And the supervision of every building, and every work done in or upon any building, was entrusted to the “District Surveyors”—officials taken over by the Metropolitan Board from the previous body, appointed under the Building Act of 1844, which had distinguished itself by its incapacity.
These Acts practically laid down the framework of the machinery of the sanitary government of London, and struck the first real blow at the roots of the insanitary condition of the metropolis.
The callous indifference and inaction of generations had left not a mere Augean stable to be cleansed, but a great city over 100 square miles in extent and containing two and a half millions of people, and the new authorities, when they came into existence, had not only to meet the daily needs of a vast existing population, but to make good the neglect of centuries, and to build up a sound and effective working system of sanitary administration.
The task lying before them was one of enormous proportions, for on them rested the responsibility of effecting the sanitary redemption of the millions of the metropolis—as well as the infinitely greater duty of safeguarding future generations from similar sufferings and wrongs.
It was, moreover, a task of almost superhuman difficulty, for arrayed against reform and amelioration were the powerful forces of “vested rights in filth and dirt.” And adding to the difficulty was the huge inert mass of ignorance, and poverty, and helplessness of masses of the people.
One principle contained in these Acts was of pre-eminent consequence—namely, the responsibility of “ownership.” Hitherto owners had effectually escaped all responsibility as regarded the sanitary state of their property, and had dealt with their property exactly as they pleased, and regardless of the consequences to any one but themselves.
Parliament now formally recognised and definitely laid down the principle that the “owner” was the person responsible for the insanitary condition of his property; and in addition declared that individuals would not in future be allowed to deal with their property in such a manner as to cause injury to the public health.
But declaration of principles was one thing—their enforcement was another. Unfortunately, those who were charged with their enforcement were too often the persons directly interested in resisting reform, and in very many instances, where even a partial enforcement of these principles was attempted, the action was resented and vigorously resisted.
The Metropolis Local Management Act came into force on January 1, 1856, and the Central Authority—the Metropolitan Board of Works—and the local authorities—Vestries and District Boards—having been duly elected, entered upon their duties.
The first and most urgent work which the Metropolitan Board was charged to carry out was the main drainage of the metropolis, and at the outset, the new Board directed its efforts almost exclusively to the highly technical task of devising and considering and adopting plans for the construction of a great system of sewerage which should intercept the flow of sewage into the Thames, and should convey it by other means to a safe distance below London, whence it might flow into the sea.