THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.

1102 sider that it is within our province to express any opinion the law required for London. Dealing with the third head upon this point, bub we have no hesitation in saying that the memorandum states that :-we think the power ought both to exist and to be exercised, The Royal Commissioners on the Housing of the Working Classes, in .and that persons imprisoned under the Vaccination Act their report of 1885, dealt with the subject. The Commissioners, after been made to control the height should no longer b3 subjected to the same treatment as stating that no attempt had hitherto builaings in the metropolis in relation to the open space provided, ’criminal?. Many of those whose imprisonment arises from of and giving it as their opinion that the existing regulations as to such their contravention of the laws relating to vaccination open space were not sufficient or satisfactory, made the following subject to limitations which might be found necesregard the practice as likely to be injurious to the health of recommendations, to prevent undue sacrifice of property in individual cases :their children, and are well conducted and in other respects sary 1. That upon the lines of the existing enactments in the Acts law-abiding citizens. Even those who consider that the of 1862 and 1878, rules of more general application be framed .course which such persons adopt is a mistaken one may to control the height of buildings in relation to the open space which of the buildings, either nevertheless still ba of opinion that they ought not during should be required to be provided in front in the form ot land exclusively belonging to each buildingand kept free to the awarded to be treatment their imprisonment subjected from erections, in the form of an adjoining street. 2. That in the rear to criminals, such a proceeding not being calculated to of every new dwelling house or other building, and whether in old or in xsecure obedience to the law or to add to the number of new streets, there be provided a proportionate extent of space exclusively belonging to the dwelling house or building ; that this space be vaccinated." free from erections from the ground level upwards ; that it extend laterally throughout the entire width of the dwelling house or building; that for the distance across the space from the building to the boundary of adjoining premises a minimum be prescribed; and that this minimum THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. increase with the height of the dwelling house of building. As will be observed, the model by-laws proceed upon the lines of both these recommendations with regard to buildings outside London. The longTHE usual meeting of Convocation was held on Tuesday wished-for opportunity of amending the law with regard to the Metroat 5 P.M., at the University Bailding in Burlington gardens. polis is now offered by the pending consolidation of the Building Acts. The late Building Act. Committee suggested that the amendment .’VIr. E. H. Bask, M.A., LL.B., was the only graduate should be effected by the adoption of much the same rule as that so far as the space in rear of dwellings is connominated as chairman in succession to the late Dr. Wood, adopted by Liverpool, cerned, leaving untouched the question of the open space in front, but and was elected. The names of three persons were then with the proviso that every owner of an existing house should have to him the full right to rebuild his house on the old foundavoted for, who should be submitted to Her Majesty for the reserved tions, provided the dimensions are not altered. If an amendment of selection therefrom of a Fellow of the University. Mr. the law goes no further than this, it will hardly effect much; 18 feet streets will still remain 18 feet streets, and it will still be possible for E, H. Busk obtained 781 votes, Mr. W. G. Lemon 143, and houses fronting on them to be erected up to 90 feet. That to give full effect to both the recommendations of the Royal Commissioners must Mr. Talfourd Ely 136. a sacrifice of property, and of very valuable property too, is of Dr. Napier presented the reporb of the annual committee, mean course evident; but land in the heart of Manchester and Liverpool is and with Dr. Baines moved a vote of sympathy with the probably as valuable as land in the congested districts of London, and sacrifice is. called for in those cities, it is surely equally called family of the late Dr. Wood. Dr. W. J. Collins moved the ifforthe in London ; moreover, the principle of calling upon owners of house ;next resolution as follows : "That the annual committee in certain circumstances to make sacrifices for the general be requested to represent the views and guard the interests property welfare of the community is admitted-e.g., the compulsory setting of Convocation generally in all matters connected with the back on taking down and rebuilding to the general line of buildings such has been once fixed, which setting back has to be done proposed Royal Commission, and any scheme which may be when that cases of exceptional hardship would without submitted to it, and that for this purpose they be empowered inevitablycompensation, arise if the Liverpool rules were applied to London goes to confer and to take joint action with the Senate, and to without saying; for example, where a house is pulled down and the building site is of insutficient extent to allow of any rebuilding in face act otherwise as may seem expedient." of the new regulation ; but that is not sufficient excuse for longer Sir Albert Rollit preferred a special committee; but, delaying the only possible remedy against the evils, which, bad as they - after some discussion, the original proposal was carried. are now, may become far worse as the sanitary authorities and the enforce the Housing and Public Health Acts by insisting on The advisability of instituting degrees in languages was Council the closing and demolition of insanitary houses, and even if comto annual referred the committee. again pensation in individual cases should be unavoidable, this would Dr. O’Reilly moved for precedence for the following be a cheaper arrangement for the ratepayers than the extravagant resolution, which was carried, and copies are to be forwarded clearance schemes which must otherwise be continuously undertaken to the First Lord of the Treasury, the Home Secretary, and if London is to be a healthy city. Assuming the principles inin the model by-laws to be applicable to London, it would the Member of Parliament for the University : " That this volved doubtless be desirable in calculating the open space in front of new House learns with surprise and regret that the new Royal houses that the measure should be taken from the centre of the street, commission on a Teaching University for London includes and that the provision so far should apply to all classes of buildings, and not be confined to domestic ones; but what the distance across no member who can be regarded as representative of the should and whether the provision as to space in the rear is sufficient Convocation of the London University, a body consisting to put abe, reasonable limit on the actual height of the house itself, are of more than 3000 graduates deeply interested in the matters which require to be considered by experts. Meanwhile the most reasonable suggestion which could be put forward at the present future of University education in the metropolis." would probably be the introduction of a clause in the proposed Mr. Stilly and Mrs. Bryanv, D.Se., urged the institu- juncture amendment Bill giving similar power to the Council to make by-laws tion of a high degree in connexion with the scientific dealing with the matter, subject to confirmation by the Local GovernBoard, to that possessed by urban authorities outside London. study of education, but this was lost by the casting ment R. MELVILL BEACHCROFT. April 30til, 1892. Tae annual committee were vote of the chairman. balloted for, and the House was shortly afterwards counted out.

