MUNICIPAL REFORM ACTS, Escusn. The various acts passed by Parliament in the nineteenth century aiming to reform tile govern ment of the English municipalities. The Parlia mentary reform of 183•L having left untouched the notorious abuses in the English system of munic ipal government, a Parliamentaq commission was appointed the following year to investigate exhaustively the general condition of municipal corporations throughout the Kingdom. A monu mental report was made by the commission show ing that the municipal governments were in the hands of self-elected cliques; that the corporate funds were wasted: that public improvements were almost wholly neglected; that the municipal courts were corrupted and prostituted for part• purposes; and that the whole system of municipal institutions as then constituted was a source of weakness rather than of strength to the country •tt large•. The report of the commission was fol lowed by the Alunicipal Corporations Act of 1835. which has been well called "the great charter of English municipal freedom." By this net 178 bo• oughs were reformed. 125 others given corporate privileges, and provision was made for the reme dying of many defects. and the correction of the must notorious abuses of the municipal System. It admitted to the franchise all property-ow•ners and occ•tupiers of property rated at £10 peT annum, and established a uniform system of municipal organization. This scheme provided first for an
elected council. varying in size according to the population of the borough; the council was to be a bicameral body, the Cpper House consisting of a certain number of aldermen elected by the council. The act further provided for a mayor to be chosen by the body of and aldermen from among their ow•n members. The mayor. aldermen, and councilor~ were to constitute the full municipal governing body. The chief fea tures of this act have remained as the framework of the English municipal constitution: although the various acts of Parliament. passed from time to time, Modifying, in unessential particulars the municipal structure made a consolidation and revi '4011 Of the statutes neeessary. This w•as amtenplished IT the consolidated nninieipal code of 1882. By the Local Government Act of 1888 the municipal constitution was modified to the extent that cities and towns with a population of 50,000 inhabitants were made distinct coun ties for administrative purposes, the lllll »ieipal vicuuc•ils assuming all duties which would other wise devolve upon county councils. Consult: Chalmers, Local Oorersinenis (London. 1883): Goodnow. Comperstire' .1di1inistratire Law, vol. i. (New Vert:. 1897) : Shaw. Municipal Gorertv mcrit in (ireat Britain Ob., 1895). See works referred to under MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT; U NICIPALITY.