The Express.
London, England, 1848-10-12 00:00:00

The media to Irk* Iforlit-itnerlia. end Ile United katee,
will be node op sans necise ot the Mk Ott.
The Wirt loin Wain mending heralds, Nuns, Manama,
Mew Odeon nel Mczne, sal ieohidine node tor
ifigaddHaultnaL realannamesen Mew Granada, Chill, sad Pere, will
Mm in no asks neen%il is 17th Oet.
The milk kr Vim lib" Monks, Celia, and Mealier
will be mile an ths et the Ilth On.
selle la , Mahn Green the lonian Inane,
Man Eleslen IlespiLiss sad Chine, via Boatheop.
r'enlhe nib epos the needer Ike Itith Oct.
endsed along min eta MeneMse te the Mediterranean
Wm. Vars. ElneMenk be, will be made as CA the
41 the 2
llee mnia ter 1t eon Wales, Van Diensa's Lead, and New
Deka will be made up ea the melee et the Mat Oct.
Mae mails lx the Meet Gant et Akin sad Malkin will be ands
ap ea *amens tithe hist Oct.
Its oohsßr Media, the Wank, ant luau Aynn will be
node ep an the snake elks 4th Nov.

SIDS MAWS AT LONDON BRIMS.
Teal Dav —ll/eflas. II .01.. ram I i AParras.4l Ws. pa I.
T........—mmum5. II min wt 2; AMMO.% 23 Ms. Ban 2 .

