Nov. 15th, 1849. The Queen in Council ordered a general Thanksgiving Day for the abatement of Asiatic Cholera in England, for happily it had nearly been stamped out. This day was held with great earnestness and thankfulness throughout the land.
During the strain of fear and sorrow which this sad visitation had forced upon the nation, and the local enquiries which were held in various important towns on the principles and practices which ought to govern Local Authorities in managing their own districts, a great divergence of public opinion was elicited, which ultimately ended in Parliament appointing a searching Commission to examine these undissolved problems of scientific men.
The sanitary state and condition of a nation is a very broad platform to stand upon, and a good plea has been urged on the ground of private rights and privileges, but it is now unmistakeably admitted that the “Grand All People” must enter into a man’s calculations when he builds a house, or feeds his pig, and that he cannot be allowed to create a nuisance which can be proved detrimental to his neighbour’s health, or a shame to morals or decency. Since those memorable, harrowing times many most salutary Sanitary Acts have been passed, which will I hope for ever place beyond the pale of probability a revisitation of the fatal Asiatic Cholera.
THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, DUDLEY.
1849. Rev. A. Kerr Thompson, M.A., Queen’s College, Oxford, Head Master, late Senior Assistant Master in King Edward the VIth’s School, Birmingham; Rev. F. J. Fairhead, B.A., Queen’s College, Cambridge, Second Master, late Second Master of the College, Wye, Kent; Mr. John Henn, Assistant Master, formerly Assistant Master in King Edward the VIth’s School, Meriden Street, Birmingham, and late Head Master of St. Peter’s National School, Birmingham.
DUDLEY UNION WORKHOUSE.
At a Meeting of the Inhabitants of Dudley, convened by the Mayor (Edward Terry, Esq.,) in compliance with a respectably signed requisition, held at the Town Hall, the 8th day of October, 1849, “to take into consideration the confined situation of the present Poor House, and the necessity that exists for the adoption of measures without delay for its removal to a more open and healthy site.”
Resolved,—On the motion of Thomas Badger, Esq., seconded by C. F. Hewitt, Esq., “That it is the opinion of this Meeting that the present Workhouse in Dudley is in a most inconvenient and objectionable situation, being too confined, and being too much in the midst of the population of the Town, and that during this period of pestilence it is (as on former occasions it has been) fraught with the utmost danger alike to the inmates, and to the inhabitants; and moreover, that it is the opinion of this Meeting that the situation of the premises does not admit of the said Workhouse being enlarged or improved.”
Resolved:—On the motion of Mr. John Vaughan, seconded by Mr. Thomas Wood, “That this Meeting be adjourned until Monday, October the 22nd inst., at eleven o’clock, to afford time for further consideration of the subject; and that Messrs. C. F. Hewitt, John Marsh, William Bourne, C. F. G. Clark, Fisher Smith, Alexander Patterson, J. Bateman, and J. C. Cooke, be appointed a Committee to collect information as to the probable cost of erecting a suitable Workhouse for the Dudley Union, and to report on the probable value of the present Workhouses.”
Signed,