MUNICIPAL REFORM ACTS, English. The body of laws passed by the English Parlia ment since 1833 dealing with municipal fran chises, suffrage charters, etc. In the 14th and 15th centuries the municipal suffrage fell gradu ally more and more into the hands of restricted bodies of men. Notorious abuses crept into the system and the Parliamentary Reform Act of 1832 left the municipalities well nigh untouched as regarded charters, suffrage, etc. In 1833 a royal commission made an extended report on existing abuses, showing that most municipali ties were ruled by venal cliques, funds were wasted or worse, public service was negligible, municipal courts were corrupt, etc. New legis lation based on the commission's report was enacted in 1835 known as the Municipal Corpo ration Act, under which 178 boroughs were re formed and about 125 others created. The more flagrant abuses were corrected and means were provided by which other abuses might be elimi nated. The franchise was extended to all prop erty owners and occupiers of property of #10 ($50) valuation or over and a uniform system of administration was provided under which an elected council of a size proportionate to the population of the borough was made into a bi cameral body, the upper chamber to be com posed of aldermen elected by the council. The
mayor was to be chosen from among the coun cilors or aldermen by vote of both these bodies. In great part these features still con stitute the municipal constitution of England, although various modifications have been made by subsequent act of Parliament. The Consoli dated Municipal Code was passed in 1882 and six years later cities and towns with 50,000 or over population were constituted distinct coun ties, with municipal councils discharging the functions ordinarily exercised by county coun cils. Consult Chalmers, M. D., 'Local Govern ments' (London 1883) and Shaw, 'Municipal Government in Great Britain' (New York 1901).