had been forwarded to the magistrates in the
several Divisions of the Metropolis, and that in all the other divisions
the magistrates had refused to renew the license of premises objected
to. Even now, however, the Board does not go quite far enough, as
they have, as yet, decided to oppose the renewal of licenses only when
the doorway is too narrow for the convenient passage of oxen. In the
case above alluded to, moreover, having failed in their objection to the
renewal of the license, they made an unsuccessful appeal to the Bench
to restrict the slaughtering to "small things," i.e. sheep, lambs, calves,
and pigs. It is to be hoped that on another occasion the Board's
opposition will be more successful. But in order to succeed they should
oppose on principle in every case where the entrance to the premises
is unsuitable; should they not see fit to obtain the sanction of