Folios 490-492. To: The Local Government Act Office. From: Messrs Radcliffe and...

Folios 490-492.

To: The Local Government Act Office.

From: Messrs Radcliffe and Layton, Clerks to the Local Board of West Derby [Lancashire].

Subject Matter: Letter regarding 'two undoubted cases of Asiatic cholera' in the District of West Derby. They explain that Miss Taylor, manager of the millinery department of Jeffrey and Co in Compton House, Liverpool, contracted the disease last Friday, died on Monday, and was not interred for three days. One day after her interment, they add, her sister died of the same disease within three hours.

They state that the Local Board's Sanitary Inspector could not, despite his best efforts to get Taylor's body interred on the day of her death, 'overcome the prejudices of the friends of the deceased and in all probability the exposure of the body caused the sister to take the complaint'.

He states that the Board of Guardians refuse to carry out the Diseases Prevention Act 1855, contending that the Local Board are the local authority for executing the Nuisances Removal Acts. He asks if the Local Board can apply to the Privy Council under Section 11 of the Nuisances Removal Act 1860 for powers to conduct house visitations to dispense medicines, and for the speedy interment of the dead. They presume that such powers cannot be put into force without an Order in Council under Section 5 of the Diseases Prevention Act 1855.

They ask for an explanation of the powers the Local Board have so they can consider 'what steps might be taken for the prevention of this terrible scourge'.

They add that the District has a population of about 25,000 and the cholera has broken out in the densest part of it.