The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-12-06 00:00:00

INSTRUCTIONS TO TIM BOUNDARY

COMMISSION.

-
The following are the instructions to the Boundary
Commission for England and Wales, signed by Sir
Charles Dilke, and approved by the Home Secretary,
to whom the minute is addressed: _

I beg to inform you that in order to determine the
boundaries to be assigned to the divisions of the
several counties and of the boroughs and divisions of
boroughs, which will be constituted or affected by the
bill about to bo introduoed by her Majesty's Govern-
ment for the redistribution of seats, it will be neces-
sary that a Commission should be appointedto under-
take the duties hereinafter specified, and I am there-
fore to request that on behalf of the Government you
will appoint the following gentlemen to act as Com-
missioners for that purpose—viz.:
Sir John Lambert, chairman.
_

The Hon. Thomas Henry William Pelham, Bar.
rister-at-Law.

Sir Francis Richard Sandford, K.C.B.
Joseph John Henley, Esq., J.P.
Lieut.-Colonel Robert Owen Jones, RE, and
Major Hector Tulloch, RE.' _
The duties of the Commission will be the following:
1. With respect to counties.—ln the first place to
examine the survey maps of the Ordnance Depart-
ment and determine from them'and other documents
in the possession of that department and of the Local
Government Board, and from other available informa-
tion, the boundaries to be assigned to the several
divisions of each county to be divided. In form-
ing the divisions the population of the several divi-
sions, excluding that of the Parliamentary boroughs,
should be equalised as far as practicable, and care
must be taken in all those cases where there are
populous localities of an urban character to include
them in one and the same division, unless this cannot
be done without producing grave inconvenience and
involving boundaries of a very irregular and objec-
tionable character. Subject to this important rule,
each division should be as compact as possible with
respect to geographical position, and should be based
upon well-known existing areas, such as petty
sessional divisions, or rather areas consisting of an
aggregate of parishes. In some instances, however,
it may be found necessary to include separate
parishes, but a divisional boundary must never
be allowed to intercept a parish. Each divi-
sion will be named from some important town or
place within it, preference being given to any merged
borough or boroughs, or when it consists wholly or
mainly of some well-known area, from that area.
When the divisions have thus been provisionally deter-
mined public notice must be given of their contents
by advertisement in one or more local newspapers, and
a day and a place appointed for the attendance of one
of the members of the Commission at some principal
town in the county to hear any objections to the pro-
posed constitution of the divisions and receive pro-
posals for their alteration. It will be convenient that
the substance of such objections and proposals should
be handed in to the Commission in writing.
2. With respect to boroughs: The duties of the
Commission will be to determine whether the present
boundaries or those indfcated by the bill embrace the
whole of the population which ought to be included
within th borough. The Commission will therefore
take tie necessary steps for satisfying themselves
whether or not there are any considerable number of
houses beyond the boundaries but contiguous thereto,
the occupiers of which either from community of
interests with the borough or from other cir-
cumstances form part of the town population,
proper. Where, however, the v.djoihing areas con-
sist of large and populous urban districts it will
often be found desirable, especially in those cases
where it would be necessary to intersect the dis-
tricts, that they should be formed into county divi-
sions instead of being absorbed into the boroughs.
Ii every case where the boundaries of a borough are
altered, whether by extension or otherwise, the altera-
tion should. if possible, be consistent with well-
established limits, such as parochial or other similar
boundaries. In dealing with the boroughs required
to be divided the boundaries must be adjusted so that
the population may be proximately equalized, and in
the arrangement of the divisions special regard should
he had to the pursuits of the po.pulation. When the
divisions have been properly determined, the proceed-
ings will be similar to those in the case of counties.
It is intended that the financial matters in connec-
t ion with the Commission should be arranged with the
Treasury by myself and chairman, and that Howel
Thomas, Esquire, of the Local Government Depart-
ment, should be appointed as secretary to the Com-
mission. I have only to add, that if further assis-
tance should be required to enable the Commission to
complete their labours within the prescribed time, it i
proposed tile, with the sanction of the Treasury, a
sufficient number of assistant Commissioners should
I:be appointed for that purpose.

MR. HERBERTGLADSTONE. M.P. on the
HerSbTeritt TGEladsotfonetl,l I.I"N.,AaVnYd
* Mr. W. L.
Jackson, M.P., attended the annual dinner of the
Leeds Foremen Engineers on Saturday. Mr. Glad-
stone, alluding to a remark which bad been made by
one of the speakers as to the state of the navy, said
that as a member of the Government he had no
secrets to reveal on that subject. He did not believe
there were ten men in the House of Commons, repre-
senting English and Scotch constituencies who had
not the utmost determination to do what they
thought right to put our national defences into
a proper condition; and although they might differ
about details, and perhaps about certain prin-
ciples, as to our naval defences, yet he believed the
Government would do its duty in the matter. At any
rate he admitted to the full that if they did not do
their duty a very heavy and grave responsibility rested
upon them. Mr. Jackson, M.P., who was a member
of the Commission on Indian Railways, said there was
a singular unanimity of opinion as to the necessity for
an extension of the railroads in India. There would
not be the slightest doubt that the extension of the
railways would prove a financial saccess; they would
pay for themselves, apd would not require subsidising.

A minister's wife said to her husband: "It seems
unjust that a lawyer should receive 100 dole. or more
or obtaining a divorce, while you often do not get
more than 2 dols, for performing a marriage cerea
mony." "It does seem a little unjust," the good ma;
assented mildly, "but still, in the case of the lawyer
the value received is a V 0,3 deal ((Tea tee