case three times the charges above mentioned for the several kinds of baths for the labouring classes.

Washhouses for the Labouring Classes.

- Every washhouse to be supplied with conveniences for washing and drying clothes and other articles. For the use, by one person, of one washing tub or trough, or one pair of washing tubs or troughs for one hour in one day, not exceeding 1d.; for two hours, not exceeding 3d.

Washhouses of a higher class to be charged for as the council think fit.

Open bathing-places, where several persons bathe in the same water, for one person d.

See further, 21 & 22 V. c. 98; 23 & 24 V. c. 30; 29 & 30 V. c. 90.

XXI. LABOURERS' DWELLINGS.

The Labourers' Dwelling Act, 1855, the 18 & 19 V. c. 132, is for facilitating the erection of dwelling houses, with or without gardens, or garden in common, for the labouring classes, by the incorporation of any number of persons not less than six, subscribing articles of association, each specifying the amount of his subscription, so that a covenant is implied on his part binding his heirs and executors. Dwellings erected to be subject to inspection by the general Board of Health.

In 1868, an act to provide better dwellings for artizans and labourers (31 & 32 V. c. 130) was passed.

The officer of health is to report as to the condition of streets, and to deliver copies to the clerk of the local authority, which local authority is to cause copies of the report to be given to the owner, and may object to them; if the objections are overruled a plan and specification of the works necessary to put the street or house in proper repair must be prepared. The owner may appeal from the decision of the local authority to some justice of the For further information see the act.

peace.

XXII. LODGING-HOUSES FOR THE LABOURING CLASSES.

The preamble to 14 & 15 V. c. 34, states that it is "desirable for the health, comfort, and welfare of the inhabitants of towns and populous districts, to encourage the establishment therein of well-ordered lodging houses for the labouring classes,' and provides that the act may be adopted in any incorporated borough under 5 & 6 W. 4 (p. 182), or in any district of a local board of health, or in any place within the limits of an improvement act, or in any parish, with the approval of secretary of state, having a

population of 10,000 inhabitants, in or any parish in a borough of like population.

Council of a borough may adopt the act, and expense of carrying it into execution to be charged on the borough fund, for which a rate may be levied; the income arising from the lodging-houses to be carried to the same fund, in a separate account. Local boards of health may adopt the act, but must give not less than 28 nor above 42 days' notice of a meeting to consider its provisions; if at the meeting one-tenth in value of the persons liable to be rated to a general district rate made by the board request postponement, such postponement to be allowed till after next day, for election of the members of the board (s. 7). If majority of board be elected in other manner than by ratepayers under an improvement rate, act not to be adopted without consent of such ratepayers. Expenses of carrying act into execution by improvement commissioners to be charged on the improvement rates.

By s. 14, on the requisition in writing of ten or more ratepayers of a parish, the churchwardens to convene a meeting of the vestry to determine whether the act shall be adopted; notice of meeting in three successive weeks to be given; if vestry resolve to adopt act, resolution to be sent to secretary of state; but resolution not to be deemed carried unless two-thirds in value vote for it; when adopted, three or not more than seven commissioners to be appointed by the vestry to carry act into execution; one-third, as near as possible, of the commissioners to retire annually; but eligible to immediate re-election. Vacancies to be filled up by the vestry. Overseers to levy as part of the poor-rate the needful sums for expenses. Vestries of two or more parishes may agree to adopt the act, with approval of Home office. Commission to be a body corporate and their acts valid, despite of informalities (s. 30). Borough councils may borrow money for the act, with approval of Treasury. Parish lands, in certain cases, may be appropriated for the purposes of the act (s. 35), or contracts made for the purchase of them. Councils and commissioners to erect lodging-houses or purchase existing ones. Councils and commissioners not personally liable; the latter cease to be a corporation on the cessation of their duties. By laws for regulations of lodging-houses to be made with approval of home secretary and hung up in every room. Lodging-houses to be open to inspection by local boards of health. Clerks or other officers accepting fees, or being concerned in contracts, liable to a penalty of £50. This act does not extend to Scotland.

XXIII. COMMON LODGING-HOUSES.

A common lodging is any house, not being a licensed victualler's, let wholly or in part at a daily or weekly rent not exceeding

38. 6d. per week; or in which persons are lodged, for hire, for a single night, or for less than a week at one time; or in which any room let for hire is occupied by more than one family.

Its

Common lodgings were regulated by an act of 1851, the 14 & 15 V. c. 38; but it provides that if only part of a house be so used, such part only shall be considered a common lodging-house. The act does not extend to Scotland or the city of London. execution within the metropolitan police district is vested in the police commissioners of the metropolis; in the country, in municipal corporations, or local boards of health, or, where none such, in justices of peace, acting in petty sessions.

Expenses of executing the act in the metropolis to form part of the general expenses of the police acts; in the country, to be charged under the expenses of the local boards of health, or the borough fund, or improvement act, or if executed by justices, to form part of the general expenses of the constablewick of the place.

