The Sun.
London, England, 1835-07-28 00:00:00

IRISH MUNICIPAL REFORM BILL

The following are the material provisions of the Bill for the
Reform of the Irish Corporations, in which, it will be per-
ceived, contrary to statements hitherto made, the city of Dub-
lin is included.
The Bill will declare, almost in the words of the English
Bill—that
" Whereas divers bodies corporate at sundry times have
been constituted within the cities, towns, and boroughs of
Ireland, to the intent that the same might be for ever and re-
main well-regulated and be quietly governed. And whereas,
partly by defects in the charters granted and conferred to the
said inhabitants of the said cities, towns, and boroughs, and
partly by change of circumstances since the said charters
were granted to the said bodies corporate, for the most part
have not for a long time answered the good purposes intended,
and are not now useful and efficient instruments of local go-
vernment. Be it therefore enacted, that so much of all laws,
statutes, and usuages, and so much of all royal and other
charters, grants, and letters patent, rules, and ordinances
now in force relating to the several boroughs in the first
column of the schedules A. B. and C. to this Act annexed,
or to the inhabitants thereof, or to the several bodies, or re-
puted bodies corporate named in the second column of the
said schedules, or any of them, as are inconsistent with or
contrary to the provisions of this Act, shall be, and the same
are hereby repealed and annulled."
The Bill then enacts that after the passing of the Act, Cor-
porations are to be styled Mayor and Burgesses, the said Mayor
signifying the chief officer of a borough by whatever name he
is now called, and burgesses shall be construed to mean citi-
zens in the case of a city.
Occupiers of houses and shops of the value of 101. in bo-
roughs named in schedule A, and of the value of 51. in sche-
dule B, to be burgesses if resident within seven miles.
Burgesses who cease to be occupiers or neglect to pay their
rate, are to be omitted from the burgess-roll; but may be re.
stored at any subsequent revision of the burgess-roll.
No person shall be admitted or enrolled a freeman or bur-
gess of any borough, or a member of any body corporate, by
any right or title other than by residence, occupancy, and pay-
ment of taxes.

Churchwardens of each parish are to make out alphabetical
lists in the present year of persons qualified as burgesses, and
deliver the same to the town-clerk, who shall keep a true
copy, to be perused by any person without payment of any
fee, at all reasonable hours during the 14 days next following.
In boroughs divided into wards (such as Cork) the alder-
man of each ward is, after he is appointed, as hereinafter pro-
vided, to make out a list of all persons entitled to be burgesses,
sign the same, and deliver it to the town-clerk, and in places
not divided into wards, then by the town-clerk; and where
there is no town-clerk, then by some person to be appointed by
the mayor.
List of claimants and persons objected to be punished—the
mayor to revise such lists upon due proof, and insert and ex-
punge names.
In every borough there shall be elected a certain number of
persons who shall be called "the council" of such borough,
and one person who shall be called " the mayor" (the number
so to be elected of the council for each place or schedule is
not yet fixed). No person to be qualified to be elected mayor
or councillor, or a charitable trustee, who shall not be a bur-
gess of the borough, or during such time as he shall hold any
office or place of profit other than that of mayor in the gift or
disposal of the council or charitable trustees of such borough,
or during such time as he shall have, directly or indirectly, by
himself or a partner, any share or interest in any contract with
such council or trustees.

Every burgess who shall be enrolled on the burgess-roll
shall be entitled to vote in the election of eouncillors for such
borough, and no person who is not enrolled can.
The burgesses enrolled in every borough shall openly as-
semble and elect the council on a certain day (not fixed) in
every succeeding year ; one-third part of the council to go out
of office annually—those to go out in 1836 to be those who
were elected by the smallest number of votes in the preceding
year • those who are to go out in 1837, who had the next
smallest number of votes in the present year; and thereafter
those who have been for the longest time in office without re-
election. Provided always, that any councillor so going out
of office shall be capable of being forthwith re-elected, if then
qualified.

- The 'elections are to be held for the time being before the
alderman of the ward in the presence of two assistant inspec-
tors to be appointed by the mayor and council, the voting to
commence at nine in the morning, and to close at four in the
evening. Every burgess may vote for any number not exceed-
ing the number of councillors then to be chosen, by delivering
to the alderman or mayor a voting paper, containing the
Christian names and surnames of the persons for whom he
votes, their places of abode, being previously signed with the
name of the burgess voting written in his own hand, and the
property out of which he has enrolled stated.
There is to be no inquiry of the voter except as to his iden-
tity, and whether he has voted before.
The boroughs in the first division of schedule A to be di-
vided into wards—the limits and numbers of such wards to be
ascertained by Commissioners, to be appointed by the Lord-
Lieutenant, and to contain, as nearly as may be, equal aliquot
portions of said cities and towns respectively. Upon the re-
turns being made to the Lord-Lieutenant, he is empowered to
declare the number, &c. of the wards in schedule A.
In these wards so divided, the burgesses of each ward are to
elect the councillors before the person whom the mayor for the
time being shall appoint, and in every succeeding year before
the councillor whom the councillors chosen in such ward shall
yearly appoint in that behalf, who shall be called " the alder-
man" of such ward.

