An 1883 bye-law

There is much in the local news recently about public disorder in Portsmouth. A bye-law passed in 1883 states that; ‘no person within the Borough of Portsmouth shall by shouting, singing, bawling, ringing a bell, or by playing on any instrument, make a disturbance in or near any thoroughfare or by any means, whatsoever, cause persons to collect so as to obstruct the free and uninterrupted passage.’ It appears that this was not enforced even at the time moving one commentator in 1910 to state: ‘If measures are not taken to prevent annoyance to pedestrians and residents, Portsmouth will soon get the reputation for being a badly governed town.'