No. XLVI. to such construction. 1852.] [Ord. 4 anno No. XLVII. No. XLVII. [Ord. 5 anno AN ORDINANCE TO REPEAL ORDINANCE No. 32, ANNO 1850, 1852.] INTITULED "AN ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH BOARDS OF "HEALTH IN THE COLONY OF BRITISH GUIANA," AND TO MAKE MORE EFFECTUAL PROVISION FOR THE REMOVAL OF NUISANCES AND THE PRESERVATION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH. Preamble. 32, anno 1850, Enacted 8th March, 1852, published the 13th following, came into operation on publication. [HENRY BARKLY, Governor.] WHEREAS it is expedient to make more effectual provision for improving the sanitary condition of the Towns and Villages of this Colony, and for taking precautions against the introduction or spread of epidemic, endemic, and contagious or infectious disease amongst the population of British Guiana: I. Be it therefore enacted by His Excellency the Governor of Ordinance No. British Guiana, with the advice and consent of the Court of Policy repealed. thereof, that Ordinance No 32, anno 1850, intituled "An Ordinance to establish Boards of Health in the Colony of British Guiana," shall be, and the same is hereby repealed. of Health con. " 2. And be it enacted, that the Government Secretary, together Central Board with such four other persons as the Governor shall appoint, shall stituted. constitute a Board for carrying out the provisions of this Ordinance, to be called "The Central Board of Health of British Guiana," and shall have and execute all the powers and duties vested in or imposed on such Board by this or any other Ordinance; that the Governor may, from time to time, remove all or any of the persons so appointed by him and appoint others in their stead; and that the powers and duties vested in the said Board may be exercised and executed by any three members, such three members constituting a quorum thereof; and provided further, that during any vacancy in the said Board the remaining members may act as if no such vacancy had occurred. [Ord. 5 one 1852.1 No. XLVII. tral Board to 3. And be it enacted, that the said Board may, from time to Power of Cen. time, appoint and remove such officers and servants as they, sub- appoint and ject to the approval of the Governor, may deem necessary for the remove officers purposes of enabling them to perform the duties of the Board: and servants. of the Board to 4. And be it enacted, that out of any moneys which may be at One Member the disposal of the Board, there shall be paid to one of the members be paid. of the said Board so appointed as aforesaid by the Governor, such salary as the Governor and Court of Policy may direct, and to the said Officers and Servants' officers and servants such salaries or wages as shall, from time to salaries. time, be fixed by the Board, subject to the approval of the Governor and Court of Policy. 5. And be it enacted, that the Central Board of Health may Superintende ing Inspector appoint, from time to time, a Superintending Inspector to visit appointed. Georgetown and New-Amsterdam, and other localities, and to make public enquiry as to all sanitary matters in respect whereof the said Board may desire to be informed, for the purpose of enabling the Board of Health to judge of the propriety of reporting to the Governor and Court of Policy as to the necessity for making further provision for carrying out the intentions of this Ordinance. 6. And be it enacted, that the expenses incurred under the Expenses of his direction of the said Central Board in relation to such enquiry may to be provided enquiries, how for. be defrayed out of any moneys in the hands of the Board, and shall to such extent and amount as the Board may think proper to direct, become a charge upon the local rates leviable in the districts in respect of which such enquiry shall have been deemed necessary, and shall be repaid by annual instalments of such amounts as the Board may fix, bearing interest at the rate of six per centum per aunum, until the whole be repaid. 7. And be it enacted, that during any enquiry by a Superintend- Powers of ing Inspector under this Ordinance he may and he is hereby ing Inspector Superintend empowered to summon before him any persons whomsoever, and to in relation to his enquiries. examine them touching any matter relating to the purposes of the enquiry, and he may by any such summons require any parochial officer, or any officer of or acting under any corporation, and any commissioner, trustee, officer, or person acting under any local Ordinance in force within the district or place to which any such inquiry [Ord. 5 anno 1852,] Official doen. No. XLVII. inquiry may relate, to produce before him any surveys, plans, sections, rate-books, or other like documents which may, by reason of their office, be in their custody or controul touching any matter relating to the purposes of such inquiry, and such Inspector may examine, inspect, or take copies of any such books, surveys, plans, sections, and documents, or any of them, or part thereof; and whosoever wilfully disobeys any such summons, or prevents any such Inspector from examining, inspecting, or taking copies as last aforesaid, or refuses to answer any question put to him by such Inspector for the purposes of the said inquiry, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding Twenty-four Dollars. 