Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the city of Norwich, and the county of the same city / by W. Lee, Superintending Inspector.

  • Lee, William, 1774 or 1775-1853.
Date:
1851
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the city of Norwich, and the county of the same city / by W. Lee, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    “ The names of these gentlemen are selected to illustrate the par- tiality of the rating, not from any speciality in their respective cases, but simply from their connexion with the new company as directors. “ This specific evil has been slightly modified, by an exemption introduced by the Committee of the Commons, as to warehouses. The Chairman of the Committee proposed to exempt ‘ shops,’ but the pro- moters objected. “ (Signed) John Copeman, Jun.” Tile document referred to in Mr. Lynde’s evidence (.Appendix. L.), and put in at the inquiry, shows, that under the Public Health Act., the company could supply water at much lower rates than under their own Act of Parliament merely. It is as follows:— “ City of Norwich Water Works. “ If the company are requested to furnish such a supply of water to every house as may be proper and sufficient for the purposes of the Public Health Act, and for private use, the limitation of their profits, named in the Bill, would cause their charges for the supply of water to dwelling-houses to be about five-eighths, perhaps as low as one-half of their maximum rates; it would bring about three-fourths of the houses within the operation of the 76th clause of that Act; and for houses under the annual value of 51. the charge would be something less than Id. per week, including the supply for water-closets ; that they would be prepared to reduce their charges for water-closets to the smaller houses to the following rates. Where the annual value of such dwelling-house shall not amount to 10/. per annum, the sum of 2s. for each water-closet. ‘‘ Where the annual value of such dwelling-house shall not amount to 20/. per annum, the sum of 4s. for each -water-closet, and the further sum of 2s. for each additional water closet. tk Where the annual value of such dwrelling-house shall not amount to 30/. per annum, the sum of 6s. for each water-closet, and the further sum of 3s. for each additional water-closet. “ If any w-ater-closet is used for more than one house, half the above rates to be charged for every house so using it. “ (Signed) James G. Lynde, Jun., “ Norwich, May 22, 1850. Engineer to the Company.” This statement, though not included in the Act of Parliament incorporating the company, would no doubt, be taken to bind them, in any arbitration between the company and the local Board, under the provisions of the Public Health Act. At the conclusion of Mr. Lynde’s evidence, the town clerk made a verbal statement in which he pointed out. that, Mr. Lynde ought to have included 300/. per annum for exhaustion, because at the end of 42 years they would have to leave the Now Mills works, which had cost them 26,000/. for the benefit of the Council. All this would be lost to the company if the Corporation should refuse to sell the reversion. Referring to the covenants of the lease, and the 36th section of the new company’s Act, they