I :0N ERNNIENT. The chief executive officer for the government of Ireland is the Lord Lieutenant, who is assisted by a Privy Council. Ile is the personal representative of the Crown, and as such occupies a viceregal position. the maintenance of which is elide( function. For this purpose lie receives a yearly allowance of 120,000. The actual conduct of the government devolves upon the Chief Secretary for Ireland, who is president of the Irish Local Government Board, a member of the Douse of Commons, and, when Irish affairs are prominent in the debates, is a member of the Cabinet, and its such is chiefly responsilde to Par liament for the manner in which the government of the island is administered.
Since the Act of Union (1800) Ireland has been without a Parliament of its OW11, limit is repre sented in the British ]louse of Lords by twenty eight temporal pec•s chosen by the W hole body of Irish peers, and in the House of Commons by 103 commoners chosen by an electorate tially the same as, that by which English coin 11101141'A are elected. namely, a household and lodger franchise. See ;NEAT BRITAIN.
The judicial system of Ireland is modeled upon that of England, and the Irish courts adminis ter English municipal law. The chief judicial tribunal of the island is the Supreme Court of Judicature. \Odell has two divisions—the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal. There are also a nigh Court of Admiralty. a Court of Bankruptcy. and a Land Commissioner's Court. The Douse of Lord, is the final court of appeal from the decisions of the Irish courts. :Minor offenses are tried by two justices of the peace.
Local government in Ireland has been revolu tionized by the Irish Local Government Act, of 1898, which undertook to collect, simplify, and adapt the mass of English and Irish legisla tion on the subject. Until then the chief county authority was the grand jury. By the net of ISOS this was replaced by a popularly elected council. chosen for a term of three years. The lower administrative units. boroughs and urban and rural districts, were likewise given elective councils. Affairs formerly attended to by grand juries and presentment sessions. such as relate to poor relief. highways, piddle health. and local institutions, are now administered by the coun cils. The larger cities were erected into 'county boroughs,' which are exempt from certain of the provisions of the Local Government Act.
Incorporated boroughs have a mayor, alder men, and eouneil. while those which are unin corporated are governed by commissioners. The borough councils have charge of such local mat t( rs as lighting, watching, sanitation. etc. Tho local councils are all subject to the supervisory authority of the Local Government Board. con sisting of the Chief Secretary, the Under-Secre tary, and four eommissioners. It advises, di rects, and controls the action of the councils in many particulars. It approves or rejects the appointment of officials nominated by the conn cils, fixes salaries, and regulates their term of service. The four commissioners of the board are appointed by the Lord Lieutenant and large salaries for their services.