11 JULY 1896, Page 3

At the Hotel Metropole on Wednesday evening Lord Rosebery made

a bright and amusing speech to past and present members of the London County Council. Three distinct waves had passed over the country. The first was the great movement for political emancipation, the second the great religious revival, and the third the great municipal move- ment. The old municipalities were formed to protect the people against the aristocracy, but in these days the first object of a municipality seemed to be to get a Peer to preside over it. When, said Lord Rosebery, he looked back upon the history of the London County Council, he was filled with admiration -at the boldness of his countrymen. No other country in the world would have dared to set up an elected municipality in a city of four million people.