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be sent to the Home Secretary, the Local Government Board, the
Metropolitan Board of Works, to each member of the Royal Commission
on Housing of the Working Classes, to all the Vestries and District
Boards of the Metropolis, and to the Grand Junction Waterworks
Company.
The Commissioners in their report recommend that the
Companies be deprived of the summary power to cut off the water
supply.
It only remains to be added that a Bill was introduced in the
House of Lords by the Earl of Camperdown in the current
Session, for "Regulating the Powers of those Water Companies
which incorporate in their Special Acts the Waterworks Clauses
Act, 1847." His Lordship proposed, among other things, that
the Companies should be deprived of the power of cutting off the
supply of water as a punishment for the non-payment of the rates,
except in cases where an order is obtained on a summons, setting
forth the reason for the power being put in force, and the date at
which the water may be cut off.
The Bill found considerable favour with the public and sanitary
authorities generally, many of which, your Vestry included,
petitioned the House in its favour. It was supported by the late
Lord Chancellor (Lord Selborne), and by the present Prime
Minister (Lord Salisbury), among others, and was referred, by
consent of Lord Camperdown, to a small Select Committee, upon
the understanding that no counsel should be heard. The Bill
emerged from the Committee Room, and passed the Lords, in a
form that has failed to satisfy public opinion, so that petitions
have been presented to the House of Commons, praying, in effect,
that the Bill may be restored to its original condition. It is
highly probable, however, that, in the present state of the business
of the House, resulting from the change of Government, the Bill
will fall through.
OFFENSIVE BUSINESSES.
Nuisance from Brick Burning.—During the summer of
1884, as in many previous years, complaints were made by
persons residing in different parts of the parish, of offensive smells,