Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-03-21
9silg ress Ind Sakptaiaa
FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
70 ESTABLISH COUNTY COUNCILS
IN ENGLAND AND WALES.

The Government Party Pays Unwilling
Homage TO tho Home Rule Principle
The Liberals win suppoSt the Measure
The London Board of Works.
LONDON, March 20.--The launching of
Mr.. Ritchie's local government bill, Gre
ating county councils TO be composed of
mel elected by rate payers, is by far the
most risky venture the Tories have yet
made, and its consideration and ultimate
disposition are fraught with great danger
to the party IN power. That portion Of
the measure dealing with licenses for
the sale of beer and spirituous liquors, is
the most dangerous of all. Nearly oil of
the previous governments that have
meddled with this question have come to
grief, even Mr.. Gladstone having been
forced to give way to Lord Salisbury on
the question of raising the tax on beer.
Remembering the fate of its predecessors
the government has already committed
itself to ~abstentfoa from disturbing the
existing licenses, promising that the bill
shall apply only to those which may be
granted after the bill becomes a law, in
the hope of appeasing mneh of the oppe-
sition; but the granting of absolute
powers to revise and issue licenses to the
newly constituted county councils, will
create q storm that may prove over
whelmiflg. The Liberals will rush the
bill to the utmost limit of their ability to
forward it, in the firm belief that both
Tory and Unionist parties will split
thereon In any event the government,
in advancing the bill, pays unwilling
homage to the. principle OF home rule.
and the measure even goes to the length
Of granting female suffrage, under GER
tain conditions. The one provision of the
bin which will meet with pretty general
favor, however, and possibly may serve
to remove the curse from some OF the
measures bnd features, Is that which
abolishes thNt monumental fraud, the
London board of works.
LONDON, March a0.--In the house Of
commons Mr.. Charles Il. Ritchie, presi-
dent Of the local government board, In
troduced q local government bill for
England and Wales. The bill proposes
the establishment of county councils, to
be elected directly by the rase payers,
n to have control of the county police
and exercise the powers now held by the
local authorities over gas and water
works, artisans, dwellings, the state of
food and drugs, sanitary conditions, etc,
and to, make advances in aid Of eInigra-
ton when there is reason for SO doing.
The bill does not interfere with the Judi
ciaa work of the magistrates, but
confers upon the new councils
oil the administrative powers of a justice
respecting rates and financial business.
INF. Richie made a long statement of
the powers and Importance of the bill. Mr..
Gladstone. called attention to the exclu-
sion of Scotland and Ireland from the
provisions of the bill. His side, he said,
would treat the measure eandidly, but
the proposals were altogether too large
to admit of immediate criticism. The
house must retain absolute liberty Of
Judgment OF both the mass and the.de-
tails Of the bill. Leave was then form
ally given to introduce the bill.