8. And be it enacted, that documents issued by the Central Board of Health, and signed by any three or more members at any meeting of the Board in such their official capacity, shall be reHealth, to be ceived as prima facie evidence in all Courts and proceedings whatsoever, and shall be binding upon all persons to whom they apply. ments issued by Central Board of prima facie evidence. 9. And be it enacted, that the Central Board of Health shall Annual Report annually, or oftener if called upon, render to the Governor and Court to be made. of Policy a report of their progress in health measures, and on the sanitary condition of the Colony. of Health 10. And be it enacted, that there shall be Local Boards of Health Local Boards for the several towns and parishes of this Colony for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Ordinance, under the supervision of the Central Board. established. [Section 11 repealed by Ordinance 8 of 1853.] 12. And be it enacted, that the Members of the several Vestries Constitution of in the Rural Parishes of this Colony shall be the Local Boards of Health for such parishes respectively. Local Boards in Rural Parishes. Duties and powers of Com. 13. And be it enacted, that the Members of the Local Boards of Health shall be termed " Commissioners of Health ;" and the said missioners of Commissioners shall be, and they are hereby authorised and required to see that the rules and regulations of the Central Board of Health and the Bye-Laws of the respective Local Boards are duly observed within their respective jurisdictions, and it shall be the duty of the Health. [Ord. 5 anno 1852.] No. XLVII. said Local Boards to divide their parishes into sanitary districts, and to take care that the streets, lanes, alleys, squares, and other places of the several towns and villages within their respective districts are properly swept, cleansed, and watered, and that all dust, ashes, rubbish, filth, dung, and soil thereon are collected and removed; and the powers of the said Local Boards of Health may, for the more speedy execution of cleansing and measures of prevention, be exercised by a Committee of two or more of the said Commissioners. [Section 14 superseded by Ordinance 2 of 1857, Section 1, which regulates the appointments under this Section.] 15. And be it enacted, that the City of Georgetown and its Limits of suburbs shall be divided into sanitary districts, and that the same for the pur Georgetown shall consist of the several municipal wards as at present established, poses of this of Lacytown, Vryburgh or Freeburgh, Albert Town, the Lodge, and defined. of all other habitations and dwellings between the north side line of Plantation La Penitence and the sea coast, not including, however, those on Plantation Thomas, and that the Local Board shall appoint Commissioners for each of such sanitary districts, and shall select a medical man to aid and co-operate with the Commissioners of each of such districts. defined. 16. And be it enacted, that the Town of New-Amsterdam shall Limits of New. Amsterdam for be divided into sanitary districts, and shall be defined and limited the purposes of by the boundaries following, that is to say, on the north by the this Ordinance Ordnance land, on the east by Plantation Smythfield and Vryheid, on the south by Plantation Overwinning, and on the west by the River Berbice; and that the Local Board shall appoint Commissioners for each of such sanitary districts, and shall select a medical man to aid and co-operate with the Commissioners of each of such districts. declared Vil 17. And be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for the Governor, Places may be upon the application of the Central Board of Health, to declare from lages. time to time, by notification in the Official Gazette and in some one other newspaper of the Colony, what places not as yet defined to be villages shall be considered villages for the purposes and within the meaning of this Ordinance; and in any such notice the limits of each such village shall be distinctly specified. 18. And |