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to obtain an abatement within a reasonable time, I direct
peremptory notices to be served, and if they are unsuccessful,
that the cases shall be transferred to Mr. Valentine.
Up to this point, all the notices served, are what we
call 'friendly notices,' so that the next step is to obtain
from the Board or Sanitary Committee, the necessary
orders to serve the statutory notices. Previously to
this being done, Mr. Valentine, and in all important
cases myself as well, visit the premises complained of,
when Mr. Valentine lays the information in accordance
with the Acts of Parliament, then serves the statutory
notices, if necessary takes out summonses, and attends
with me at the Police Court to give evidence, and
superintends the carrying out of the Magistrate's order.
Mr. Valentine also attends to all complaints, amounting
to many hundreds, in the course of the year. There
have been 343 orders for legal proceedings issued between
November 1st, 1866 and March 30th, 1867, aud
50 summonses heard and adjudicated on by the Magistrates
of the Worship Street and Clerkenwell Police
Courts. It has been necessary to attend at the Police
Court several times in some of the cases, but as we
have often taken out more than one summons for one
day, the number of attendances have been rather less
than the number of summonses.
Before the Sanitary Act was framed, I need scarcely
say that the mode of proceeding was very different.
Except a periodical inspection of some of the poorest
courts in this district, no regular house to house