n sanitary legislation. That is a wide
subject, and, if properly treated, comprises almost every
consideration which has a just claim upon legislative interference.
Pure air, pure water, the inspection of unhealthy habitations, the
adulteration of food,--these and many kindred matters may be
legitimately dealt with by the legislature; and I am bound to say
the legislature is not idle upon them; for we have at this time two
important measures before Parliament on the subject. One--by a late
colleague of mine, Sir Charles Adderley--is a large and
comprehensive measure, founded upon a sure basis, for it consolidates
all existing public acts, and improves them. A prejudice has been
raised against that proposal, by stating that it interferes with the
private acts of the great towns. I take this opportunity of
contradicting that. The bill of Sir Charles Adderley does not touch
the acts of the great towns. It only allows them, if they think
fit, to avail themselves of its new provisions.

The other measure by the government is of a partial character. What
it comprises is good, so far as it goes, but it shrinks from that
bold consolidation of existing acts which I think one of the great
merits of Sir Charles Adderley's bill, which permits us to become
acquainted with how much may be done in favor of sanitary
improvement by existing provisions. Gentlemen, I cannot impress
upon you too strongly my conviction of the importance of the
legislature and society uniting together in favor of these important
results. A great scholar and a great wit, three hundred years ago,
said that, in his opinion, there was a great mistake in the Vulgate,
which, as you all know, is the Latin translation of the Holy
Scriptures, and that, instead of saying "Vanity of vanities, all is
vanity"--_Vanitas_ _vanitatum_, _omnia_ _vanitas_--the wise and
witty king really said:"_Sanitas_ _sanitatum_, _omnia_ _sanitas_."
Gentlemen, it is impossible to overrate the importance of the
subject. After all the first consideration of a minister should be
the health of the people. A land may be covered with historic
trophies, with museums of science and galleries of art, with
universities and with libraries; the people may be civilized and
ingenious; the country may be even famous in the annals and action
of the world, but, gentlemen, if the population every ten years
decreases, and the stature of the race every ten years diminishes,
the history of that cou