414 



Labourers' Cottages. 



under the cottage roof dwells a family amply provided with all 

 the requisites and conveniences of a comfortable home. 



It would be unjust to the occupiers not to state my experience 

 that the rents are punctually and cheerfully paid, and that, gene- 

 rally speaking, both cottage and garden are kept clean and in 

 good order — in some instances to a much greater degree than 

 might have been expected, contrasting the state of the dwellings 

 they had previously occupied. 



The landlord taking upon himself the payment of the parochial 

 assessments upon cottage property rented under 10Z. per annum, 

 is a plan I venture strongly to recommend ; thereby conferring 

 a great boon, not only on the cottage occupier, but on the parish 

 generally. Every parish officer can bear testimony to the diffi- 

 culty of collecting the rates from the small householders — them- 

 selves frequently not far removed in their circumstances from the 

 poor whom they are called upon to pay their quota to support. 



Specification of Works to be done in the Erection of Two 

 Labourers' Cottages. 



General Conditions. — The land-carriage of all materials will be 

 executed without cost to the contractor ; the sand and gravel re- 

 quired for the works will be provided from the estate. 



The whole of the works are to be executed with the best mate- 

 rials, in a substantial and workmanlike manner, to the satisfaction 

 of the surveyor of the proprietor, and according to the directions 

 which may from time to time be given by him ; and his certificate 

 that the works have been so executed will be required to be pro- 

 duced before payment is made. 



Digger s, Bricklayer s, Mason's, Plasterer s, and Slater s Works. 

 — The surface-soil for 6 inches in depth to be removed from the 

 site of the cottages, and the areas of the rooms to be filled up with 

 gravel to receive the brick-paving. The soil thus removed, and 

 also that which may arise from the excavation of the foundations, 

 is to be distributed round the exterior, so as to give a descent in 

 every direction from the buildings. The ash-pits and privy- 

 vaults to be sunk 3 feet below the floor. 



A bed of concrete, composed of one measure of lime and seven 

 measures of gravel, 2 feet 6 inches wide and 1 foot 6 inches thick, 

 to be laid throughout all the walls beneath the footings. 



All the brickwork to be executed with hard-burnt kiln bricks, 

 laid with close joints, all the return and cross joints being flushed 

 at every course. The walls of the coal-houses, piggeries, and 

 ash-pits to be pointed on both sides. 



A course of strong slates, bedded in cement mortar, to be laid 

 throughout every wall of the cottages, intermediately between the 

 surface of the ground and the floor-line. 



