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dition has flourished, and how systematically every provision for health and decency
has been neglected or abused. Repeated attempts have been made to improve this
locality, but they have almost all failed from being imperfect and ill adapted to the
wants and habits of the pecullar class of residents. The only real improvement
which Church-lane has hitherto witnessed, has been in the houses registered under
the Common Lodging Houses' Act. The houses, whose rooms are occupied by single
families, were last year in a condition of squalor and overcrowding which it is difficult
to conceive surpassed.* (See Note on preceding page.)
The portion of this locality to the south of Church-lane, comprising half
the houses in the lane, Welch's and Kennedy courts, and Hampshire Hog-yard, was
held on lease from Sir John Hanmer, Bart., M.P., and it was ascertained that the
leases were to expire in the winter of 1858-9. The Sanitary Committee at once
entered into communication with Sir John Hanmer and his agent, and at frequent
interviews made urgent representations on the m'serable state of the property. The
views of the committee met with attention, and, a though the whole of their suggestions
have not been adopted, a great amount of good will have been effected. The
houses in the places mentioned were, in March last, in process of repair and cleansing.
New water cisterns were being built, and new closets erected; ventilation
was being improved, not in the rooms and staircases only, but by the removal of one
or two tenements which greatly hindered the free circulation of air round the houses.
A series of cow-sheds in Hampshire Hog-yard, which had long been a nuisance to
the district, were to be rebuilt, with proper provisi ns for drainage and cleanliness.
With all these improvements, however, the Sanitary Committee felt that the advantage
would be of a very temporary nature, if they did not also impress on the leaseholder
his responsibilities to keep the premises in a decent state, and to prevent overcrowding.
It has been necessary with this view, to summon the chief leaseholders
of Church-lane, under the Nuisances' Removal Act, Magistrates' orders have been
obtained in each case, and in one instance a fine was inflicted.
The most important sanitary measure of the year has certainly b en the
diminution of overcrowding. This has been applied, not to Church-lane only, but to
other parts of the district. A decision was obtained from the magistrate, on physiological
evidence of a very positive kind, by which a cubical space of 400 cubic feet
is secured to every member of a family in the lower class of houses; extremely
small is this allowance of space, but it is three times what was found to be granted
to each person in many rooms of the district.
I do not think it is possible to overrate the good results which will follow
on this decision, This regulation of the number of inmates will not only ensure a
purer air for each, but will allow of a remedy being applied to many other sanitary
defects which result inevitably from the condition of overcrowding. In my former
annual report, I have insisted very strongly on the good that must flow directly and
indirectly from forbidding overcrowding. Measures, such as I there recommended,
have now begun to be adopted; handbills,* giving information and warning, have
been freely circulated throughout the district, and owners of overcrowded houses have
* A copy of this hand bill will be found in the appendix.