The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-03-21
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
The Provisions Of the New Measure In
truduc.d in the House Of Commons.
The Opposition Pretty Well Satisfied With
the Measure as Far as 1t Goes-Re-
form OF the House of Lords
Gets Black Eye.


commons this evening, Mr., @. +. Richie,
president of the local government board,
introduced the local government bill for
England and Wales. The bill proposes to
establish county councils, to be elected di-
rectly by rate payers who are to have con-
troll of the county police, to WELD the
powers now exercised by the local author
tiles over the water works, artisans dwell
( Iings, the sale of food and drugs and sani.
tary conditions, and to make advances In
aid OF emigration where there is reason to
believe that the advances will be repaid.
The local government board is to retain it's
present power to control the borrowing OF
money by counties and to audit the &C.
counts of counties, and is also to fix the
number of the members Of the county
councils. Other provisions give the coun-
ellis the oversight of the lunatic asylums,
work-houses, reformstories and industrial
schools and the power to grant licenses for
the sale Of Intoxicating liquors.
$50 far as the judicial work OF the county
magistrate is concerned" said Mr.. Richie,
sit is proposed to leave 1t untouched Top.
position cries OF "oh, !" "oh, ~. but the new
councils will have all the administrative
powers of justices respecting county rates
and financial business" An important feat
ure of the proposed bill is the division Of
the whole country into urban and rural
districts, within which women rate.payers
will be equally entitled to vote for men,
bers Of the councils. London will be cre-
ated q county by itself under q lord lieu
tenant. The metropolitan board of works
will be transformed into q council; the
city will lose all administrative duties and
the whole police force will remain under
the charge of the home Office. Liverpool,
Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield,
Bristol Bradford, Nottingham, Hull and
| Newcastle will also constitute counties in
| themselves.
Mr.. Gladstone called attention to the
entire absence in Mr.. Ritchie's statement
| of any reference to Ireland. 1t was obvi-
| Gus, he said, that both Ireland and Scot
land were specially excluded from the bill.
| Regarding the proposals now presented for
| England, there was every disposition on
his side to treat them in broad and
candid spirit. ["Hear, "hear!"1 The pro.
posals were too large to be criticised at
once. The house must retain absolute
liberty OF Judgment both as to the bill as a
whole and as to the details. ["Hear," I"
"hear."l Leave was thereupon given to in
! troduce the Dill.
In the lobbies OF parliament tonight the
| discussion of the local government bill
disclosed the fact that the measure meets
with general approval from the opposition,
| while, on the other hand, many of the
tories are discontented over the democratic
principle of the election Of councils in
Volved In the bill. The advanced con-
servstives are satisfied, and do not expect
| to encounter any serious opposition during
the progress of the measure.
Mr.. PernelPs arrears of rent bill will
come up in the house of commons on
Wednesday next. The bill was the subject
of discussion at a prolonged meeting of the
cabinet to-day. It is reported that the
government, under dissident threats of
desertion, has decided to deal with the
| arrears question. An urgent Parnellite
whip has been issued, in view of the posi-
BILE detection OF the unionists.
THE LORDS AND REFORM.
In the house of lords to-day Earl Rose
berry moved the appointment of a commit
tee to inquire into the constitution of the
house of lords with the view of amending
it. He said that the time had come when
q large infusion of elected peers was neces.
sary. The members might be elected
either by the proposed county councils or
by municipal councils, or by the house OF
| VI CNCu w oil bu1CCs 4uC pics
ent weakness of the house of lords was
the hereditary principle. If the peers
desired to see their influence restored they
must have recourse to the elective prin-
ciple.
Baron Wemyss moved an amendment to
the effect that it was not safe to place the
constitution of the house Of lords in the
power of committee, and that it was not
consistent with its dignity to discuss before
committee the reason of its existence. If
any changes were wanted, he said, they
ought to be made by the house of lords
itself on the motion of a minister OF the
| crown.
Lord Salisbury said he was opposed to
the reconstruction OF the house OF lords
after q fashion that was without prece-
dent. They were asked absolutely to cast
aside the principle upon which the house
of lords had always existed. II the ouse
| of lords required reform 1t could.not be re-
| formed through committee of inquiry or
through the crude proposals Of Lord Rose
berry. Hear hearl
Earl Granville attributed the agitation
against the house of lords to the manner
in which the tory majority led by Lord
Salisbury, had opposed popular measures.
Everybody who wished the usefulness OF
the peers to continue, recognized the ne
cessity of reform OF the house of lords. He
regretted that Lord Salisbury opposed a
| nonvpossumus on the question, for a con-
servative government had more power
than q liberal government to take the in
| itiative in reforming the house.
Lord Roseberry's motion was rejected,
/ 81 to so.