secured from falling to the satisfaction of the Surveyor), or any other matter or thing, from and on the outside of any house or building, over, or near unto, any public street or place, and not immediately removing the same, when thereunto required by the Surveyor, whether the same shall have been set or placed by the housekeeper or his servants; or

Replacing, after such requisition and removal, the same

or

any other stall, show-board, chopping-block, basket, wares, merchandize, casks, goods, coach, cart, wain, waggon, dray, wheel-barrow, hand-barrow, sledge, truck, carriage, timber, stones, bricks, lime, meat, offal, garden pots, or other matters or things, or any of them; for the first offence, forfeits 21.

For the second, and every subsequent offence, 51

Sect. 67.]

Any person not removing, within seven days after notice, any hog-stye, slaughter-house, or other nuisance, 107. Sect. 68.] Keeping or suffering swine to stray about the streets, forfeits the swine so kept or straying, and also 21. Sect. 69.] Any person sifting, skreening, or slacking lime, without the Surveyor's consent, or without a hoard previously erected by license; or

Sect. 70.] Leaving open, or unguarded, or refusing, or neglecting to repair any area rails, coal-hole, trap-door, or cellar-flap; or

Sect. 71.] Leaving open, for six hours after notice, holes excavated for areas, vaults, foundations of buildings, or other purposes; or

Sect. 72.] Refusing, after notice, to remove any sign, spout, gutter, shade, or other projection, forfeits from 21. to 51.; or, Sect. 73.] Any person carrying soap-lees, night-soil, ammoniacal liquor, slop, &c. in any other than covered carriages; or

Carrying soap-lees, night-soil, or ammoniacal liquor, through any public street, &c. between the hours of six in the morning and eight at night; or

Filling any such covered carriage, so as to cast any soaplees, night-soil, ammoniacal liquor, slop, &c. into any such street, &c.; or,

Sect. 74.] Beginning to empty any bog-house, or taking away any night-soil, at any time, except between twelve at night and five in the morning from Lady-day to Michaelmas, and

between twelve at night and six in the morning between Mi. chaelmas and Lady-day; or,

Casting out of any cart or tub, or otherwise, any night-soil, in or near any public street, the servant, in either case,

to be imprisoned thirty days, and the master forfeit 51. Sect. 75.] Any person erecting any board, scaffolding, bars, or other thing, by way of inclosure, without licence; or continuing the same for a longer time than expressed in such license, for every day 10s.

Sect. 76.] Any person wilfully obliterating or defacing the name of any street, or the number upon any house, 21.

Any occupier refusing to restore the number within three days after notice, for every day from 10s. to 17.

Sect. 122.] Any person obstructing any Surveyor, or other officer, in the performance of his duty, for the first offence, 51. For the second offence, 101.

For the third and every subsequent offence, 201.

Any person or persons summoning the Surveyor before the Justices, for not having repaired any dangerous pavement within the limited time, and not making good their complaint, to forfeit 40s.

Penalties recovered before a Justice, applied under his direction, not exceeding one half to the informer, the other to the trust.

Lighting the Streets. As early as the year 1416, the inhabitants of London were required to hang lanterns in the streets on winter evenings. In the reign of Anne, globular glass lamps with oil burners were introduced instead of lanterns and common lamps. In 1736, an act was passed to regulate the "better enlightening the streets, &c." within the city; in consequence of which 4200 lamps were put up, exclusive of those attached to public buildings. This was the commencement of the system of defraying the charges of lighting the metropolis by parochial assessments.

Gas.

-

The various Gas Light Companies have a right to break up the soil and pavements of the streets, for the purpose of laying down pipes, &c., provided it be done in a workmanlike manner. They are obliged to remove pipes from private houses, when tenants quit, if required. When gas is found to escape from pipes laid down by gas companies, they are obliged

immediately to repair the defect, at their own expense, and are liable to a penalty of 5l. a-day, for every day suffered to elapse, after receiving notice. They must remove nuisances on receiving notice, within three days, under penalty of 51. a day. Pipes, &c. cannot be laid down on private property, without permission.

Buildings. By 29 Geo. 2. c. 40. the lord mayor and common council were empowered to purchase and remove buildings, to improve, widen, and enlarge the passage over and through London Bridge.

By 6 Geo. 2. c. 22. the lord mayor and citizens were empowered to fill up Fleet Ditch, and the inheritance of the ground was vested in them, for building upon.

By 14 Geo. 3. c. 78. all buildings whatsoever, heretofore built, or to be built hereafter, are divided into seven rates; and all houses of the 1st, 2d, 3d, or 4th rate, contiguous to other buildings, shall have party-walls between them, to extend to the outward surfaces of each, and those and all chimneys and chimney shafts shall be of brick or stone, or both together.

