The Local Government Act, 1888; the County Electors Act, 1888; 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., 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 |