By s. 6, notice is to be given to the keepers of common lodginghouses, by the local authority administering the act, that unless their houses be registered, they will be liable to a penalty of £5 for every lodger taken pending non-register. Register to be kept by local authority, specifying situation of house, and number of lodgers allowable to be kept. Houses to be inspected, and lodgers not to be taken till one month after notice given. Regulations may be made by local authority within the limits of the Board of Health Act, and fines levied for neglect of them. If fever, or any contagious or infectious disease, be in a house, notice must be given by keeper to some officer of local authority, and also to the poor-law medical officer, and relieving officer of the union or parish. Keeper of lodging-house thoroughly to cleanse all the rooms, passages, stairs, floors, windows, doors, walls, ceilings, privies, cesspools, and drains, to the satisfaction and conformable to the regulations of local authority, and limewash the walls and ceilings in the first week of the months of October and April in every year, s. 13. Penalty on keeper for neglect of regulations or for not giving notice if any person be confined to his bed by fever, or infectious or contagious disease, 498. for every day the offence continues; penalty irrespective of other penalties in other acts for like offences.

The provisions of the above act have been extended by 16 & 17 V. c. 41. All common lodging-houses are to be registered before being used, and to be kept only by registered keepers. Local authority may refuse to register houses, if keeper do not produce certificate of character signed by three inhabitant householders within the parish, each rated to the value of six pounds or upwards. Local authority empowered to require an additional supply of water to common lolging-houses. By s. 7, provisions are made pertaining to removal of sick lodgers to hospitals, &c.

Reports may be ordered from keepers of houses. Town councillors, &c., required to remove causes of complaint, certified under Nuisances Removal Act, &c. Keepers of common lodging-houses, for a third offence, may be disqualified for keeping the same for five years (see post, Part VI. Public Health, and 29 & 30 V. c. 90).

CHAPTER XXVII.

Hawkers, Pedlars, and Old Metal Dealers.

HAWKERS are itinerant traders, who proclaim their wares through the streets or from town to town. A pedlar is a hawker who deals in trifling or inferior commodities. Either from a regard to the revenue laws, or from a desire to encourage the more open and regular pursuits of the settled trader, the legislature has shown considerable jealousy of hawkers and pedlars, and placed their avocations under strict penal regulation.

By the 52 G. 3, c. 108, no person being a trader in any goods, wares, or manufactures of Great Britain, and selling the same by wholesale, shall be deemed a hawker; and all such persons or their agents, selling by wholesale only, may go from house to house, to any of their customers who sell again by wholesale or retail, without being subject to any of the penalties contained in any act touching hawkers, pedlars, and petty chapmen.

By 22 & 23 V. c. 36, a hawker's license is not required by the maker or worker of goods, who carries them abroad or exposes them to sale. S. 4 empowers justices, on conviction of a hawker, to mitigate the penalty to one-fourth.

A single act of selling, as a parcel of handkerchiefs to a particular person, is not sufficient to constitute a hawker within the meaning of the statute, Rex. v. Little, Bur. 613.

Hawkers exposing their goods to sale in a market town must do it in the market-place, 4 T. R. 272.

The Pedlars Act, 1870 (33 & 34 V. c. 72), regulates the trade at present. Since the commencement of the act no one is allowed to act as a pedlar without a certificate, nor is any one to act in any district in which he is not authorized to act by his certificate, under a penalty of 108. for the first, and £1 for every subsequent offence. A certificate is to be granted by the chief officer of police of the district to any applicant residing in the police district, and of good character. The certificate is not to cost more than sixpence, and is to be in force for a year. It may be extended by indorsement by other chief officers of police to their respective districts, at a charge of not more than sixpence for each indorsement. A register of certificates is to be kept in each

district. Penalty for assigning or borrowing certificate, 20s., and for forging certificate, £2 for the first, and imprisonment not exceeding six months, with or without hard labour, for every subsequent offence. A record of any conviction of a pedlar under the act to be indorsed on certificate. No certificate to be granted to any person convicted of felony, or of any misdemeanour involving dishonesty. An appeal against refusal of certificate can be made to a justice of the peace.

DEALERS IN OLD METAL.

For the better protection of merchant shipping against fraudulent practices in respect of marine stores, this class of dealers are regulated by an act of 1861, the 24 & 25 V. c. 110, under which they are required to keep a register of purchases and sales. They must also give notice of change of place of business; they must not buy except between the hours of 9 A. M. and 6 P.M., nor of any person under sixteen years of age; they must give notice to the police without delay of the purchase of any article of which information has been given that it has been stolen or embezzled ; and they must not alter the form, in any way, of articles purchased for a period of forty-eight hours after being received. These provisions are enforced by penalties, extending to imprisonment with hard labour.

By s. 13 of the Prevention of Crimes Act, 1871 (34 & 35 V. c. 112), any dealer in old metals, who either personally or by any servant or agent purchases, receives, or bargains for any lead or any composite, the principal ingredient of which is lead, whether new or old, in any quantity at one time of less than 112 lbs. in weight, or for any copper, brass, tin, pewter, German silver, or any composite the principal ingredient of which is one of the lastmentioned metals, whether new or old, in any quantity at one time of less than 56 lbs. in weight, is made liable on conviction to a penalty not exceeding £5.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Army, Militia, Volunteers, and Navy.

I. ARMY.

THE crown, with regard to military offences, has considerable legislative power; for the sovereign, by the Annual Mutiny Act, may form articles of war and constitute courts-martial, with power to try crimes by such articles, and inflict penalties by judgment of the same, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Mutiny