View report page

52
Thames, besides the Conservators of the Thames,
the Commissioners of Customs, and the Board of
Trade—all of whom have more or less of sanitary
power. The execution of the orders was, therefore,
impossible; for, although each of the nuisance
authorities has control of a ship while it is within
its district, yet the rapid movements of the vessel
quickly carries it beyond the limited area of any
individual district, and it is hardly fair that the
little district of Gravesend, where the supervision
begins, should be called on to perform at its own
cost the supervision of all the ships that enter the
port of London.
In view, however, of the emergency of the case,
tho Nuisance Authorities abutting on the Thames
endeavoured to meet the difficulty by conjoint action,
and they even went so far as to provide a sanitary
staff of officers, as well as a hospital ship in case they
should be required; but all their proceedings were
illegal; and although they frequently met at Guildhall
under the chairmanship of Mr. Pedler, the
former Chairman of your Sanitary Committee, yet
they were unable to cope with the difficulties of the
case—created by faulty legislation. They, therefore,
sought an interview with Mr. Stansfeld, the
President of the Local Government Board, and
submitted to him the following resolution:—