New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-11-02
LoND0Ns MUNICIPAL EVOLUTION.


Revolution and evolution both are the effect
of yesterdays elections in the British metrop-
oils. 1t is revolution TO rid the city at last Of
the Vestry system which for years has been the
butt of ridicule-as Bumbledom-and the pro-
vocative theme of caustic criticism. 1t is evolu-
ton for the city to take this long step forward
toward q uniform. harmonious and logical form
of municipal government. The latter is some
thing it never yet has had Under the system
which now goes into force It bids fair to secure
it. We speak, for convenience. of London Il
city It is in fact no such thing. There is a
City of London, with its Lord Mayor. But that
is something entirely apart from that which
we are now discussing. 1t IS a petty affair,
with a population of about thirty thousand.
The great metropolis with its nearly or quite
FIVE million inhabitants, is not a city, but an
administrative county, divided into boroughs,
vestries and wards. Hitherto ii has been gov
erned by some forty-seven vestries and district
boards, with an aggregate membership Of 5,2S3.
And these vestries and boards have been indie
pendent Of each other and generally quite re
CARELESS of each other, that there has been
nothing like concerted action among them.
That state of affairs not surprising, when
consider the origin OF it. 1t arose from the
old village or parish governments, London be-
d
widely separated but now grown together. 1t
has been there just 1t would have been here
had Harlem, Yorkville. Greenwich. Blooming
dale Carmansville, Fordham and all the rest
maintained their separate, local systems Of gov
eminent.
The first important attempt to unity the
metropolitan municipality was made in the
creation Of the County Of London and the estab-
lishment OF the County Council This latter,
which is not to be disturbed by the new sys-
TEN, is a general legislative body for the whole
metropolis. But IL found early in its
career that it was simply impossible for it TO
attend to all the details Of local admlnistra-
ton. just as 1t would be for Congress to look
after every bit Of county or township business
in the United States. vast amount of work
and authority had, therefore, to be left to the
Vestries. The present undertaking is to abolish
the vestries and to put into their places a sys-
TEN Of local governments all organized on the
same plan aud all bound, in their very con-
stitutoD, to work together with some degree
Of harmony. Instead Of forty seven vestries
and boards there will henceforth be twenty
eight boroughs, divided into no less than 200
wards. Each borough will have its Mayor. Al
dermen and Council. There will be in all
twenty-eight Mayors. OPT Aldermen and 1862
magnates of Bumbledom. The Councillors are
apportioned among the boroughs according to
population. They are elected for three years,
and one-third Of them will retire every year.
The Aldermen will be elected by the Councillors,
for six years, half of them retiring every three
years. and there will he Alderman to every
six Councillors. The Mayor will also be elected
by the Councillors for a term Of one year.
The Councillors were elected yesterday. They
will meet and elect Aldermen and Mayors a
week from to-day.
These borough governments will exercise all
the powers Of the old vestries and others in
addition. They will have almost full control
Of assessments and taxation, and they will have
the spending of large share of the moneys
collected. Among the laws which they will adj
minister are those relating to public libraries,
baths and washhouses, burials. wooden build
ings street signs and distractions. the acquir-
ing of land and erection of lodging houses,
dairy inspection and n great mass of similar
details. We have said the Councils will exer-
else the powers of the vestries There is an
exception to that rule. They will have nothing
TO do with Church matters, which will be left
to the vestries of old, and on the other hand
the church wardens will not be ex officio mem
bers Of the Councils, nor STill they have any
thing to do with the local governments save
as they may be elected to office as other men
are. In brief. there will be in local affairs
complete separation Of Church and municipal-
ity Such are the broad features of the new
system Of municipal government upon which
the largest city in the world now enters. II
is well worthy of study by those interested in
municipal government the world over. and its
practical results will be watched with curiosity
and with profit.