The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-11-13 00:00:00

41UNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.

The engagements of the first few day in
November, in the numerous municipalities of
England and Wales, strikingly illustrate the
working of a remarkable feature in the public
life of England. The principle on which its
municipal goeernruent is founded may truly
enough be said to be the basil of its security and
power, and in this respect it contrasts favourably
with the system which prevails in the towns and
districts of our nearest neighbour. There is
only a "streak of silver sea' between England
and France ; bat the plan of local government
is as wide as the poles asunder in the two
countries. Indeed, France can scarcely be said
to possess local government at all in the souse
in which we understand the term hare. At no
time can it more truly be said that Paris is
France than in considering this question. The
Minister of the Interior has a far more extended
power and sweeping jurisdiction than the Hume
Secretary in England. In France the Home
Minister is the bead of a system of paternal ad-
ministration the ramifications of which extend to
the most remote of the departments. There are
no divisions between counties and boroughs, as
in this country; no municipal councils as we
understand the phrase. The central government
appoints its own prefect as the contruling au-
thority, and the townsmen as well as the peasan-
try are saved from taking too much troubld in
looking after thtir own affairs. _

Contrasting this with the local rule which pre-
vails in our own land, it will be seen that the
advantage is greatly on the bide of the lattsr.
With us the ratepayers in every municira ity
which was constituted under the Act of 1835
elect the men who make the local rates, att, nd
to the local improvyments, and generally look
after local affairs. The town council, in ha turn,
seleets the mayor, or chief magistrate, who shall
preside over the borough for the next twelve
months, watch its interests, and rept., sent its
dignity. The chief magistrate is, thercfore,
really the choice of the householders thews( Ives.
Once in every three years the election of alder-
men gives to the town council of every mun -
cipality, large or small, an opportunity of placing
iu the local Parliament a certain number of men
who, by position, residence, or standing in the
town, by the possession of wealth or the sLow of
enterprise, by the putting forth of energy, or hit'
the reaping the reward of honest industry, are
entitled to a seat in the local legia!ature. The
choice of the Council is not confined on such
occasions to its own mcml ere, who by Act of
Parliament are permi!.ted to go outside the ranks
of their own body in making the aldermanie
s:lections. In this way tunny a worthy resident
who cares not for turmoil of a contested election
at the poll, is enabled to take his scat in the
Town Council, and to g;ve to those amongst
whom he has lived the bt•n, lit of a premature
experience and the Icssous of an honourable
career.

in London, Lord Mayor's day is invested with
peculiar significance and surrounded with an in-
terest which is not confined to the metropolis
nor even to the Kingdom but is shared in thrL ugh
out the civilized world. The Guildhall banquet
becomes more and more an occasion of national
importance. It is not easy to explain why the
inaugural dinner of is civic magistrate should
year after year be made the °cession of a Mieis-
terial manifesto. All we can say about this in
common with many other of our insular illStittl-
tiODEl, is that it is our way for ministers .to ex-
pound their policy when they dine at the London
Guildhall as the guests of the Corporation, and
that we like our way the best. What, our Gm-
tinental neighbours cannot comprehend is the
prominent fact that politics make no difference
whatever in observance of the custom. A Liberal
Lord Mayor receives a Conservative Premier, or
a Conservative Lord Mayor receives a Liberal
Premier, with quite as much heartiness as he
would welcome one of his own political party.
In fact, politics are unknown at the Guildhall
banquet. The hundreds of guests who are
bidden to the feast do not look then upon the
Prime Minister of the day as a plrtiean, but as
the chief of the Executive Power in the State,
the directing agent of its influence, the man who
is mainly responsible for the maintenance of the
national prestige, the representative of its wealth
the embodiment of its enterprise. He dilates
not upon those disputed question which divide
political parties in the House of Commons; but
upon the position of his country in if?s relations
to foreign States. Nor is internal policy, when
touched upon, one of that party character as
generally understood by contending politicians.
The safety, order, and welfare of the people at
large, are the themes upon which the responsible
minister dilates, Whatever the character or the
anteced. nts of tho Premier *lto is in power, he
seldom fails to take advantage of the Guildhall
gathering to make a ministerial pronunciamento.
Months have alrtady elapsed since Parlament
rose,and mouths generally elapse before it meets
gain
; so that, in the very middle of the recess
a
the chic banquet is convenient as to time, and
opportune as to season, for explanations respect-
ing the past, and for indications regarding the
fat u re .

Pi;ls.—Prefsion.--As autumn treads on
wit ter, 'lend. r delicate. and ale-faced ptuths become
listless. languid, and debilitated, unless an alteurive,
counb tied with sorue tonic, be administered to quicken
their enfeebled organs. This p(ecise reqnirements is
au, lied in these noted Pills, which cu and will accom-
h all that is wanted, prc,vided the printed instructions
stir Onn lir g them meet with eerupu:ous attention.
Holloway's Pills are especially adap:ed to supply the
rued eat want. n 1 youth, because his medicine -acts
rut y, though surely as a puriti,r, regu!stor, alterative,
t-mic. and -mild aperient. A vrry 1, w (tetea of these
Pills w 1 convince any discouraged ii.y.nlud that his cure
lies in his nwn hands, and a li' le perseverance only is
demealed for its ecinpl.ttit.

• Wean To Wins.—The p!easnre of partaking of
too. fro° from aduit,ration, facing powder, or foreion
admixture, is r •al.sed b; many thousat.d of tea drinkers,
who annually sotsome siz wiiiot of paeketa of Horni•
man's Para Tea —Beware of spurious
List of Agents, in ts locality .—Clarke, Chemist 151,
High Street ; Baker, ( heiat, IU4, High Street ;
Hewitt, Market plae.; Morris, 136, High Street.Brierloy Hill. Rawlings, ahemist Kidderminster, Hewitt,
Bull Ring ; Halesowen, Adam chemist ; Lye, Jones
chemist; Wordsloy. Whitwon, ehemist; Kingswinford,
Pearson, Brettell Lane, Collins chemist; Birmingham
Bak, toe is (11Ac1l Bank, Wattb,,llemiat.