HC Deb 25 July 1849 vol 107 cc950-1

Order for Third Reading road.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read the Third Time."

LORD ASHLEY

brought up four supplementary clauses. The first would empower the Board of Health to inspect and inquire into burial grounds; the second to give the churchwardens the power of making an agreement for further interments whore the churchyards became offensive and dangerous to the public health. The board thought it desirable that the subject should be taken up on a grand and comprehensive scale. They expected to be able to place before Parliament a large scheme with respect to intramural interments, as soon after the meeting of the next Session of Parliament as possible. To this subject the two latter clauses related.

Mr. MACKINNON

considered the clauses to be satisfactory as far as they went; but they were not stringent enough to meet the nuisance intended to be corrected. He impressed upon the House the fact that within the last sixty years 3,000,000 human bodies had been buried within the limits of the metropolis. He trusted that stops would be taken to bring the scheme of the commission into early operation.

LORD ASHLEY

said, it would be much better to leave it to the Government to take up the scheme of the commission, when prepared, than that he should propose its adoption.

MR. HEKLEY

thought it was necessary that this subject should be dealt with by Parliament. A complaint was made in that House the other night that something had not been done by the parochial authorities of St. Margaret's in reference to their burial ground, in consequence of an alleged understanding come to upon the occasion of the repair of the church; and he was informed a few days since that the reason was because of the uncertainty which prevailed as to what the law might be with respect to intramural interments.

SIR G. GREY

said, that a communication made to him by the rector of St. Margaret's corroborated the statement of the hon. Gentleman. He would take the opportunity of adding that he had received some communications with reference to the statement made in the House in regard to burials made in Bristol, and he was informed that the representation, that the bodies of persons who had died of cholera were left exposed, to the peril of the inhabitants of the surrounding houses, was perfectly unfounded; he was assured the graves were all nine feet deep, and the utmost precaution was taken to prevent any evil result to the neighbourhood.

COLONEL THOMPSON

said, he only wanted to impress the general fact, that we were approaching the time when, if something effectual was not done, our crime and our dirt would run away with us. He was, therefore, glad to see the alliance between a noble Lord and the hon. Gentleman opposite, who, he trusted, would be two Herculeses to cleanse the moral and the physical Augean stables that were before us. There might be a time when the mosaic paddle or the spear sufficed for sanitary regulations; but that was long gone by, and the comfort of existence was concerned in keeping pace with the wants of the age.

Clauses agreed to.

Bill passed.

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