New-York tribune., 1899-03-12
LONDON NOTES.
AN ATTEMPT TO SUPPLY THE ANCIENT
CITY OF WESTMINSTER WITH CITI-
ZENS-A NIGHT AT APOTHECARIES'
HALL WITH RARE BEN JONSON.
London, February %. 1899.

been introduced this week as the chief measure
Of the session. only be discussed tentatively
until the full text is printed. Mr.. Balfour, who
has never taken an active interest in metropolis
tan questions, undertook to explain its genera
trend, but il was evident that he had crammeC
under a coach from the Local Government ofc,
and had not thoroughly digested his informa
tion. The new leader of the Opposition frankly
confessed that he was not conversant either
with the present position or with the past his
tory Of the metropolis. The only luminous
speeches Of the first debate were made by Mr.
John Burns and Mr.. Courtney, who exposed The
real character OF the measure as feeble com
promise with two negatives IT neither attacks
the County Council nor the d-time Corporation
Of the City OF London and consequently cannot
| be regarded anything like final settlement
Of the complex question of the local govern
ment Of the metropolis. 1t leaves the ancient
city with its medieval livered companies and
modern monopolies untouched, and that is the
chief barrier against metropolitan unity and
municipal reform. 1t creates sixteen mu-
inequalities with mayors and aldermen but fails
TO them with functions which will render
them much more important than the existing
vestries.
The operation Of this measure may be illus
trated with reference to Westminster, a city al
most as ancient the London Of the Guilds,
but which has never had any form Of mu-
nicipal organization. The Government propose
to create a Greater Westminster by bringing
under single scheme of local government the
areas now controlled by the vestries Of St.
Margaret st. John, St George GIanover
Square,, ST. James, st. Martin and the Strand
District Board. This large quarter will be con
verted into city with a Mayor and Board Of
Aldermen, but although 1t will have popula-
tiOn Of two hundred thousand and a ratable
valuation Of about $250000O0 the new mu-
ncipal authorities will have few Of the powers
ordinarily vested in civic corporation. They
will not control the police. nor regulate the gas
and water supply, nor have charge OF any great
public works. Whatever may be the boundaries
Of the Greater Westminster and the titles and
conditions Of election of the new civic author
tiles it will be a centre of sub administration
not easily to be distinguished from vestrydom
and entirely subordinate to the London County
Council. Mr.. Courtney properly described the
measure good one so far as il went, but
as in reality only a preparation for legislation
Of far greater Importance
A MAYOR OF WESTMINSTER.
There may be a Mayor Of Westminster but he
will be one among sixteen artifcially decorated
fgurehcads Of vestrydom, not one Of whom can
rival in dignity and state the Lord Mayor of
London The Town Hall Of Westminster will
remain insignificant in comparison with the
ancient Guild Hall, and the Aldermen Will be lit
tie better than vestrymen, and not in any real
sense trustees or vested with metropolitan
powers The City Corporation at the noble old
Guild Hall. while controlling a much smaller
district, with a resident population Of barely
thrty-scven thousand, will be superior in every
respect to the proposed Corporation Of West
minister. Ii exercises great trusts for the
metropolis administers large estates. owns the
principal markets. regulates the bridge-hOuses,
and with its constituent guilds is nucleus Of
privileged monopolies holding Greater London
at its mercy and blocking the development Of
those progressive municipal policies which have
been carried out with splendid success in pro-
vincial England and Scotland. Mr. Courtney
had been at the head Of the Royal Commission
of 1894 which recommended a complete and
statesmanlke scheme for the unhcation Of Lon
don He perceived the hollowness Of this make
shift for the simple sub administration system
advocated hy that Commission. and declared
that it Was almost udicrous TO witness the re-
spect paid to the City Of London and the fear
and anxiety displayed by a powerful Govern
ment in dealing with that ancient institution
Mr. Balfour became almost grandiloquent in
referring to the reconstruction Of the ancient
CITY If Westminster which had played great
rart in English history. without ever having the
sernbIance # municipal organization. He spoke
Of the dignity which the reconstructed city
would have when new municipal constitution
was created for il. and also Of the incalculablc
benefits to be derived from the development Of
he authority Of new institutions Of local gov