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133
THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND BYE-LAWS.
In the Special Report above adverted to, I drew attention to
the powers of the Metropolitan Board, under section 202 of the
Metropolis Management Act, 1855, to make Bye-laws for the
guidance of the Vestry with respect to house drainage; and,
under section 138, with respect to the construction of sewers.
I further drew attention to the fact that under section 202 (d)
the Board had power to make bye-laws for "works of cleansing
and of removing and disposing of refuse" also—bye-laws which, I
thought, might "cover the removal of refuse from houses and
other premises," and so "enable the sanitary authority to deal with
the difficult subject of the removal of trade refuse of an offensive
character, produced upon the premises of fishmongers, poulterers,
greengrocers, &c." The Committee recommended that the attention
of the Kensington members of the Board be requested to the
further question, Whether the Board's power to make bye-laws for
the above purposes might not be exercised so as to assist the
sanitary authorities in the removal of refuse of an offensive nature?
The Members representing your Vestry on the Board did as
requested, but their representations produced no effect.
The powers of the Board having devolved upon the London
County Council, and it appearing to your Vestry undesirable that
the work of the two Committees should fall to the ground,
fruitless, it was resolved to reprint the two Reports, and to forward
them, together with the reports of the Surveyor and of
the Medical Officer of Health, to the Council and to the several
Members thereof. The Reports were forwarded on the 3rd May,
1889; the covering letter stating that "the Vestry, believing
that legislation framed upon the lines of the suggestions" (contained
in the Reports) "would be conducive to the interests of
public health in the Metropolis, earnestly hoped that the Reports
would receive early consideration from the Council." The
Reports were referred to the Sanitary Committee of the Council,
who are fully alive to the importance of the subject, for in their