CITIES, European, Government of.—The chief features of city government in the various countries of Europe are (1) a uniform system of charter powers and organization applying to all the cities in each State; (2) a plan of close supervision of city affairs and particularly of city finances, by the central authorities; (3) the continual supremacy of the city council in the direction of municipal policy; (4) the election of the municipal executive by the city council, not by the people; and (5) the placing of ex perts in charge of all important branches of the city's administrative work.
1. England.—The English city, or borough as it is usually called, is governed under the gen eral provisions of the Municipal Corporanous Consolidation Act of 1882 (45-46 Victoria, c. 50), and amending acts. All English cities, with the exception of London, have substantially the same general powers. Their chief organ of government is the borough council, a body which varies in size and is composed of two classes of members. First, there are councillors who are elected by the wards of the city, one or more from each ward, for a three-year term. The suffrage in council elections extends to all owners and occupants of ratepaying property. Women are permitted, in certain cases, to vote at these elections though not in parliamentary elections. In the second place, there are the aldermen, who are chosen by the councillors either from among themselves or from outside, and who serve for a six-year term. The two classes, councillors and aldermen, sit together in the same chamber and form a single body, the councillors forming three-quarters of the entire membership and the aldermen one-quarter. Be tween the voting powers and the other privi leges of councillors and aldermen there is vir tually no difference, except that by custom the aldermen are usually made chairmen of the council's various standing committees.
The mayor of the English city, who serves for a one-year term only but is customarily re elected, is chosen by the council. He may be selected from among the councillors and alder men themselves or from outside. His functions are for the most part of an honorary nature. He presides at council meetings but has no special administrative powers. In certain cities
which have acquired the right this office bears the title of lord mayor.
The council is the chief organ of borough government, both legislative and administrative. It appoints all the municipal officers except one auditor, and may dismiss any of them at its pleasure. There is no system of competitive civil service appointment in English cities, yet men of good qualifications are usually appointed to municipal posts and they are not removed without proper cause. The council also enacts the municipal by-laws, determines the rate of local taxes and makes all the appropriations. Its action is also necessary for borrowing upon the city's credit. In some of these matters, however, its action is subject to the approval of a central authority known as the local govern ment board.
Through its standing committees the council also manages the various city departments, such as police, fire, water supply, sanitation, highways and public health. It does not have charge of poor relief, which is entrusted to a special authority, the board of poor law guard ians. The routine work of departmental ad ministration is given to the permanent offices, but the standing committee for each department is the intermediate, and the council is the ulti mate authority in all matters of administrative policy.
London is in a class apart. The °City') of London, which is only a small area in the heart of the metropolis, retains its ancient and intri cate system of government by a lord mayor, a court of aldermen, a court of common council, a court of common hall, sheriffs and chamberlain. The real area of London govern ment is the administrative county of London, created in and since governed by the Lon don county council of 137 members. This body has charge of main thoroughfares, fire protec tion, main drainage and other matters of gen eral importance. Within the administrative county there are 28 subsidiary borough govern ments exercising limited jurisdiction. The police administration of metropolitan London, which includes a much larger area than the county, is under the direct control of a metro politan police commissioner appointed by the Crown and who is, in turn, under the super vision of the Home Secretary.