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Your Vestry, deeming it unreasonable that there should be one
law for the rich and another for the poor, adopted my recommendation,
and wrote to the President of the Local Government Board,
under date 9th March, 1885, as follows:—
“Sir,—I am instructed by the Kensington Vestry to inform you that they have
again had their attention directed to the subject of notification of infectious
diseases, and to forward the subjoined resolution, unanimously adopted at the
meeting held on the 25th ultimo.
“ ‘That the attention of the President of the Local Government Board be
invited to the subject, and that he be requested to introduce a Bill to confer
the necessary powers on Nuisance Authorities, either by a general Act,
embodying the Model Clauses of the Select Committee, presided over by Mr.
Sclater Booth in the Session of 1882, or by an Act to give Nuisance Authorities
who want such powers, the means of obtaining them, without the necessity
of applying for a local Act, which might be done either by a general Act which
they could bring into force themselves, or by giving them the power of making
bye-laws for the purpose in question.'
“The Vestry are aware of the interest you take in the question, and their
attention has been drawn to your observations thereon in reply to the deputation
from the Social Science Association (Public Health Section) during the Session of
1883. The above resolution is, in fact, based on the views expressed by you on
that occasion.
“The Vestry have been moved to some consideration of the subject at the
present time as a natural result of the confirmation by the Local Government
Board, on January 21st last, of their Regulations for houses let in lodgings.
“The 16th and 17th Regulations provide for the immediate notification to the
Vestry of the occurrence of infectious diseases in “Registered Houses,” a course
which, in the opinion of the Vestry, is no less necessary in regard to the occurrence
of the same diseases in other than registered houses. The Vestry, anxious to deal
equal justice to all classes of their constituents, will therefore be glad, should you
be able to comply with their request, by introducing a Bill dealing with the
subject. “I have the honour,” &c.
Under date, March 17th, the following reply was received from
the Secretary to the Local Government Board:—
“Sir,—I am directed by the Local Government Board to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 9th inst., communicating to them a copy of the
resolution passed by the Vestry of the Parish of St. Mary Abbotts, Kensington
with reference to the notification of the occurrence of infectious diseases to Nuisance
Authorities, and to state that the subject will receive their attention.
“I am, Sir,” &c.