REPORT OF AMENDMENTS. (Hansard, 15 July 1875)

§ LORD ABERDARE

, in moving as an Amendment in page 116, line 36, to leave out from ("Where,") to ("a,") in line 37, said, its effect would be that where the ratepayers failed to call attention to the fact that the local authorities had made default in providing sufficient sewers, &c., the Local Government Board should construct the necessary works and charge the cost upon the localities. The interpretation put upon the existing Act by the Local Government Board was that the local authority should take the necessary steps to remove a nuisance on the complaint of the ratepayers. He was afraid, however, that local authorities were not sufficiently eager in this matter of sewerage and water supply. It was probable that many places had adopted the Public Health Act for the purpose of avoiding being placed under the provisions of the Improvement Bill. In order to put an end to that evil he begged to move the Amendment.

§ THE DUKE OF RICHMOND

said, he could not approve of the Amendment, nor of the interpretation put upon the clause by the noble Lord, who he would remind that it was not absolutely necessary that action should be taken by the ratepayers, since any person in a district could take the necessary steps. It was quite impossible for the Local Government Board to be aware of what was going on in every district. How could a Board sitting in London manage the affairs of all the Unions throughout the country, amounting to 1,500 in number? The Amendment would be of a penal character, as it would empower the Local Government Board to carry out sanitary improvements everywhere, and charge the ratepayers with the expense of the works, whether the district liked them or not. There was no district where there was not some person who would call attention to anything un-healthy, and therefore it would be wrong to place the initiative in the hands of the Local Government Board. He thought the effect of the proposal of the noble Lord, if carried, would be to place the Local Government Board in a position of great difficulty, by imposing upon them a duty they could not well perform; besides which they would be putting upon the Board a power which it ought not to possess, and which might be in danger of being exercised very injuriously to the districts affected.