APPENDIX TO VOL. I. OF THE HISTORY OF YORK, &c. LATEST ACTS OF PARLIAMENT FOR CLEANSING AND LIGHTING THE STREETS, FOR IMPROVING THE NAVIGATION OF THE RIVER OUSE, &c. In the year 1763, the following Act was obtained, intituled, " An Act for the better cleansing and enlightening the Streets, Lanes, and public Ways of the City of York, and the Suburbs thereof, and of the Liberty of St. Peter within the said city; and for keeping the same in Repair and free from Annoyance; aud for regulating the Hackney Coachmen and Chairmen, Carmen and Draymen, within the same.” -00000 WHEREAS the City of York is the capital city of Preamble. the northern parts of England, and is a place of great resort, and much frequented by persons of distinction and fortune, whose residence there is of great benefit and advantage to the citizens of the said city: And whereas the streets, lanes, and public ways of the said city, and the suburbs thereof, and of the liberty of St. Peter within the said city, are not sufficiently lighted in the night-time, for the convenience or safety of the inhabitants, or of passengers therein, and the pavements of such streets, lanes, and public highways are not sufficiently cleansed or repaired, and are subject to many annoyances, which cannot be effectually redressed without the aid and authority of Parliament: May it therefore please your Majesty that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, A a Cleansing the and commons in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That all and every occupier and occupiers of any house or other building, tenement, garden, or grounds adjoining to any street, lane, or public way, within the city, suburbs, or liberty aforesaid; and the churchwardens of each of the parishes in the said city and suburbs, and the owners, head-officers, governors, directors, or managers of meetinghouses, halls, and other public buildings and places within the said city, suburbs, or liberty, shall, from and after the first day of May, 1763, twice in every week, to wit, on every Tuesday and Saturday, between the first day of October and the first day of May, and once in every week, to wit, on Saturday between the first day of May and the first day of October, sweep and cleanse, or cause to be swept and cleansed, all the pavements before or against their respective houses, buildings, tenements, walls, gardens, and grounds, and before or against all churches, chapels, and other public buildings and places within the city, suburbs, and liberty aforesaid; and shall respectively cause all the dirt and soil, which shall be upon their said respective pavements, to be carried away from such pavements, the same day on which the same are hereby directed to be so swept and cleansed, before sun-set, on pain that each person who shall be guilty of any neglect or default herein, shall forfeit 3s. 4d. for every such neglect or default, to be levied and recovered as hereafter mentioned: And that in case any such house, building, Penalty 3s. 4d. Unoccupied tenement, garden, or grounds, shall be unoccupied, and the pavements adjoining thereto shall not be swept and cleansed, and the dirt and soil carried away therefrom at the times herein before directed, then the surveyors to be appointed as hereafter mentioned for the parish or place wherein such unoccupied house, building, tenement, garden, or grounds, shall be situate, shall, and are hereby authorized and required to cause such pavements to be swept and cleansed, and the dirt and soil to be carried away therefrom, at the times herein before directed, the expense whereof shall be charged to, and allowed by, the parishioners of such parish, in such surveyors' accounts, and the amount of such expenses shall be charged upon, and paid by, the next succeeding occupier or occupiers of such house, building, tenement, garden, or grounds, to be levied and recovered as hereafter mentioned: And in case such succeeding occupier or occupiers be a tenant, or tenants, then he or she shall and may, and is hereby authorized to deduct, out of the rent of the same premises, what shall have been paid or recovered from him or her on that account, and the same shall be allowed to him or her, by the owner or owners of such house, building, tenement, garden, or grounds, accordingly. mayor Mayor and And it is hereby further enacted, That the and commonalty of the said city, and the dean and chapter of the cathedral and metropolitical church of St. Peter of York, and the sub-chanter and vicars choral of the same church, shall cause to be swept and cleansed, on the respective days, and at the respective times aforesaid, all the marketplaces, bridges, and other pavements within the said city and suburbs, and within the said liberty, the maintaining whereof doth by usage, prescription, or otherwise, respectively belong to the