The control of the jurisdiction now exercised by the Metropo- Artizans' litan Board of Works over artizans' dwellings might be under- dwellings. taken either by a separate committee or by a subdivision of the "Improvements Committee." The board have no "Corporate Property" committee. It Corporate would seem desirable that some committee should concern itself property with the disposal of the surplus land of the board, valued in committee. December, 1887, at more than two millions sterling. In one great provincial corporation an annual return is prepared of all corporate property and surplus lands, shewing the purpose for which it was acquired, the date of acquirement, the area, and the situation and description. This epitome is given to each member of the council, and proves extremely useful. A "Sanitary Committee" is now appointed in most corpora- Sanitary tions. Its functions in London would be to deal with slaughter- committee. houses, offensive businesses, infant life protection, &c., and with various matters affecting the health of the people. In the Metropolitan Board of Works the "Special Purposes Committee " is made the sanitary committee. The Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act of 1878 requires the Contagious "local authority" under the Act to appoint an executive com- diseases, mittee. The Metropolitan Board have appointed such a com- animals, mittee, consisting of all the members of their special purposes committee. Its duty is to carry out the provisions of the Cattle Diseases Acts, and the orders made thereunder. committee. The board have a "Bridges Committee." To such a committee Bridges would be given the control of all questions arising in connection committee. with the bridges, which are now in the hands of the board. These include all inter-metropolitan traffic bridges, except London, Southwark, and Blackfriars Bridges, which are controlled by the City. It might also undertake the powers under the Thames Floods Prevention Act. committee. A "Law and Parliamentary Committee" would watch bills Law and introduced into Parliament affecting the metropolis, and where parliasuch bills affect the interests of ratepayers would take such mentary course in the way of opposition or attempted modification as might be advised; it would receive from the finance committee the draft of the yearly Money Bill, and settle the same; prepare various and further powers bills, and arrange for their promotion in Parliament; and control and direct the legal staff and any legal proceedings of the council. There is a statutory " Appeal Committee" of the Metropolitan Appeal Board,' but its functions are very limited. They are set out at committee. the end of Chapter V. It seems to be the duty of the council to appoint such a committee.1 The Act provides that one committee may be appointed for Lunatic the management and control of all county asylums. Previously asylums 1 See M. M. A., 1855, sec. 212. 2 L. G. A., sec. 3 (vi.) and notes, post, and sec. 86 (6). committee. Reformatory and indus trial schools committee. Special purposes committee. to the passing of the Act it was necessary to have a separate committee for each asylum.' The committee so appointed may appoint sub-committees. A "Reformatory and Industrial Schools Committee" might be appointed to deal with the jurisdiction transferred from the counties as to establishing, maintaining, and contributing to reformatory and industrial schools.2 There are a number of minor jurisdictions of the Board of Works which are not sufficient of themselves to employ a committee, but which might be referred to a "Special Purposes Committee;" such as the control in respect of petroleum sale and storage, explosive substances, and gas-testing. This control is now undertaken by the "special purposes committee" of the Board of Works. This summary of committees is not exhaustive, and the work may very probably be found to be usefully divided amongst a larger number. The "Finance Committee" is under the Act a statutory committee, and its duties and functions have been fully discussed in Chapter IV. 1 See 16 & 17 Vict. c. 97, sec. 23. CHAPTER VII. JUDICIAL ARRANGEMENTS. Commission of the Peace. THE necessary consequence of the creation of the new county Grant of of London is the grant of a commission of the peace and court commission. of quarter sessions to the county. Such commission may be granted at any time after the passing of the Act, but if granted before the 1st of April, 1889, it will until that day be provisional only, and the justices acting under it will in the meantime act provisionally for the purpose of bringing the Act into operation on that day. For this purpose they may make all necessary arrangements and may appoint committees, either alone or jointly with any quarter sessions or provisional council.3 London. The county of London being the metropolitan area outside the Effect on City, this grant of a commission of the peace for the county of city of London will not in any way affect the jurisdiction of the Lord Mayor and aldermen as justices for the city of London. The Act, however, provides that with the consent of the corporation of the City, the City may be made subject to the jurisdiction of the justices and court of quarter sessions of the rest of London. The Act provides that every person who on the appointed day Existing is a justice of the peace for Middlesex, Surrey, Kent, the liberty justices. and city of Westminster, or the liberty of the Tower, shall," if and so long as he is resident or occupies property in the county of London be a justice of the peace for that county as if he were assigned by a commission of the peace." It will therefore not be necessary for such person to be included in the commission of the peace for London-it will be sufficient if he continues to reside or occupy property in the county. The provision however does not apply to the existing clerk of the peace for Surrey, who is a justice of the peace for Kent, or to any other justice of the peace for Surrey, Kent, or Middlesex, so long as he holds any office connected with the court of quarter sessions of the county of London." 