The election of Mayor in the present year is provided for
thus :—That on the day next after the day in this year on
which the council of any borough shall be elected, the said
council shall elect out of the councillors of such borough a fit
person who shall continue in office till the year 1836 ; and so
in every succeeding year.
The election of aldermen of the ward is to take place on
the day next after that upon which the councils are chosen.
Mayors or councillors are not to act until they have made
a declaration of acceptance of office to this effect :
" I, A, B, having been elected mayor (or councillor, or
alderman of the ward), do hereby declare, that I take the
said office upon myself, and will duly and faithfully fulfil the
duties thereof, according to the best of my judgment and
abilities."

If any mayor or councillor shall be declared bankrupt or
insolvent, or shall absent himself from the borough, he shall
lose his office.

Every burgess who, being elected to the office of mayor,
councillor, or alderman, shall decline to fill it, to pay a fine
(not fixed).

The mayor is to be a justice of peace for the county, as well
as the borough, and to be the returning officer at elections of
Members to serve in Parliament.

The councils of the cities of Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Li-
merick, and Waterford, and in the counties of the towns of
Carrickfergus, Drogheda, and Galway, are to elect a sheriff
annually, who is to have the same powers as the present
sheriffs ; and also a coroner in every borough in which a sepa-
rate court of sessions shall be holden.

Persons in office at the time of the first election of council-
lors under this Act, and who shall be removed, shall be entitled
to an adequate compensation, to be provided out of the borough
fund for the salary, fees, and just emoluments of the offices
which they shall cease to hold, regard being had to the manner
of his appointment to the said office, his time or interest therein,
and all other circumstances of the case.

All acts to be done, or questions-to be decided, by town.
councils, to be decided by a majority of those present, two-
thirds of the whole number to be a quorum.
Excise certificates are to be granted by the town-councils ;
they are to have the same power as justices, under the 3d and
4th of William IV. ; to appoint charitable trustees ; to become
visitors and trustees of all acts of which corporations were, ex
officio, trustees, &c. They, with the mayor, are to be a watch
committee, to appoint constables for the borough, who shall be
constables for the county also, whose powers are defined. On
notice of appointment of constables, the present provisions in
local Acts, as to watching, are to cease ; the arms, accoutre-
ments, &c., of present constables, are to be given up to them,
under a penalty; and the council are empowered to assume
the powers of commissioners, under 9th Geo. IV., for paving,
lighting, or cleansing towns.
All corporate property and all fines to be a borough fund,
out of which the salaries of the recorder, town clerk, treasurer,
and other officers are to be paid. The councils of the boroughs
in Schedules A and B may name persons to act as justices of
the peace, and recommend them to the Crown—the parties to
be resident, or within five miles of the borough.

SCHEDULE A.--DIVISION I.
BOROUGHS TO BE DIVIDED iNTO WARDS, AND TO HAVE SE-

Belfast
Carlow
Clonmel
Cork
Drogheda

PARATE COMMISSION OF THE PEACE.
Dublin Londonderry
Dundalk Newry
Galway Sligo
Kilkenny Waterford
Limerick Wexford

This Division contains all the Boroughs visited by the Muni-
cipal. Commissioners, th• population of which exceeds 10,000.

DIVISION 2.
This division contains the Boroughs, the population of which is
under 10,000 and exceeds 8,000.

BOROUGHS NOT TO BE DIVIDED INTO WARDS.
Armagh Dungarvan Tralee
Bandon Ennis Youghal
Carrickfergus Kinsale

44, SCHEDULE B.

BOROUGHS WHICH ARE NOT TO HAVE A commissiox OF THE

Athlone
Castlebar
Callan
Coleraine
Cashel

PEACE, UNLESS ON PETITION AND GRANT.
Dungannon Mallow
Downpatrick New Ross
Enniscorthy Portarlington
Enniskillen Tuam
Lisburne

* This schedule contains the Boroughs visited by the Commis-
sioners; the population of which is less than 8,000, and exceeds
5,000, and those under 5,000, which return Members of Parlia-
ment.

We learn from the Cheltenham Free Press, that a
railway between Oxford and Cheltenham is projected.