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THE

COUNCILLORS' HANDBOOK:

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE

ELECTION AND BUSINESS OF A COUNTY COUNCIL.

BY

NICHOLAS HERBERT,

AND

A. F. JENKIN, B.A.,

Of the Inner Temple, Barrister-at-Law.

TO WHICH IS APPENDED

The Local Government Act, 1888; the County Electors Act, 1888;
the Incorporated Clauses of the

Municipal Corporations Act, 1882; and the

Municipal Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Practices) Act, 1884.

SECOND EDITION.

LONDON:

HADDEN, BEST & CO.,

WEST HARDING STREET, FETTER LANE, E.C.,
Local Government Publishers.

1888,

PREFACE.

IN preparing this work on the Local Government Act, our aim has been to place before our readers a practical account of the system of county government which will be introduced by that great measure, in such a form as to be useful to all persons interested in the subject, including those who are but slightly acquainted with the system of local government in this country.

Keeping that object in view we have, although the Act deals chiefly with counties and to a certain extent with boroughs, introduced brief descriptions of the system of government in Parishes, Unions, Sanitary Districts, and other areas, in order to render thoroughly clear the relations between the new County Councils and other local authorities.

The County Councils are entirely new bodies, and will have to take over business of great complexity from various existing authorities; we have accordingly devoted an entire chapter to the proceedings of the first County Councils to be elected, and have in that chapter drawn attention to the effect of the general provisions of the Act in connection with the transfer of each class of business which the County Councils will take over from other authorities.

The provisions of the Act with regard to county finance and local boundaries are of a somewhat complicated nature, and of great importance; to each of these subjects we have devoted a separate chapter.

The number and bulk of the Statutes dealing with business which will be transacted by County Councils is so great, that the task of compression has been one of much difficulty. Our object has been to

avoid going at any length into questions in respect to which legal assistance will be necessary, while endeavouring to give a summary of the practical effect of the statutes mentioned.

The Local Government Act, 1888; the County Electors Act, 1888; and portions of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1882, which are incorporated with the former measure, are given at length at the end of the work.

A copious Index has been prepared, referring not only to the body of the work, but also to the Acts, which we are hopeful will prove of use to all persons having occasion to refer to those Acts.

7, CROWN OFfice Row,

TEMPLE, E.C.,
August, 1888.

NICHOLAS HERBERT,

AUSTIN F. JENKIN.

NOTE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

In preparing the present edition of the COUNCILLORS' HANDBOOK, we have taken occasion to revise the body of the work. To the matter contained in the appendices we have added the text of the Municipal Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Practices) Act, 1884, which forms, as it were, a supplement to the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1882, dealing with corruption at elections and election petitions. The Index also has been considerably enlarged. N. H. A. F. J.

November, 1888,

CONTENTS.

PAGE

CHAP. II.-Proceedings of first County Council

Proceedings of the Provisional Council; local extent of the
authority of a County Council; adjustment of property and
liabilities; transfer of business to the County Council; and the
effect of the Act on the officers of local authorities appointed
before the passing of the Act.

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County Fund; Accounts of County Council; distribution of

the Local Taxation Licences and the Probate Duty Grant ;

Rating; preparation of County Rate Basis; discontinuance of
certain "grants in aid"; and raising of Loans by County Council

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Boundaries of local government areas; and the powers of Local
Government Board, and County Councils, &c., for altering them.

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