1850.] PUBLIC HEALTH MEETING. 119 



scientiously endorse their opinions, he resigned his office of 

 secretary. When the Town Council had entered on a new 

 year of office, they unanimously agreed to " take the necessary 

 steps, as soon as the required petition from the ratepayers 

 shall have been presented." In accordance with an influential 

 requisition, the Mayor summoned a public meeting in the 

 Sessions House, at which, after discussion, an application for 

 inquiry, in accordance with the Act, was carried nem. co?i. 

 When the sanitary petition was sent round, however, opposition 

 was aroused, and a memorial for another meeting was numer- 

 ously signed, chiefly by shopkeepers in a street " the courts 

 out of which are notorious for their filth and smells," by persons 

 engaged in the sale of intoxicants, and by owners of cottage 

 property which was scandalously deficient in the appliances 

 of health and decency. The Oberlin Press set forth eight 

 cogent reasons in support of the Act. These " alarmed the 

 Drink-and-Dirt Interest, which accordingly hastily circulated 

 the following entreaty : — ' Ratepayers ! Are you going to be 

 gulled by the foolish tracts issued from the Oberlin Press ? If 

 not, attend the meeting to-night, and vote against the reckless 

 expenditure of ^20,000, which the Public Health Act will 

 inflict upon you.' " 



Long before the meeting commenced the Music Hall was 

 crowded in every part. Liquor had been freely distributed in 

 some quarters; and it was evident that there was " a violent 

 determination to have no sewers, or anything else that would 

 cost anything; — except indeed dirt, fever, cholera, consumption, 

 etc., the tremendous cost of which, from their being used to it, 

 they did not feel or believe." What much pained the health 

 party was to find that some professed leaders of public opinion, 

 who had previously helped them, now helped the obstructives, 

 from their unwillingness " to force a thing on a reluctant com- 

 munity." The consistent friends of the Act were clamoured 

 down : one of their former allies said, " How foolish it is for 

 them to go on, when they must see the meeting will not hear 

 them. They are doing a great deal of harm to their cause." 

 P. P. Carpenter : "Not so much as those who speak in favour 



