word is from the Anglo-Saxon ealdorman. carrying the notion of some high office as well as that of rank or dignity. In modern times aldermen are individuals invested with certain powers in municipal corporations, either as civil magistrates themselves, or as associates to the chief civil magistrates of cities or corporate towns. In the Corporatitm of London the Court of Aldermen consists of twenty-six aldermen, including the Lord Mayor. Twenty-five of these are elected for life by certain freemen of the wards. In this way twenty-four of the wards into which the city is divided send up one alderman each ; the two remaining wards send up another. The twenty-sixth alderman belongs to a twenty-seventh nominal ward, which comprehends no part of the city of London, but only the de pendency of Southwark. This alderman is not elected at all, but when the aldermancy is vacant, the other aldermen have in seniority the option of taking it ; and the alderman who does take it holds it for life, and thereby creates a vacancy as to the ward for which he formerly sat. The Lord Mayor is appointed from such of the aldermen as have served the office of sheriff. In the boroughs included in the Municipal Corporations Act, 1882, in municipal boroughs outside the County of London, the council consists of the mayor, aldermen, and councillors, elected according to custom or charter, or the provisions of the Act. The returning officer for a ward is the alderman
appointed as such for the election of councillors. If himself elected a coun cillor he vacates his scat as alderman. He cannot, as alderman, vote in the election of an alderman, and, if an out-going alderman, vote in the election of mayor (Municipal Corporations Amendment Act, 1910). He may not be a clerk in holy orders, or in the regular ministry of a dissenting congregation. County Councils under the Local Government Act, 1888, are constituted in the same way as a borough divided into wards ; the aldermen being called county aldermen. The aldermen are elected for a term of six years by the council from the councillors, or persons qualified to lie councillors, in the pro portion of one- third of the councillors. The half of the number consisting of those longest elected retire at the end of every three years. An alderman vacates his office by absence for twelve months. He may not vote for the chairman, but upon vacating his seat may be elected a councillor.