1 L. G. A., sec. 40 (2). 2 Ibid., sec. 115 (1). The existing clerk of the peace for Middlesex, will act as clerk to the justices for London when acting provisionally : ibid., sec. 115 (4). 3 Ibid., sec. 115 (1). 4 Ibid., sec. 40 (3). 5 L. G. A., sec. 117 (1). 6 Ibid., sec. 117 (2). Time of holding. Existing arrangements. Appeals. New scheme. The existing justices complying with the condition as to residence or occupation, become therefore justices for the county of London, but they may be removed by the Lord Chancellor in the same manner as if they had been named in a commission of the peace.1 The metropolitan police magistrates, and the commissioner and assistant-commissioners of the metropolitan police will also be justices for the county of London.2 The existing justices for Middlesex, Surrey, or Kent, will at present continue to be justices for those counties respectively,3 but it is apprehended that on the issue of new commissions for those counties, persons not having a property qualification in the new counties would not be named in the commissions. Quarter Sessions. The London Council may, with the approval of a secretary of state, direct that separate courts of quarter sessions may be held at different parts of London at the same time, and every court of general sessions of the peace for the county of London and every adjournment of such court is to have the same jurisdiction as a court of quarter sessions. The existing arrangements as to the holding of courts of quarter sessions will as far as possible, for the present, be continued. Subject to any directions by the court of quarter sessions the cases triable at quarter sessions, which arise on the north side of the Thames will be tried at Clerkenwell, and those arising south of the Thames will be tried at Newington; but every court, no matter in what part of London it is held, will have full power to try any case arising in the county of London.5 Appeals will continue to be heard at Westminster and other places in London as at present, or at such of those places as the London Council may from time to time appoint. The whole of these arrangements, however, as to the holding of quarter sessions are subject to alteration by the new London Council. The London Council may from time to time submit to a secretary of state a scheme for regulating the holding of courts of quarter sessions in London. Such scheme may provide for the holding of the courts, either at one place or at different places, and in the latter case either at the same time or at different times.8 Such scheme may also make provisions for 1 L. G. A., sec. 117 (4). 2 Ibid., sec. 95. 3 L. G. A., sec. 117 (1). 4 The effect of this would appear to be that prisoners from such part of the old county of Kent as was situate in the metropolis will at present be tried at Newington. The present clerk of the peace for Surrey will act as the clerk of the peace at Newington: see L. G. A., sec. 118 (10). 5 L. G. A., sec. 116. 7 L. G. A., sec. 42 (7). Ibid., sec. 116 (a). 8 Ibid. determining the legal character of each session held, and for making regulations respecting committals for trial, recognizances, depositions, and other matters. When approved by a secretary of state the scheme must be published in the London Gazette, and thereupon it will take effect.2 The existing assistant judge of the Middlesex Sessions will be Chairman. the first chairman of the London court of quarter sessions, and the London Council must pay him such salary, not less than his present salary, as the Crown on the petition of the council may assign.3 So long as he holds the office of chairman of the London quarter sessions he will retain his present power of appointing a deputy assistant judge, but future chairmen will not have this power. The power of appointing additional deputy chairmen and of Future making future appointments to the office of chairman of the chairmen and deputies. London quarter sessions is vested in the Crown. Such appointments may be made upon the petition of the London Council, and the London Council must pay the person appointed such yearly salary (not exceeding that stated in the petition) as Her Majesty directs. The person appointed must be a barrister of not less than ten years' standing, and during his office he is ineligible to serve in Parliament and cannot practise as a barrister." tion. It will be the duty of the London Council to provide such Provision of accommodation, and rooms, and such furniture, books, and other accommodathings as the standing joint committee may from time to time determine to be necessary and proper for the due transaction of the business, and convenient keeping of the records and documents of the quarter sessions, and justices out of sessions, or of any committee of such quarter sessions or justices. 8 The business of quarter sessions in the new county of London Future will in future be greatly lessened in consequence of the transfer business. to the new London Council of their jurisdiction as to county. rates; as to the provision, management, and visitation of lunatic asylums; as to the establishment or contribution to reformatory and industrial schools; as to the inspection of weights and measures; as to the grant of music and dancing licenses, and as to other matters. The quarter sessions will in future be substituted for the Valuation general assessment sessions under the Valuation Metropolis appeals. Act, 1869, and will have all the jurisdiction vested in those sessions.9 Justices will retain their jurisdiction in relation to the removal, Authority as reception or detention of lunatics into or in asylums, and the to lunatics. making of orders respecting the payment otherwise than out of |