View report page

65
patients, under the power conferred upon the Board by section
3 of the Local Authorities (Expenses) Act, 1887, which enacts
that "Expenses paid by any local authority whose accounts are
subject to audit by a district auditor, shall not be disallowed by
that auditor if they have been sanctioned by the Local
Government Board." The Board's reply, dated 21st August,
was as follows:—
“Sir,—I am directed by the Local Government Board to advert
to the application contained in your letter of the 31st ultimo, and to
state that they hereby sanction the expenditure incurred by the
Managers of the Metropolitan Asylum District in respect of the
maintenance, during the half-year ended at Lady-day last, of Smallpox
and Fever patients who have been admitted into the Asylums of the
District on Certificates signed by Sanitary Officers and private Medical
Practitioners without the intervention of the Believing Officer. It was
the intention of the President of the Board to introduce a Bill for the
purpose of removing any doubt which may exist as to the legality of
expenditure of thi3 character, but circumstances have not admitted
of legislation being proposed on the subject during the present
year.
"The sanction of the Board is given so far as the expenditure
referred to may, in the opinion of the Auditor, not be open to any
question, except in consequence of no Certificate of a Poor-Law
Medical Officer or Believing Officer having been obtained.
I am, &c.,
(Signed) S. B. PROVIS,
Assistant Secretary.
"To W. F. Jebb, Esq."
Upon the reading of the above letter, the Chairman, Sir
Edwin Galsworthy, commented upon the importance of the
step taken by the Local Government Board, and it was agreed
to inform the local authorities of the Metropolis of the
correspondence. About the importance of the Board's decision
there can be no doubt, and I need hardly remark that in
taking this step, the Board have given practical effect to the
proposal made by myself, and approved by your Yestry many
F