Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-26
How London IL Governed.
CBaltimore Americana


Tn an address delivered last Tuesday,
Lord Salisbury, In speaking OF the ad-
ministratlon OF London, said 1t was ap-
parent that the government of the great
est city in the world must be changed
so az 10 give to other and smaller NUM-
cipal bodies a large part OF the duties
now performed by the London county
Council. The government, he said, IN
tended to bring the matter to the atten-
ton Of Parliament at the coming session.
Lord Salisbury said: 1.-THE present sys-
TEN is due to the modern passion for Dig
ness of things. and is too unwieidy' Inc
English move very slowly IN any changes,
An act of Parliament has TO be secured
for nearly everything. Any proposed
change i'm the government OF London
will probably provoke a long discussion,
and the result cannot be foretold.
London Is such a vast city that thou
sands who have lived there all their
lives know comparatively little about IT,
The city proper-what is called tine
city'-in reality Is a county or ITSELF
1t is neither in Mlddlesex nor In Essex
il has twenty-six wards and los parishes
The Lord Mayor is the chief presiding
officer, and the administration and Jurls-
dlction OF the city are separate pom the
other parts OF the great metropolis.
London, as an entirety, embracing an
area of only c53 acres. while the whole
metropolis area exceeds 1900 acres. The
census OF 1891 showed that the city
had but $3.50 inhabited houses, with about
1900 inhabitants-that Is, persons who
reside there day and night-which was a
little over $1,000 less than IL had in 1871.
The populat ton is. constantly decreasing,
because of the tendency OF people 10 go
t., fIas h. ufhi q
are more attractive for purposes Of resi-
dence. In 1891 the day population OF 1.-THE
city"-includins people doing business In
the section-was a little ots- 100000,
whereas the whole population within the
metropolitan police district is close 70
100000. over 1,000000 Of people pass IN
and out of the city daily for business
purposes, and the number Of business
houses Is over 25.CoO The whole metropo-
lis has over $4,000 buildings.
Many of the great improvements II
London were made between the years
1856 and 1889 by the Metropolitan Board
OF Works, which body ceased 20 exis'
on March 81, 1859, being succeeded by
tina London County Council, which was
created by an act of Parliament in 1888
This act gave the County Council many
new powers. what is called "the ad
ministrative county of London" in
cludes the city OF London and parts o
the counties Of rIiddlesex, Essex, one
| Kent. The redistribution BILL passe'
| in 1886. divided London, for purposes o
| representation in Parliament, into III
| "city proper" which has two member
| and twenty-seven metropolitan DO
| roughs, comprising fifty-seven singh
| member districts. London Uniyersit!
| also has one member In Parliament. Tn
| electoral divisions of the AdministrauV
| County OF London coincide with the par
| liamentary boroughs. two councillors be
| ing chosen by the borough franchise 10
| each division. The Council itself appoint
| nineteen aldermen, making the wnoi
| number of members 1S7. ...y,
The administration OF parts OF tn
| municipal work Of London Is vast busl
ness. The annual income OF the Londol
School Board, for instance, Is N9OOo,OV'
exclusive OF loans. This board manage
| 40 schools, which accommodate owe
40. 600 children, which, however, does nc
by any means comprise the whole scnoe
population,
The charities. such as hospitals. asy
mms etc. number 1000, upon which OF
expended annually slO,OO0,oVo, or on
average of s. for each man. woman, an
child In the great city. These are bt
examples of the work that Is absolu'el
necessary to be done in London.
Under the present system the Work
I velI done. but Lord Salsbury's idea
that great subdivision and detail al
called for. In order TO secure better r.
suits. The success or this can DC az
termIned only by experiment. In y
present form the administration OF Loi
don Is vastly superior 10 that in force
any American city. where waste ana NIL
application OF money IL the rule rath'
than the exception. In his address Loi
Salisbury asked his hearers; do yo
want TO be- governed like New York.
the answer was not recorded. but II
easy to imagine what 1t would nay
been. ,,s
There are many things In the maj
aeement OF continental cities--notabi
paris and some of the German munic
ualities-which would be profitable =
Americans to study. In this country
Is unfortunate that In tho adoption
! all reforms, especially those relating
cities, politics have TO be reckoned wit
40 long as this IS So that high form
public spirit which looks only to q
good OF tho whole people must contin
TO nerve itself to fight inch by inch {
: better things. until reforms sfe actual
: won. Here and there arc signs OF y
y proyement. but the way II not yet &c