44Q THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



private property, and charge to the owner ; and certain locally-formed 

 bodies had given them power of taxing the locality for rural drainage 

 and irrigation works, and for supplying water to cattle. In 1862 an 

 act was passed for restricting the employment of women and children 

 in open-air bleaching, and an act for making illegal a coal-mine with 

 a single shaft, or with shafts separated by less than a specified space. 

 In 1863 came the extension of compulsory vaccination to Scotland, 

 and also to Ireland ; there came the empowering of certain boards to 

 take from rate-payers money to employ and pay those out of work ; 

 there came the empowering of town authorities to take possession of 

 neglected ornamental spaces, and rate the inhabitants for their sup- 

 port ; and there came the Bakehouses Regulation Act, w T hich, besides 

 specifying minimum age of employes occupied between certain hours, 

 prescribed periodical lime-washing, three coats of paint when painted, 

 and washing with hot water and soap at least once in six months. 

 Of compulsory legislation dating from 1864, may be named an exten- 

 sion of the Factory Act to various additional trades, including regula- 

 tions for cleansing and ventilation, and specifying of certain employes 

 in match-works that they might not take meals on the premises except 

 in the wood-cutting places. Also there were passed the Chimney- 

 sweepers Act, the act for further regulating public-house closing, the 

 act for compulsory testing of cables and anchors, and the Contagious 

 Diseases Act, which last gave the police, in specified places, powers 

 which, in respect of certain classes of women, abolished sundry of 

 those safeguards to individual freedom established in past times. The 

 year 1865 witnessed further provision for the reception and temporary 

 relief of wanderers at the cost of rate-payers ; and another public-house 

 closing act containing sixty-four amendments. Then, under the min- 

 istry of Lord John Russell, in 1866, have to be named an act to 

 regulate cattle-sheds, etc., in Scotland, giving local authorities power 

 to inspect sanitary condition, and fix number of cattle ; an act forcing 

 hop-growers to label their bags with the year and place of growth, and 

 the true weight, and giving police power of inspection ; an act to 

 facilitate the building of lodging-houses in Ireland, and providing for 

 regulation of the inmates ; a Public Health Act, under which there is 

 registration of lodging-houses and limitation of occupants, w T ith in- 

 spection and directions for lime-washing, etc. ; and a Public Libraries 

 Act, giving local powers by which a majority can tax a minority for 

 their books. 



Passing now to the legislation under the first ministry of Mr. Glad- 

 stone, we have, in 1870, the establishment of state-telegraphy, with 

 the accompanying interdict on telegraphing by any other agency ; we 

 have inspection, not only of endowed schools but of registered private 

 schools, and dismissal, without appeal, of teachers and officials not ap- 

 proved ; we have a law authorizing the Board of Public Works to give 

 compensation for landlord's improvements ; we have the act which 



