in the area represented by the London County Council. There can be little doubt that it ought to be so included if the same rule is applied to it that has been applied to other outlying portions of the administrative county as it now exists. The 118 elective members do not fully constitute the Council. In addition to the councillors there are 19 aldermen elected by the popularly elected councillors. Moreover, the chairman of the Council may be elected from outside the Council, thus making up, in this event, 138 members.

Having indicated the character of the various municipal bodies in Greater London, I proceed to give a bird's-eye view of their functions. In doing this it will be convenient to consider these bodies in their increasing order of importance, namely: (1) Minor Vestries; (2) Incorporated Vestries and District Boards; (3) London County Council. As soon as the related labours of these bodies have been indicated, without the introduction of confusing detail, it will be possible to realize the necessary lines of reform and the natural allocation of governmental functions.

The

First then as to the minor vestries of London. popular supposition that these bodies are mere parochial debating societies without power is by no means accurate. It is true that in some cases these vestries have very little power; but it is also true that in other cases they are bodies of the most considerable importance. The following description of their actual and their possible powers will shew this. The minor vestry elects from itself a certain proportion of the members of the district boar: and consequently the effectiveness of the local sanitary authority depends entirely on the class of persons elected to the minor vestry and on the wisdom shewn by the vestry in choosing its delegates to the district board. The vestry has certain functions in connection with parish charities; it elects at least one of the churchwardens; it possesses certain duties, powers and privileges relating to the parish

church; it elects commissioners of baths and washhouses and the burial board, where Acts necessitating such commissioners or board have been adopted by the parish; under sect. 33 of the Local Government Act, 1894, the Local Government Board can confer upon a minor vestry the appointment of overseers and assistant overseers, or the powers of overseers, or of a parish council. It is clear, therefore, that a minor vestry might be invested with very extensive powers, including the direct adoption of the Baths and Washhouses Acts, 1846-1882; the Burial Acts, 18521885; the Public Improvements Act, 1860; and the Public Libraries Act, 1892. As a matter of fact, certain of the minor vestries are already in possession of powers conferred on them by the Local Government Board in pursuance of the Act of 1894. In addition to the actual or potential powers above enumerated, many of the minor vestries possess large powers under local Acts. It will perhaps be not uninstructive to make a reference to the Acts by which the Greenwich Vestry and the Vestries of St. Nicholas and St. Paul, Deptford, are regulated. By 9 George IV., c. 43, the Greenwich Vestry exercised extensive powers as to the making of rates, the employment and government of the poor, the repairing of highways and street cleansing, and the protection of the parish from fire. The Poor Law Act, 1834, and the Metropolis Management Act, 1855, by the creation of boards of guardians and district boards, took implicitly or directly from the vestry most of its powers with respect to the poor and sanitation. But other powers still remain. Thus the churchwardens and overseers, in conjunction with the vestry, have power to make, and do actually make the poor rate and parish rates which must be allowed by the justices. The churchwardens, overseers and governors and directors of the poor have power to compound with any owner or occupier of houses or land for payment of the rates at such reduced rental, within certain

limitations, as they think reasonable; and they have further statutory power to exonerate and relieve any poor person from the payment of all or any part of the rates for such time and to such extent as they shall believe such poor person to be incapable of paying. This power of remitting rates is probably unique. The governors and directors of the poor are a body of "Twenty-one substantial and discreet persons, residing, having property in, and being assessed to the rates," appointed by the churchwardens, the overseers, and the vestry, for the purpose of carrying into execution the powers of the Act. Moreover, the churchwardens, overseers and governors and directors can spend such money as they think "necessary and expedient for the purposes of the Act."

By an unnumbered Act of 27 George II., the Vestries of St. Paul and St. Nicholas, Deptford, each make their parish and poor rates, and appoint governors and directors —“substantial and discreet persons" residing in the parish, but without further qualification-to disburse the rates.

It seems clear that in any scheme of reform extremely careful consideration will have to be given to the position and powers of and the private Acts governing these minor vestries.

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Of course,

I now turn to the local sanitary authorities incorporated vestries and district boards. where the sanitary authority is also a vestry it possesses most of the powers enumerated above as belonging to a minor vestry. But the local sanitary authority exercises other and vastly important functions. By the Act of 1855 (sect. 90) all the duties, powers, and authorities that existed before the Act relating to lighting, watering, cleansing, or improving any parish, and all other duties, powers, and authorities relating to the regulation, government, or concerns of the parish (other than those relating to the poor or to the affairs of the church) were vested in the sanitary

authority. Such authority can buy land for the purposes of the Act, can cause existing streets and new streets to be paved, can borrow money for street improvements, can stop streets and can break up highways during the execution of requisite works. All sewers, except main sewers, are vested in the sanitary authority, who must repair them and provide new ones when necessity arises. The authority has power to compel owners to connect with the common sewer; and no house can be built for habitation without drains constructed to the satisfaction of the authority. Local improvements can be undertaken with the consent of the County Council by section 72 of the Act of 1862. By the Electric Lighting Act, 1888, the supply of electric light in a district requires as a rule the consent of the sanitary authority, and the undertaking can be purchased by it. The authority has, moreover, considerable powers under the Metropolitan Gas Act, 1860. It was the local authority for the purposes of the Artisans' and Labourers' Dwelling Act, 1868, now repealed, and is the local authority under the London Building Act, 1894. Under sect. 41 of the Local Government Act, 1888, it is an urban authority with respect to main roads. It is the sanitary authority under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and as such it deals with general and particular nuisances, with offensive trades, smoke consumption, sanitation, provision of public lavatories and conveniences, cleansing of streets, unsound food, the provision of water to houses, the notification of infectious diseases, with the making of bye-laws to secure the cleanliness of tanks and cisterns. It has to provide for the cleansing and disinfection of infected bedding, premises and rubbish, for the closing of underground rooms, and for the carrying out of the epidemic regulations of the Local Government Board. The sanitary authority is, moreover, the authority for enforcing the provisions of the Canal Boats Acts, 1877-1884; it is a local authority under

the Factory Factory and Workshop Acts, 1878-1883, the Margarine Act, 1887, and the Sale of Horseflesh Act, 1889; and it appoints analysts under Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1875. It is a local authority under the Public Health Act, 1875, where it applies to the Metropolis, and Part II. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890. It appoints the library authority under the Public Libraries Act, 1892, and may itself, under the Local Government Act, 1894, become that authority. It has considerable powers under the Metropolis Water Act, 1897, and under the Cleansing of Persons Act, 1897. This brief analysis of the functions of the incorporated vestries and district boards of the Metropolis shew how extensive and how heterogeneous are the powers vested in them, and the vital necessity that they should be really representative bodies, working without fear or favour for the good of their district.

I now turn to glance at the multitudinous labours of the central municipal body. The statement in "Firth and Simpson on London Government" (published soon after the passing of the Local Government Act, 1888), as to the work performed by the Metropolitan Board of Works is extremely striking. That board "came into existence on January 1st, 1856, and it will pass away on April 1st, 1889, having had a life of thirty-three years and three months. During that period it has exercised an enormous influence on the municipal affairs of London. It has constructed a main drainage system at a cost of more than six millions and a-half: embanked the Thames: freed most of the bridges from toll: constructed vast arteries of street communication established and maintained 2,603 acres of parks and open spaces free to the public for ever: exercised a controlling jurisdiction over the half-million buildings of London cleared vast insanitary areas: and in many other ways discharged under more than 120 Acts of Parliament