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5
their best to carry out its provisions. I reported to you on the
22nd day of October that fifteen houses in Lawrence buildings
and five at the back of Lawrence buildings were in such a condition
or state as to be dangerous to health and unfit for human
habitation, when you directed Mr. Lovegrove to report thereon.
Mr. Lovegrove, at a subsequent meeting, brought up his report,
in which he stated that ten required structural alterations and
five should be demolished. Notices were then drawn up and
served on the owner, but as it has been necessary to serve seven
notices for each house, the progress has been necessarily slow.
A new Petroleum Act has also been passed, and is likely
to entail considerable extra work on your sanitary officers, as it
will be necessary to examine the premises of each person
applying for a license. By this Act, " Petroleum" " is a rock or
other oil which gives off' an inflammable vapour under 100° F.,"
and is therefore very likely to cause fires.
The River Lea Conservancy Act also passed this year, and
its clauses will come into operation in February, 18G9. From
and after that date it will be illegal to open into the Lea or any
of its tributaries, or any cut, dock, canal, ditch connected therewith,
any sewer, drain, pipe or channel into or through which
sewage or other offensive matter may run into the river, under
a penalty not exceeding one hundred pounds, and not exceeding
fifty pounds after the adjudication of such penalty. Also
by the 92nd and 93rd sections, where such offensive matter is
suffered to flow into the Lea, the Conservancy Board shall give
notice to the authority causing or suffering the same so to flow
or pass, requiring them within the time specified in the notice
to discontinue the flow or passage thereof, under similar penalties
of hundred pounds and fifty pounds respectively; and
the Board may also stop up the outlet of the ditch, sewer, &c.,
at any time after such conviction, and recover the cost of so