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(b) "That such Central Authority should not be merely a Department
of Poor Law Administration, but should have the powers of the Sanitary
Acts conferred upon it.
(c) "That either the Board should be merged into such Central
Authority or should itself be that Authority, in which case its constitution
should be altered and adapted to its enlarged duties and responsibility."
A Conference of the Sanitary Authorities was held at the
Cannon Street Hotel, June 16th, 1878, upon the invitation of the
Limehouse Board of Works, "on the subject of provision of
Hospital accommodation for persons suffering from Infectious
Diseases and at an adjourned meeting held 16th July, the
delegates unanimously adopted a resolution, which in March,
1879, was presented by a deputation to the President of the Local
Government Board, as follows:—
"That in the opinion of this Conference, many almost insurmountable
obstacles present themselves to the carrying out by the Vestries and District
Boards of the Metropolis, of the powers conferred upon them by the 37th
Section of the Sanitary Act, 1866, and it is further of opinion that it is
desirable that provision should be made by Act of Parliament for one Authority,
acting for the whole Metropolis, to provide Hospital accommodation for nonpauper
persons suffering from Infectious Disease, and is further of opinion that
such Authority should be as far as possible representative."
The main object of the Conference, as it ultimately took
shape, was to induce the Government to obtain Parliamentary
powers to enable Local Sanitary Authorities to enter into contracts
with the Asylums Board for the reception of non-pauper
patients at the Managers' Hospitals—powers which were subsequently
conferred by section 15 of the Poor Law Act, 1879.
the section in question was allowed to remain a dead letter for
a lengthened period, but in 1884 the Managers desired to put it
into operation, a course that, under circumstances referred to
elsewhere, was resisted by many Sanitary Authorities, and above
all by your Vestry— the great conference, held at the Town Hall,
meanwhile (in 1881), having unanimously committed the said
Authorities to the principle of free admission to the Hospitals of
all persons whose isolation was necessary to the public safety.