The other important branch of local govern ment with an organization of its own, and the only one not upon an elective basis, is that of the Justices of the Peace. These are gentlemen of position (now frequently including trade union officials and other prominent workmen) who are individually appointed by the Crown (the Lord Chancellor), by being included in what is termed the Commission of the Peace. In practice, however, they are almost always chosen by the Lord Lieutenant of the county, who, in most counties, defers informally to the wishes of the existing justices and is now aided by an advisory committee of justices; Thus, the Benches" are, in effect, re cruited to a great extent by an informal sys tem of co-optation. The principal function of the justices is that of acting as magistrates. Any one justice can issue summonses to appear and warrants to the police for the apprehension of offenders; any two within each county can hold a petty criminal court (°Petty Sessions"), with power to inflict sentences of fine and short terms of imprisonment (subject to appeal to Quarter Sessions), or to commit to prison pending trial at a higher court; and once a quarter, the meeting of justices in °Quarter Sessions" forms a criminal court trying, with a jury, all but the most serious crimes, such as murder and grave felonies. At Divisional Ses sions, the justices license retailers of alcoholic drink, nominally at their discretion, but really without effective powers of refusing the re newal of existing licenses, except for grave misconduct. A recent statute enables them to award compensation, charged by a special rate on the district concerned, to the holders of licenses which they withdraw merely on the round that they are unnecessary. Finally, the Justices in Quarter Sessions, by nominating half the members of the standing joint committee (the County Council sending the other half) go far to control the county police force. It should be said that a slight elective element is infused into the County Benches by the fact that the chairmen of the urban district councils are ex officio justices. The county boroughs, and also most of the smaller municipalities, have commissions of the peace separate from those of the counties, and the Justices of the Peace so appointed usually comprise the mayor for the time being, and some leading members of the town council. They have the same judicial
and licensing powers (though no control over the borough police force); but in most towns of any size they perform few judicial duties. In many towns there is also a stipendiary professional police magistrate, appointed by the Crown (Home Office) at the request and at the expense of the town council, who relieves the justices of the police court work In towns having their own Court of Quarter Sessions, the duties of judge are performed by the recorder, also appointed by the Crown (Lord Chancellor), who is always a barrister of posi tion, merely visiting the town for the purpose of holding the quarterly court, and receiving for this duty a small annual stipend.
There remain to be mentioned certain local authorities standing outside the general system. Mention has already been made of the Port of London Authority. At Liverpool and some other ports the port is managed by a harbor trust or board, usually elected by the payers of dock or port dues, including the shipowners, with more or less representation of other local gov erning bodies. The Mersey Docks and Harbor Board, as the Liverpool port authority is called, administers a series of docks representing a capital outlay of some £30,000,000 sterling. Besides the Metropolitan Water Board, there are a few other special water authorities. There are also a few federal bodies, made up of con tiguous local authorities for the joint manage ment of water, drainage, asylums or hospitals. In low-lying' or marsh districts there are 300 ancient bodies called commissioners of sewers, appointed in form by the Crown (Lord Chan cellor), but practically renewing themselves by co-optation. These bodies maintain the seawalls, sluices and embankments, enforcing on the neighboring landowners their obligations of tenure, and levying on them the cost of neces sary common works. The most exceptional of these authorities is that of Romney Marsh, in Kent, where the owners for the time being of 23 ancient estates are, by themselves or their deputies, of the Level," with extensive taxing and judicial powers for the maintenance of the great seawall.