Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847

Slaughter-housesU.K.

And with respect to slaughter-houses, be it enacted as follows:

125 Commissioners may license slaughter-houses, &c.U.K.

The commissioners may license such slaughter-houses and knacker’s yards as they from time to time think proper for slaughtering cattle within the limits of the special Act.

126 No new slaughter-houses in future to be erected without a licence.U.K.

No place shalt be used or occupied as a slaughter-house or knacker’s yard within the said limits which was not in such use and occupation at the time of the passing of the special Act, and has so continued ever since, unless and until a licence for the erection thereof, or for the use and occupation thereof as a slaughter-house or knacker’s yard, have been obtained from the commissioners; and every person who, without having first obtained such licence as aforesaid, uses as a slaughter-house or knacker’s yard any place within the said limits not used as such at the passing of the special Act, and so continued to be used ever since, shall for each offence be liable to a penalty not exceeding [F1[F2£25]][F1level 1 on the standard scale], and a like penalty for every day after the conviction for such offence upon which the said offence is continued.

127 Existing slaughter-houses, &c. to be registered.U.K.

Every place within the limits of the special Act which shall be used as a slaughter-house or knacker’s yard shall, within three months after the passing of such Act, be registered by the owner or occupier thereof, at the office of the commissioners, and on application to the commissioners for that purpose the commissioners shall cause every such slaughter-house or knacker’s yard to be registered in a book to be kept by them for that purpose; and every person who after the expiration of the said three months, and after one week’s notice of this provision from the commissioners, uses or suffers to be used any such place as a slaughter-house or knacker’s yard, without its being so registered, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding [F3[F4£25]][F3level 1 on the standard scale] for such offence, and a penalty not exceeding [F550p] for every day after the first day during which such place shall be used as a slaughter-house or knacker’s yard without having been so registered.

128 Commissioners may make byelaws for regulation of slaughter-houses, &c.U.K.

The commissioners shall from time to time, by byelaws, to be made and confirmed in the manner herein-after provided, make regulations for the licensing, registering, and inspection of the said slaughter-houses and knackers’s yards, and preventing cruelty therein, and for keeping the same in a cleanly and proper state, and for removing filth at least once in every twenty-four hours, and requiring them to be provided with a sufficient supply of water, and they may impose pecuniary penalties on persons breaking such byelaws; provided that no such penalty exceed for any one offence the sum of [F6[F7£25]][F6level 1 on the standard scale], and in the case of a continuing nuisance the sum of [F850p] for every day during which such nuisance shall be continued after the conviction for the first offence.

129 Justice may suspend licence of slaughter-houses, &c. in addition to penalty imposed.U.K.

The justices before whom any person is convicted of killing or dressing any cattle contrary to the provisions of this or the special Act, or of the non-observance of any of the byelaws or regulations made by virtue of this or the special Act, in addition to the penalty imposed on such person under the authority of this or the special Act, may suspend for any period not exceeding two months the licence granted to such person under this or the special Act, or, in case such person be the owner or proprietor of any registered slaughter-house or knacker’s yard, may forbid for any period not exceeding two months the slaughtering of cattle therein; and such justices, upon the conviction of any person for a second or other subsequent like offence, may, in addition to the penalty imposed under the authority of this or the special Act, declare the licence granted under this or the special Act revoked, or, if such person be the owner or proprietor of any registered slaughter-house, may forbid absolutely the slaughtering of cattle therein; and whenever the licence of any such person is revoked as aforesaid, or whenever the slaughtering of cattle in any registered slaughter-house or knacker’s yard is absolutely forbidden as aforesaid, the commissioners may refuse to grant any licence whatever to the person whose licence has been so revoked, or on account of whose default the slaughtering of cattle in any registered slaughter-house has been forbidden.

130 Penalty for slaughtering cattle during suspension of licence, &c.U.K.

Every person who during the period for which any such licence is suspended, or after the same is revoked as aforesaid, slaughters cattle in the slaughter-house or knacker’s yard to which such licence relates, or otherwise uses such slaughter-house or knacker’s yard, or allows the same to be used as a slaughter-house or knacker’s yard, and every person who during the period that the slaughtering of cattle in any such registered slaughter-house or knacker’s yard is forbidden as aforesaid, or after such slaughtering has been absolutely forbidden therein, slaughters any cattle in any such registered slaughter-house, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding [F9[F10£25]][F9level 1 on the standard scale] for such offence, and a further penalty of five pounds for every day on which any such offence is committed after the conviction for the first offence.

131 Officers may enter and inspect slaughter-houses, &c.U.K.

The inspector of nuisances, the officer of health, or any other officer appointed by the commissioners for that purpose, may at all reasonable times, with or without assistants, enter into and inspect any building or place whatsoever within the said limits kept or used for the sale of butchers’ meat, or for slaughtering cattle, and examine whether any cattle, or the carcase of any such cattle, is deposited there, and in case such officer shall find any cattle, or the carcase or part of the carcase of any beast, which appears unfit for the food of man, he may seize and carry the same before a justice, and such justice shall forthwith order the same to be further inspected and examined by competent persons; and in case upon such inspection and examination such cattle, carcase, or part of a carcase, be found to be unfit for the food of man, such justice shall order the same to be immediately destroyed or otherwise disposed of in such way as to prevent the same being exposed for sale or used for the food of man; and such justice may adjudge the person to whom such cattle, carcase, or part of a carcase, belongs, or in whose custody the same is found, to pay a penalty not exceeding [F11[F12£25]][F11level 1 on the standard scale] for every such animal, or carcase, or part of a carcase, so found; and the owner or occupier of any building or place kept or used for the sale of butchers’ meat, or for slaughtering cattle, and every other person, who obstructs or hinders such inspector or other officer from entering into and inspecting the same, and examining, seizing, or carrying away any such animal, or carcase, or part of a carcase, so appearing to be unfit for the food of man, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding [F11[F12£25]][F11level 1 on the standard scale] for each offence.