LONDON. THURSDAY. OCT. 12.
IT is the Englishman's boast that he enjoys to their
fullest extent the privileges of citizen 2. Let him
wander when he will throughout the len and breadth
of the land, he finds everywhere an i ity of things
done for him. His comfort, his protection, the free-
dom of his actions, the security of his property, the
facilities for the traneaction of his business, have all
been made the subject of anxious forethought. There
is no place so secluded or so insignificant where he
will not find himself in the presence of some one
of the institutions of the country, and indebted to it
for assistance or guardianship. In rural districts
there are level roads and massive bridges, churches,
poorhouses, and prisons. In the cities there are
streets paved and drained,with lamps burning all night
and policemen to frighten the pickpockets. Wharfs
are ready prepared for his merchandise, markets for
his parchment, and justice courts to settle his quarrels.
And if he pleases also to settle himself, he will find
Nat for the established householder there are other
blessings in store; some of them appertaining to
matters of personal advantage ; others possessing a
less intrinsic vales, but still belonging to an order of
civic pomp and ceremonial, whereat the heart of a
" free burgess" will seldom refuse to expand.
Far all these benefits, whether substantial or showy,
the central government can claim no gratitude. The
civic wreath must redoubt upon civic brows. Over all
things belonging to local administration—that is, over
all those incidents that come nearest to the homes
and businesses, and interests of men—the local autho-
rities maintain a jealous supervision. The interference
of the general legislature is allowed to mourn only
the permissive form. Acts of parliament may determine
the outline of the municipal constitution, but they
must not interfere with the details of municipal go-
vernment, nor control, even by aiding, the municipal
expenditure. Each town and disUkt asserts the right
of full discretion over its own intereate. Measures
are to be planned, works executed, patronage enjoyed,
and money raised upon the spot. The extent in
which this last privilege is exercised is, indeed, some-
what startling. When we come to sum up the multi-
farious items that (=PM the aggregate of what is
called " local taxation;' we find tUt fi swells almost
to a parity with the amount expended upon the
government and defence of the country. Not less
fteen millions sterling are calculated to be thus
levied and appropriated every year.
Without mentioning those duties which, as we have
intimated, pewees rather an artistic than an econo-
mical value, the importance of the services entrusted
to local superintendence can hardly be over-estimated.
Nor are its functions less various than important.
Judicial authority is exercised in criminal cues over
charges that require mentenoes of prolonged transpor-
tation, and in civil actions over a wide range of ques-
tions, involving the more ordinary, and therefore the
more exigent, controversies that arise between man
and man in the course of liminess. A legislative
power exists in every municipality to determine the
forms and persons in and by which its affairs are to
be managed, and the interests of a multitude of indi-
viduals made co-ordinate with the prosperity of the
corporate body. As public economists the guardians
who wield the practical administration of the poor-law
hold no slight control over the tariff of labour-wages,
and can increase or diminish, by a large per oembo,
the profits of the agriculturalists and the rent of the
landlords. And, as as executive, the officials
of innumerable local boards are encountered at evuy
turn ; sometimes in their capacity of inspectors and
custodians, but more often in the unwelcome charac-
ter of tax-gatherers, armed with some undeniable
authority for the cotection of rate or cue. The cata-
logue of minor jurisdictions is far too long for us to
attempt an enumeration. Upon one head alone—that
of the turnpike roads—we learn from a late return
that the highroads of England and Wales, extending
over 22,326 miles, are divided among no less than
1,108 separate "treats," each of which possesses con-
siderable influence over the convenience of its own
neighbourhood. In some of the growing suburbs of
the metropolis, the inhabitants suffer much annoyance
from the restriction put by the turnpike trustees to
the* range of the publics conveyances. There are
instances where the cost of building a series of mode-
rate-sized dwellings has been enhanced as much as
501. or 601. per house by the mere tell paid upon the
carriage of the material.
The due performance of functions so wide as those
we have described meet demand, one would think, an
administrative system constructed according to the
most approved models. The very spirit of the con-
stitution requires that powers so extensive should
only be consigned to individuals after the ordeal of
a popular election, and with their authority carefully
defined, and their responsibility to the constituency
never permitted to fall into abeyance. The discretion
of raising and spending such enormous sums should
never be made independent of control by the groat
body of confriltuabks ; and common sense will tell ag
how much efficiency and economy may be ensured by
establishing order and uniformity throughout the
executive and the financial mechanism of local govern-
ment.
The very contrary to this in the fact. Machinery
more cumbrous and complex it is difficult to conceive;
and even the appearance of responsibility is ignored
by a large majority of the local authorities.
every set of duties has its superintending " board,"
with a staff of officials, place of meeting, and train of
executive wheelwork all to itself. For poor rates, church
rates, and county rates, highways, canals, markets,
newen, police, watchmen, paving and lighting, publics
waterworks, parish firs-engines, with a long list of
etceteras, there is pretty generally a separate body of
commissioners, with one set of offioars to advise, an-
other to obey, sad a third to collect the rates. The
inevitable consequence is, that the duties of each are
ill understood, and often worse performed, at an ex-
pense far beyond the neossmy charge for the works
done. And when, as not frequently happens, the
jurisdiction of two or more of these small authorities
ceases into collision, the interests of the ratepayers
are sacrificed, and their funds wasted in the profitless
assertion of their respective dignities by the disputing
boards. As for responsibility, it becomes non-exist-
ent for any practical purpose—having vanished
through infinite subdivision ; whilst the questions of
finance appear to cause far less trouble and dis-
cord to a pariah or a township than they ordi-
narily do to governments themselves. The
House of Commons cannot be accused of a
too close-fisted grasp of the publicpursei but it dis-
plays absolute avarice in comparison with the off-
hand liberality with which small bodies of men.
almost self-appointed, will deal with funds contribute d
in their district, but designed for services not less
public than those of the Treasury chest. As the poor-
law commissioners observed in one of their reports,
Revenues equal to those of some of the larger Ger-
man principalities are left to be administered,by pro-
miacuous assemblages, called open vestries."
According to the evidence of a well-informsd witness
examined before the committee appointed to inquire
into the " Burdens upon real property,"no fewer than
" twenty-four rates are shown to exist by law, and
fifty-four species of officers have the imposition,
and administration of them." The number of official
he proiseeds to estimate at more than 180,000; but
explains that this calculation is only approximative,
and may possibly require to be reduced, "seeing that
many of these offices are held by one and the same
person." To this we may add that a large
number of the officials above enumerated perform
their duties gratuitously. But this, we apprehend,
is of little benefit to the ratepayers. Honorary ser-
vice is of necessity independent, irresponsible, and too
often irregular, and the question, after all, of most
importance is how to get the vast and venom work
properly done. Economy of performance, though by
no means to be overlooked, is but the reoond °ow&
&ration. Consolidation of collection among the nu-
merous varieties of amemment will lead to consider-