For long the great process of social and economic change at work in "greater London," and all that it entailed, was let go its own way--a way which, in default of the regulation and the alleviation a government should have given it, was beset with creakings and groanings like those of some badly constructed piece of machinery; only instead of machinery, inanimate and insensitive, they were the groanings, the agonies, of suffering thousands and tens of thousands of sick and perishing people, sinking annually into the abyss. All through the earlier half of the nineteenth century, in fact, London, the great metropolis, was left to evolve itself so far as regarded the public health and sanitary condition of the people. The tremendous import of such deliberate inaction by Parliament, and by successive Governments, is even now only partly comprehended. But the nemesis has been truly a terrible one. The injury wrought was in many ways irreparable, and we are still reaping the crop of evil sown by such seed--are still far from the end of the appalling consequences such a disastrous policy has entailed. FOOTNOTES: [1] See Parliamentary Papers, 1837-8, vol. xxviii. and P.P. 1839, vol. xx. p. 106, Dr. S. Smith. [2] 1840. P.P., vol. xi. p. 13. [3] Commission for inquiring into the state of large towns and populous districts, 1844. [4] Dr. Southwood Smith, P.P. 1845, vol. xviii. [5] Royal Commission, 1853-4, p. xii. [6] The Metropolitan Paving Act, 57 George III. cap. 29. [7] See Report of Vestry, 1856-7. [8] See Special Report of the Vestry, 1889, p. 208. [9] Report of Commission of 1845. [10] J. Phillips, p. 63, Metropolitan Sewers Commission, 1847. [11] See P.P. 1854-5, vol. liii. p. 249, &c. [12] Report of Medical Officer of Health for Clerkenwell, 1856. [13] See Report of Medical Officer of Health for St. Giles'. [14] Report of General Board of Health, 1850. [15] Report of Select Committee of the House of Commons, P.P. 1838, vol. xxviii. [16] 38 George III. cap. 40. [17] An opening only a foot square cost an additional 8s. 3d. tax per annum. [18] 1843, Commissioners on State of Towns. Evidence of W. E. Hickson, p. 436. [19] Select Committee, 1840. Evidence of J. Pennethorne, p. 166. [20] P.P. 1854, vol. xlv. p. 2. In part of the parish of St. Marylebone only there were 1,132 underground or cellar dwellings. [21] See Hansard, vol. cxv. 1851 (Lord Ashley's speech). [22] P.P. 1850, vol. xxi. p. 179 (Dr. Grainger). [23] P.P. 1850, vol. xxi. [24] Dr. T. Lynch, Medical Officer of West London Union (Holborn). [25] P.P. 1849-50, vol. xxi. [26] Hansard, 1840, vol. liii. p. 1110. [27] 3 and 4 Vic. cap. 29. [28] Expenses to be charged upon Borough Fund, and receipts to be paid into same. [29] 9 and 10 Vic. cap. 96. [30] 11 and 12 Vic. cap. 112. [31] P.P. 1850, vol. xxi. p. 4. [32] Metropolitan Sanitary Commission, 1848, 2nd Report. [33] Hansard, 1848, vol. xcvi. p. 392.