The absurdity of regulating the property qualification under the Municipal
Reform Act by the assessed value of the house in which a man lives instead of by its actual value, is rendered so palpable now that the Barristers for regulating the wards have commenced their inquiry, as to be perfectly ridiculous. The borough of Leeds affords an apt example : in the principal township of the borough the property., is assessed at forir-ti fths its annual value, while in one of the out-town- ships the assessment is at one-fifth, and in another at one-eighth ; so that a person is to be a Councillor in the town of Leeds who occupies property to the amount of 361. a-year, while in an adjoining township in the same borough, it requires that lie should occupy to the amount of 150/. a-year, and in another to the amount of 240/., before he can, by the alternative test qualification of Sir Robert Peel, be qualified to take his seat in the Town-Council. The effect is, that in some of the townships, containing many thousands of inha- bitants, there is not a single individual who has a qualification by occu- pancy !—Leeds Mercury.
An active canvass is already going on in Liverpool for seats in the new Council.
The first working of the Russell Purge, No. II., in Exeter, is wit- nessed in the resignation of Dr. Collyns, Master of the Free Grammar School, whose prodigious efforts as a teacher are recorded in the Cor- poration Report. We hope the present body will have more decency than to appoint his successor.— Western Times.
Last week, we mentioned that Mr. Robert Baxter. Chairman of the Committee of Town- Clerks, had been sending begging letters about for money to defray the expenses of the opposition to the Muni- cipal Bill. Those letters did not, it appears, elicit favourable answers ; for Mr. Baxter was compelled to repeat his applications. The fol- lowing is an extract from a letter sent to the Brecon Corporation.
" The Committee, in closing their labours, beg to repeat to those boroughs who have not contributed their proportion to the expenses, that they confi- dently trust a remittance may be immediately made, directed to A. A. H. Beckwith, Esq., Browh's Hotel, Palace Yard, Westminster,' who, as Trea- surer, has been kind enough to undertake its appropriation. There is stills rery considerable deficiency."
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