Chapter XXII: Section 72: of the same Act further enacts, “If any such door, gate or

bar was before the passing of the special Act hung so as to open outwards upon any street, the commissioners may alter the same so that no part thereof when open shall project over any public way.”

It is naturally necessary that doors or gates of all public buildings should hang so as to open outwards, so as to give a free and easy exit in case of panic, many serious accidents having arisen from a want of this precaution; but with regard to private premises the case is altogether different, and if doors and gates were allowed to open outwards, they would soon become a dangerous and intolerable nuisance.

It will be seen that there are two courses to be pursued in connection with this offence.

The first is where the door, gate or bar has been placed before the passing of the Towns Improvement Clauses Act in 1847, in which case the “commissioners may alter the same, so that no part thereof when open shall project over any public way.” This duty of course rests with the town surveyor, and in many cases it is not easy of execution, as structural difficulties may have to be encountered and overcome.

In the second case, where the door, gate or bar has been placed since the passing of the Act in 1847, certain penalties are incurred by the occupier or owner, and the commissioners may also alter the door, gate or bar at his expense.

The following specimen form of notice to be served in connection with a case of this description may be of use:

____________ TOWN SURVEYOR’S OFFICE.

SIR,

I beg leave to give you notice that of the premises in your
occupation opens outwards, and when open, projects into the street
called or known as .

I have therefore to require that you will be good enough to have such
altered so that it shall not open outwards into the said
street, within eight days next after your receipt of this notice.

I beg leave also to give you notice that if you neglect to make the
alteration required within the period specified by this notice, you
render yourself liable to a penalty of 40_s._, and I shall proceed to
make the necessary alterations, and recover the costs and penalties
from you as the law directs.

I am, Sir, your obedient Servant,

______________________________
_Town Surveyor._

To _______________

(4.) _Vault or Cellar Coverings._--