Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-06-12
VOL. XX2MV., .,ATaAMO
The City of LOndon%Hts Local
7 " 3 VI ] &aoTlrnIAeht. GEO HAJ1
fFrolnothe London Times Ml

| Mr.. Mill last night proposed that the,
House DfyCommons should legislate on a.
Subject OF great i'm nportance. The metrop-
oils of England presents perhaps, the great
est anomaly in this coantry of anomalies,
1t Is the hugest assemblage of houses on
earth, a region covered with buildings, the
llimitsrof which, no7 one ycan define. 1T is
madeA up OF many Towns it has a great
lcommercial emporium, a port reaching far
down the river, several manufacturing SUBJ
urbs, while tie western district of 1t is,the
seat of government and the residences of
the wealthiest aristocraey and middle class
in the world Bysmeans of various acts of
Parliament this wonderful collection of
lneighborhoods has been united for certain
purposes, such as public works, police, and
poor law administration, But it is not the
less an Dl-arranged, incongrnOus mass, and
y fortuitous concourse of tenements, with
out plan or unity in Its creation, and With
come into existence. No one, SO far as we,
have ever. been able to ascertain, knows
much about the government Of London, and
weidoubs whether there are ten menain the
House of Commons who can tell what are
its component, parts, how they are admin
istered, what. are their resources, and what
are the requirements of the inhabitants.
Yet in the midst of this vast shapeless
mass there isca municipality of great an
tiquity and. authority vast wealth., and
as1reputatiOn reaching ito the ~ ends of
the, earth. The Prefect of the Seine, who
administers the whole of Paris andits SUBJ
urbs. is hardly a greater man,sinI the eyes
OF his countrymen than our Lord Mayor,
the civic potentate, who can close gate in
the face of the sovereign of England, and
at whose banquets princes are entertained
as guests, TIE, city corporation and the
city companies are bodies which. in posi-
tion and 10 wealth, are; worthy the capital
Of a great king dom. !. They exercise, too,
certain influence, and amid all the changes
of politics and commerce they maintain,
chiefly by their traditional relations with
the State, position which no one can de-
spise. But when we are asked concerning
their usefulness tits difficult to reply. TO
aasttangeruit mustebe explained that this
scanlet-c1oaked Lord Mayor of London and
these,violet-gowned aldermen, do not rep
resent London ataHs in the sense in which
hesunderstands it. The tenacityi of Eng
lish people in 'elinging- to- the material
forms of things after the life has passed out
of them is, almost lpdicrously exhibited in
the maintenance OF the corporation OF the
city of London. This city, the m stranger
will have to be Informed, is the city of the
Middle Ages, and consists Of little dis
| trict In the ineighborhood Of the old fort
| ress and the old cathedral, with sHndry
outly ting pieces of ground that were de-
pendent on it. For generations it has not
been extended, though the great capital
which takes its popular name from this an
cient nucleus has been growing with the
rapidity lef aItransatlantie settlement. s3ao
Thus the city OF london. with its impos-
| ing corporation and its abundant possess
siops, contains, but a thirtieth part of the
whole population of the metropolis, and an
area which is even less in proportion. The,
| rest of the capital has no share in the adj,
yantages which this time-honored organi-
zation could confer. Westminster and
southwark have some faint traces of cor
porate fife, but the rest of London, con-
tainingt Some of its richest and most splen-
did districts, is simply left to- the old pa
rOchial system, which grew up when they
were meadows and gardens The vestfy is
the Representative of tfie3 3heusehelders in
the wealthiest and best, built districts Of
London. The rector takes : the chair,
churchwardens attend, and the business of
what is really y4s'ne mean city, is transacted
precisely, as If it were a rural parish in
Dorsetshire.r, - .,T.p6 ~. ,,s d ..,rs. TX
The, consequence is that London is, be
yond dispute, worse administered than the
capitals of far less wealthy and .enterpris-
ing States. There is general Indifference
about its affairs, an indifference the result
of which is seeR-ia-h -hideous- public build
ings, in prevailing slovenliness and want
of taste, aud sometimes in real neglect of
cleanliness Had it not been for recent
Legislation, which has given some general
power to varions officers and boards, the
evils Of such a civic auarchy would be in
tolerable. Mr.. Mill now Scomes forward
and proposes to legislate in comprehen-
kSive mauaef on hessHbjeet. = - sf+@s