constructed which might be depended on, but as each company generally acted for itself alone and with its own employés, little real advantage resulted from the new arrangement; unity of purpose and energy of action were wholly wanting. A better organization, ably devised and manfully carried out, was ultimately achieved by Mr. Braidwood, whose heroic death in the discharge of his perilous duties is fresh in every memory. The respective companies had placed their engines and firemen under his control, and although he had but a small brigade, consisting of 120 men, at his disposal, he achieved great things. This organi. zation, however, does not in any way depend on the government; the only "official" fire-engines are those of the parish, whose efficiency cannot be taken into account.

V. Certain modifications have been introduced into the city of London corporation by the Municipal Corporation Act. The corporation is based on the old trade companies. By birth in the city, apprenticeship, and purchase, the privileges of a "freeman"* are obtained. Several trades can only be exercised in the city by becoming a member of a company. Twelve companies bear the title "honourable;" in each company there is a select body styled "the livery." By payment of a certain sum any one may become a liveryman excepting in the companies of apothecaries, clothworkers, and stationers. A citizen is termed a "freeman," and, unless he has received the honorary "freedom of the city," may be compelled to take up the livery. The fact of being a member of a livery merely grants a title to the rights of burgess, which are attained on payment of certain fees. A freeman is not subject to impressment, may discharge the office of a broker, and enjoys other small advantages. Freemen and liverymen form the "court of common-hall," which body proposes two candidates for the office of lord mayor, elects the sheriffs, the city chamberlain, the auditors of accounts, and other functionaries: the aldermen are ex officio members.

Any freeman or householder rated at £10 may vote for members to the common council and the body of aldermen; for the election of the members of the council the electors record their votes in the twenty-six wards of the city, annually, and for an

* Although the term Baron as well as Peer has been by common usage appropriated to the lords of parliament, yet anciently it was used to signify any free

man whatsoever. The freemen of the City of Londen, York, and other places, are often styled "barons" by the old his

torians.

is

alderman whenever a vacancy occurs; the aldermen who preside over the respective wards are elected for life. The lord mayor elected annually on 29th September by the aldermen. The following is the mode of conducting the election. The lord mayor, recorder, aldermen, sheriffs, and other city officers, being in their respective situations, in the place where the court of hustings is usually held, the town-clerk dictates to the common-crier the usual proclamation. The recorder then advances towards the front of the hustings, and informs the persons of the livery who are assembled, that they, of old custom, know the cause of their assembly and meeting together, is for the purpose of returning two fit and able persons to the lord mayor and aldermen, for one of them to be chosen lord mayor for the year ensuing. The course then is: the actual lord mayor, recorder, and aldermen retire to an inner chamber and there remain, with the doors closed, until the result of the show of hands be brought to them, leaving the commonserjeant, the sheriffs, the town-clerk, and other city officers on the hustings to carry on the proceedings. The common-serjeant then states shortly to the livery, to the effect of what the recorder has before said, and to put them in mind of the order to be observed in the nomination; namely, that he will have to read over to them the names of those aldermen who have served the office of sheriff, and have not served the office of lord mayor; after which the names will be put separately to them by the commoncrier, and then they will be required to hold up their hands to show upon which two of the said aldermen their nomination may fall, and these two are to be then returned to the mayor and aldermen to select from. It is then open to any voter to propose for the office a properly qualified candidate, and the nomination proceeds. It is customary to exhibit the names of the several aldermen on a board, as they are respectively named, in order to insure the names being known; and a show of hands being taken, the sheriffs declare the two names on which the majority has fallen. The aldermen finally select the mayor, their choice being usually determined according to the seniority of the candidates. The election of sheriffs often gives rise to a severe contest between two or more candidates-the election, by reason of the number of voters, often extending over many days. The voting takes place in public. The lord mayor presides over the court of common-hall and the body of aldermen; he is the

first justice of the peace, head of the city militia, justice of the criminal court of the Old Bailey, and honorary member of the Central Criminal Court. Two sheriffs are elected annually for the city, and constitute "the sheriff for Middlesex." The sheriff's court of London is still concerned with the settlement of civil disputes of an unimportant character. Coroners for London and Southwark are elected for life. As recorder of the city, a distinguished barrister is appointed by the body of aldermen, and is only removable by the courts of law; he is a judge of the Central Criminal Court, and presides in the mayor's court. The chamberlain is elected for life by the court of common-hall.

The aldermen may reject persons who are elected to their body; an appeal lies, however, to the Queen's Bench. Aldermen are justices of the peace, and two of them sit at the court held at the Guildhall. The common council has a determining voice respecting the administration of the city revenues, appointing standing committees for the purpose. In the several wards the aldermen, with the common councilmen of the district, constitute a special local board.

The city police is now organized like the police of the entire metropolis. The charges for its administration are raised by a police-rate. The city has no direct action on the poor administration, which is confided to twenty-seven poor-law unions. The paving, water supply, and cleansing of the streets are attended to by special boards. Such, in broad outlines, is the local government under which one-seventh of the British citizens are content to live.

CHAPTER VII.

THE COUNTY: ITS SUBDIVISIONS AND OFFICIALS.

Size of the Counties.-Divisions.-Prisons.-Lunatic Asylums.-County Rates.Rates for Special Purposes.

THE Counties, by reason of their historic formation, are still unequally apportioned. Sussex contains 65, Dorset 43, Yorkshire 26, and Lancashire 6, hundreds. Since the Boundary Act (7 and 8 Vict. c. 61), the county boundaries may be re-arranged. The county of York has long been divided into special districts or ridings-a corruption of "trithings," or districts comprising three hundreds under a "trithing-reeve." The North, West, and East Ridings constitute special districts, both for the police and the militia. In Lincolnshire the divisions have only separate police administration. From time immemorial, England has possessed 40 and Wales 12 counties.

Since 9 Geo. IV. c. 43, the hundreds may be newly apportioned by the quarter sessions, and receive the name of divisions; they are police administrative districts. By 6 and 7 Will. IV. c. 12, it is enacted that the divisions and poor-law unions shall be conterminous.

The prisons belong to the sovereign; no prison can be erected without consent of the sovereign. The right of having a special prison is granted by way of franchise; but as far back as the parliament of Marlebridge, seignorial prisons were forbidden.* 21 Vict. c. 22 abolished the remaining seven franchise prisons. Every county is now bound to maintain a jail and house of correction, which are inspected by the visiting justices of the peace deputed at the quarter sessions; the home secretary likewise appointing five inspectors. The prison officials are appointed at quarter sessions.

Counties and towns can be compelled to erect lunatic asylums in conformity with 16 and 17 Vict. c. 97. Justices of the peace constitute a committee of visitors, and are bound periodically to

*Coke, Inst., ii. 705.

inquire into the condition of these asylums; the charges for their maintenance are to be paid by a rate levied on the county or borough.

Charges for the prosecution of criminals, for jails, courthouses, and the police, are paid out of the county rate, which is levied like the poor-rate, and is leviable even where no poor-rate exists. The churchwardens and overseers of the poor receive them from the high-constable of the hundred, and the latter from the collectors appointed by the justices of the peace. By 55 Geo. III. c. 51, justices of the peace at the quarter sessions may impose on counties, for all past and future legal purposes, similar and other rates. Since 7 and 8 Vict. c. 33, the board of guardians claim the rate from the county treasurer. The rates are imposed by justices of the peace in open court; they compel payment by warrant of distress, and are not bound to give in a statement of accounts. Such arrangements can only be accounted for on reflecting that justices of the peace pay the highest rates in the county.