the presentation day were of the usual Derby made a graceful chairman, and was most complimentary in his felicitations to the graduates and undergraduates who were presented for their medals The proceedings character. Lord

on

.and certificates.

LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL. THE Chairman of the Pab1ic Health Committee of the London County Council has issued a memorandum in explanation of the amendment required in the law to prevent the future erection of domestic dwellings in London, whether on new foundations or in substitution for old buildings, except in accordance with regulations securing an adequate amount of open space both in front and rear. The object of the memorandum is to indicate (1) the existing law on the subject as affecting domestic buildings in London; (2) the law as affacting those in the provinces and the manner in which effect has been given to it; (3) the amendment of

THE BELFAST LUNATIC ASYLUM BILL. THIS Bill has been before a Select Committee of the House of Commons, consisting of the Right Hon. G. J. Shaw-Lefevre, Mr. A. Elliot, Sir Edward Harland, Mr. Hinckes, Mr. Eaox, Mr. Sexton, and Mr. T. W. Russell, on Mondays and Thursdays during the past three weeks. The existing Belfast lunacy district includes Belfast city, with a population of 260,000, and the county of Antrim, which, excluding Belfast, has a population of nearly 200,OCO, In the whole district there are about 250 idiots and imbeciles, and 1200 other insane persons, who for practical purposes are regarded as pauper lunatics. The only available asylum accommodation hitherto provided for this large and afflicted class has been the Belfast Asylum, which nominally accommodates 550 patients, and which for some time past has been so overcrowded that in at least one division the patients are obliged to sleep in the corridors. In addition to the patients