Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1903-03-12
LONDON'S ALDERMEN.
Councilmen Who Are Of Excep.
tional Mental Attainment
WARP Contrast Between Municipal Gev.
eminent In America and England
Personnel of the EnglAh
Board.

tefBOnnel OF the English
Board.
The organization of the council is of
type quite familiar to English citizens
threngh their city charters, but strange
to Americans. OF its one hundred and
thirty-seven members, one hundred and
eighteen are councillors, elected by the
parliamentary constituencies of Lon
Ion, twou from each constituency and
four from the ancient city. The nineteen
remaining members, or about one-sev-
enth OF the whole body, are of the So
called aldermanic rank. These alder
men, writes G. L. Fox in the Yale Re-
view, are chosen in two divisions trien-.
nially for term Of six years, by the
council, elected itself only for three
years, and in this matter acting as an
electoral college. The electorate which
chooses the council differs from that of
the same area whose representatives
sit in the house of commons. Peers or
women who are householders or rate
payers may vote for councillors, while a
certain class Of parliamentary voters
are excluded from the council register,
and plural voting, that is, voting in
different electoral districts by the same
elector-a system which prevails in the
elections for the house of commons-is
forbidden in council elections. The
main basis of suffrage for the. council is
the payment of an annual rate, that is,
local taxes. which are paid by occupiers
to overseers of the poor. while those in
service and dodgers, although they vote
at parliamentary elections, are ey-
cluded from the council electorate.
Practically all legally qualified electors
are eligible to membership in the coun-
ell except women.
The particular features of the council
which impress an American as in sharp
contrast with our own forms of munic-
ipal government are these: The alder
manic rank; the fact that all elected
councillors are elected for three years
and go out of Office at one time: the
absence of any qualification requiring
residence in constituency on the part
OF councillor; and the concentration of
all power in single body, which,
within the limited sphere of its
functions, exercises both executive and
legislative powers combined. The per-
sonnet of all the councils thus far has
been notable and of high quality. The
success of the first council in organizing
the machinery and in starting the
wheels OF municipal government in
London was largely due to the abilities
and laborious devotion of Lord Rose
berry. He was chairman of the first
council during most of it's existence
His successor was Sir John Lubbock,
the eminent banker, writer and mem
Der of parliament. The next chair
man, Sir John Hutton, presided over
the council longer than his predeces-
sors. He devoted all his time to the
work OF the council and was an admir-
able, businesslike chairman. The
chairman of the new council, Arthur
Arnold, is a brother of Sir Edwin
Arnold, a former member of parliament
and writer on economic topics
whose books on Through Persia
by Caravan" and ''Social Poll
tics" are known little in this
country. He is not at present a mem
Der of the council, but was alderman in
the first two councils. Frederic Har.
rison was an alderman for several
years, and his brother, Charles Harri
son, prominent solicitor, is one of the
most tireless workers of the council
and was vice chairman of the last one
The council soon after its organization
divided into two parties, namely, the
progressives, who favor radical reform
and the moderates, who opposed most
OF the measures of the progressives
Naturally, most of the members are
from the middle and upper classes o
London, but the wage-earners and la
borers are also represented. In thu
FIRST council John Burns was about tn,
only labor member, but in the secont
he had dozen colleagues in the labo
interest. In each council there ha
been an average of a half dozen peers
usually peers Of the right sort, namely
those who have won their title and pc
sition in the house of lords by their owl
brains and energy and have not had tn
t distinction thrust upon them by the &C
cident of birth. The moderate victor
in the last election has brought int
the council chamber some peers of tn
latter sort, and it remains to be see
whether the earl of Dunraven ant
Lord Montmorries will give to London
needs as much able and devoted effor
: rs Lord Farrar and Lord Welby hav
done.
About one-sixth of each council hav
: been graduates of Oxford or Can
bridge. In occupation a large majorit
of the members are active or retire
R bankers, lawyers, including both bal
risters and solicitors, merchants, maj
- ufac turers and doctors, with som
t. young men Of the Arnold Toynbe
type, who, inheritors OF wealth an
leisure, find their pleasure in the SER
ice of the municipality. The membe
ship of the council is not only for thos
who sit in the chamber at spring ga
3 dens. but for those who are conspic'
GUS for their absence. That bane
e municipal governments in America, IL
saloon keeper, who is known in En-
2 land as the publican, is rarely four
: there as a municipal legislator. OF IL
whole plumber of one hundred an
thirty-seven the liquor interest was o
tensibly represented in the first counc
by one stray brewer, and in the secor
BY only one whisky distiller and tv
ex.nublicans To the London mode