The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-04-15 00:00:00

Monet (Emig Expren.,

DORORZEITER. APRIL 15* 1184.

THE LONDON GOVERNMENT BILL

Bit William Liarooiart's- Bill for satablisielog aa
orlimaised system of municipal governmest la the vest
metropolis, which leas taken the anis of L radon
from the old and comparatively snail City, waa Soo-
visketly icaroducal Into the Bosse of Common ow
the eve of the Basta recast, 0, la to give Um. for
public examined.° sad criticism of (ha mann before
say further progress with it I. attempted. It nanot
be doubted that the Bill will be of direct Lob/meet to •
vast number of person. Is Pediment, it is not only
the members for ths Metropolitan constituencies who
will feel such Wenn. inn most members of bon
Hones are Loudon residents for a good
kg' of every year, and are Limning directly
contersed la the Local Government of the Metropolis.
Gut of Parliament, it is of oicirse Loadoe's mains
a Inhabitant. that will be directly interested in the
Btu; but the United Kingdom at large can hardly be
indigenes( to a measure antis, from as eighth to a
stink of Its population—a number larger than that
'canned Is &oilseed. sad about fourdif the of that
poseemeed by Ireland. But to the in... extant of the
iced population affected, we may add th• considers,
ties that Lades lath, capital, not only of the United
Kingdom, but of t' e British Empire, so that its
welfare is a matter of general concern; and It should
sot be forgotter, either, that the prism t Bill ft..
an example of the prompt ministry's °snotty to
deal with the general subject of local Govern.
meat and decentralisation. The in guitud• 01
the task undertaken la the Home decretary's
mineare may be realised whom 111, considered that
Leaden has at primal 30 district local authorities
tossnesiag jurisdiction In as many separate diet:iota.
Nes does Ws number of authorities seem szoessi •

whet it Is eoaeidered that the member of inhabit, ots
under mak jurisdiction would average too, them
100,0110, taking Um total popalatios at 4,000,000. It
sot the local rub-division of authority that is at
belt, but the Moro, of a general coutrolling author.
by to sante dialing sad hannosy of working
Is the 10461 bodies. The vestries of great parishes,
Ilk. Mt. Pancras, Marylehona or Lambeth, levy and
enpied their own rates for most Munisipal purposes,
quite ladopendeenly of say central authority; and
the only gain Municipal body which represents all
Loadon la the Metropolitan Board of Works, oat-
listing of delegates from the Local Boards, and charged
with very limited duties. In endeavouring to create
• seetral body for general Manicipal purposes,
Bbr William Hareourt testae to have kept two
princdples is view—first, that of preserving all that
was sr alishis Is pretest loetitutiose ; sad, somedly
Mist of leaving the avow authority very cosaiderably
to exeraies • ;gooses of self-developenest. The Cor
potation of the City sad the Metropolitan Board of
Works as not simply extinguished, but rather,
merged in the new corporation, while the land
benadaties of the city and of all the other territorial
dividoes are preserved, but subject to re-arrangement
by the new Corporation. The main effect of the
BLit is to take all title to public monody, and all
power of levying and expending rates, oat of the
beads of district authorities, and to v.l them In a
Town Council of $6O members, directly elected by
the ratepayers of all Metropolitan districts. The
*patrol of publio property sod money will thus be
entirely under the central authority, but each of the
$ll distriote will retain • Local Council for admin•
istr•tive purpoose, being supplied with funds by
grants from the Central Comical. In addition to
the present joriedicition of the City Corporation
Ow vestries, and Local Boards of Work., the
Ceetral Council will take over the jurisdiction
of the 'meaty magistrates of Middlesex, Surrey, and
Kest, now exercised In various parts of the Metropolis,
which will be constituted a county in itself, as the

Olt, of Loudon has bees from Urn. immemorial. The

&hod Board and the BOSH 01 Poor Law Guardians
wUI remain separate authorities, working under con•
Willa( Governmeet departments m In other corporate
towns, said the Ildetropotitan (as distimt from the
city, police will remais under the Horne Off Son
Altogether the proposed change, while great and
compreheceive, le much characterised by ostaloa ae
by beldame. It may prove Radical la effect, bat la
form It le largely Oosservative.