said mayor and commonalty, dean and chapter, sub-chanter, and vicars choral; and shall cause all the dirt and soil thereof to be carried away from such pavements, on the same day on which the same are hereby directed to be so swept, under the like penalty of 3s. 4d. for every neglect or default therein, to be paid by the steward of the said mayor and commonalty, and the receivers respectively of the said dean and chapter, and sub-chanter, and vicars choral, and to be levied and recovered as hereafter mentioned. And it is hereby further enacted, That if any person On penalty of 3s. 4d. Penalty of An noyances in the Streets. or persons shall throw, cast, or lay, or cause, or wilfully suffer, to be thrown, cast, or laid, any hay or straw, or any wood, bricks, stones, casks, scaffolding, gravel, whins, ashes, manure, or other obstructions or annoyances, into or in any of the said streets, lanes, or public ways, (other than and except such rubbish, earth, and dirt, as shall be occasioned by the erecting, repairing, or pulling down any building, or digging any foundation, cellar, or drain) and shall not cause the same to be carried away, and the pavement whereon the same shall have been laid to be well swept and cleansed the same day before sun-set, and shall not also in the meantime leave sufficient room for carriages to pass safely by the same, such person or persons shall forfeit and pay the sum of 5s. and the like sum for every day he, she, or they shall permit the same to continue in any such street, lane, or public way, to be levied and recovered as hereafter mentioned: And that all such rubbish, dirt, and other annoyances, as shall be in any such street, lane, or public way, by reason of, and during the erecting, repairing, or pulling down any building, or the digging any foundation, cellar, or drain, shall be carried away, and the pavements whereon the same shall have been laid, shall be well Rubbish of Buildings to be removed as soon as possible, and till the building every Saturday is finished, On Penalty of 10s. ances. swept and cleansed before the end of every week, and while such rubbish shall remain in any such street, lane, or public way, sufficient room shall be left for carriages to pass by the same; and in case such work shall not be finished in one week, then all such dirt, rubbish, or other annoyance, shall be carried away, and the pavements whereon the same shall have been laid, shall be well swept and cleansed every Saturday, during the continuance of such work, before sun-set; and Light to be that a good and sufficient light shall be placed every hung out in the night before sun-set, and kept burning all night, so meantime. near the place where any heap of rubbish, dirt, or other annoyance, occasioned by any such work, shall be left, or where any pavements shall be broke up for any purpose whatsoever, and left open and unpaved after sun-set, that such place may be distinctly seen and avoided by passengers; on pain that any person for whom such work shall be done, or who shall have the direction and management thereof, shall forfeit and pay the sum of 10s. for every neglect or default herein, to be levied and recovered as hereafter mentioned: And that no person shall, on any Other Annoy pretence whatsoever, hoop, wash, cleanse, or fire for bending, or cause to be hooped, washed, cleansed, or fired for bending, any cask, tub, or other vessel; or slaughter, or cause to be slaughtered, any cattle, calves, sheep, lambs, or swine, in any such street, lane, way, or public passage; or throw any dirt, rubbish, dung, or other filth, into any public or private drain, vault, or sink, in the said city, suburbs, or liberty, on pain of forfeiting Penalty, 10s. the sum of 10s. for every such offence, to be levied and recovered as hereafter mentioned: And that no person shall, on any pretence whatsoever, set, place, or keep, or cause, or wilfully suffer, to be set, placed, or kept, any shop, stall, shed, table, bench, or seat, or any vessel or basket, in any such street, lane, or public way, for the sale of fruit, toys, or any other wares, (except only in the public market-places of the said city on market-days, or fair-days) on pain of forfeiting the sum of 3s. 4d. for every such offence, to be levied and recoPenalty 3s. 4d. vered as hereafter mentioned: And also that no person shall pick or sift any dirt, dust, or ashes, in any street, lane, or public way within the said city, suburbs, or liberty aforesaid, on pain of forfeiting the like sum for every such offence, to be levied and recovered in like manner: And that no waggon, cart, or other carriage, shall remain longer in any such street, lane, or public way, than whilst the same can be conve niently loaded or unloaded, and not after it is dark, No Stalls in the Carriages not to remain long in the Streets, &c. |