Party-walls to be 18 inches above the buildings adjoining. Those of first-rate buildings shall be at the foundation 3 bricks or two feet six inches and a half in thickness, decreasing upwards in a given proportion. No recesses to be made in party walls, (except for chimneys, fire places, girders, &c.) so as to reduce such wall under the thickness required. No timber to be in party-walls, (except bonds, templets, and chains, and the ends of girders, beams, &c.) and eight and a half inches of solid brick-work to be between the ends and sides of every piece of timber, except opposite to other timbers, and then no part of such timber to approach nearer than four inches to the centre of the wall.

The Surveyor is to give information of irregular buildings, and the lord mayor and justices are to order the same to be demolished or amended, and a penalty of 50s. may be levied on the workmen.

Fire.

By 14 Geo. 3. c. 78. fire-engines and ladders shall be kept in known places, and the parish officers shall place on mains of water-works, stop-blocks and fire-cocks, and shall mark the house near, and keep keys there: the fire-cocks to be kept in repair by the parish, and the plugs by the owners of the water-works; and engines and ladders shall be kept in every

parish, on penalty of 107. on the officers, to be levied by dis. tress. In case of fire, the turncock whose water comes first, shall have 10s. paid by the parish officers. First engine 17. 10s. second engine,17. and third engine, 10s. to be paid by the same; but no reward without the approbation of an alderman, or two common councilmen in London, and of a justice out of London. Rewards to be paid out of the poor's rate.

By 6 Ann. c. 31. every parish within the bills of mortality shall keep one large engine, one hand-engine, and one leather pipe, on pain of 10l. Gratuities shall be paid to turncocks, engine keepers, and others first assisting to extinguish any fire. Servants through negligence firing any house, shall forfeit 100l. or be sent to the workhouse for 18 months.

Not above ten gallons of turpentine shall be boiled or distilled, at one time, in any place contiguous to other buildings (except in houses already built in Southwark,) on forfeiture of 100l. and treble costs.

Watching. In 1737, an act was passed for regulating the city watch, &c. in which al erations and improvements were made by 14 Geo. 3. c. 90. By 1 & 2 Geo. 4. c. 118. watchmen and patroles, in cases of incompetence, negligence, misconduct, or delinquency, may be suspended, or absolutely dismissed from office, at the discretion of two justices of the peace. No man above forty years of age to be appointed a watchman or patrole, unless he has been previously employed in the horse or foot patrole.

Police. By 1 & 2 Geo. 4. c. 118., amended by 3 Geo. 4. c. 55. and 6 Geo. 4. c. 21., the police officers are at present regulated. The magistrates are required to attend every day (except Sundays, Good Friday, Christmas Day, and fast and thanksgiving days) from 10 in the morning till 8 in the evening. Tables of fees must be hung up in a conspicuous part of Police Offices. Under this act, keepers of shops, for the sale of ready made tea and coffee, are required to shut them at 11 at night, and not open them before 4 in the morning in summer and 6 in the winter, under penalty not exceeding 101.; and they are liable to be committed to the House of Correction and kept to hard labour, in default of payment. Persons blowing horns, &c. for the purpose of selling or distributing any article within the city, the limits of the bills of mortality, or the parishes of St. Mary-le-bone, Paddington, St. Pancras, Kensington, and

St. Luke, Chelsea, may be apprehended by any person, and taken before a justice of the peace, who, on conviction, may fine the offender not more than 40s. nor less than 10s. ; and in default of payment send him to the House of Correction, to be kept to hard labour, for not above ten days.

Court of Requests.· - By 3 James 1. c. 15. citizens and freemen of London having debts under 40s. may cause the debtor to be summoned to the court of requests at Guildhall; and the debt there shall be summarily determined. Debtors refusing to appear, or pay, shall be imprisoned; but this shall not extend to debts for rent, or on real contracts.

By 39 & 40 Geo. 3. c. 104. a court of three of the commissioners shall have jurisdiction over debts not exceeding 40s. and seven shall have jurisdiction over debts not exceeding 51.

By 25 Geo. 3. c. 45. debtors committed to prison by courts of conscience in London, Middlesex, or Southwark, for a debt of 20s. or under, shall not be confined more than twenty days, and not exceeding 40s. for more than forty days.

Courts of conscience are not to issue process against both body and goods of the same party; and no commissioner shall act unless he has a real estate of 20l. per annum, or a personal estate of 500l. on pain of 201.

Their Number.

HACKNEY-COACHES.

The commissioners may licence 800 coaches, by 9 Anne, c. 23.; 200 more by 11 Geo.3. c. 24. ; and 100 more by 42 Geo. 3. c. 78. Total 1200.

By 54 Geo. 3. c. 147. they may license 200 chariots, but not to exceed in coaches and chariots the above authorized num. ber of 1200.

Cabriolets. The commissioners may also (with the approbation and direction in writing of the Lords of his Majesty's treasury, or any three or more of them) license such number of carriages with two wheels, and drawn by one horse, as shall be specified by them, subject to the same laws and regulations as hackney-coaches and chariots.

Size of Horses.-No horse shall be used with a hackney-coach which shall be under 14 hands high.

Number of Passengers.

Coachmen are not compellable to take more than four adults in a coach, nor above three in a chariot, inside; but if the coachmen agree to take more, the fare