PAROCHIAL ORGANISATION.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—May I address you in a few words on the subject of local government in country places, a propos of your article on the Bill just announced. My excuse is that ever since 1879, when I wrote for Mr. J. Morley an article in the Fortnightly Review on " The Decay of Self-Government in Villages," I have been working in season and out of season, in public and in private, and until lately single-handed, to bring this reform about,—Hos ego versiculos. Now my object is to sketch the outlines of a scheme which would be perfectly easy to carry out, would satisfy rural opinion, would restore all that was good in our old English rural life, and would meet all reason- able objections,—such, for instance, as those in your article. I
write as one who lives in the house that is to be remodelled, and not as those who look into it through the windows.
First, let there be a Village Council, the number of members being proportionate to size, elected and framed upon the model of small Town Councils. Let these be their duties :- (a.) The duties now performed by Vestries and Overseers, who should forthwith be disestablished, except for ecclesiastical purposes. (b.) The duties now performed by Guardians and Waywardens, except those for which these Boards were created, and which belong naturally to the district,—i.e., Poor-Law and roads. These would be, mainly, sanitation, school attendance, allotments. (c.) Such general duties as belong to Town Councils,—e.g., lighting, paving, &c.
Second, it is essential that each separate village should have its Council, though rectification of boundaries would here and there be necessary, as also the formation of new villages. It is nothing but ignorant pedantry to destroy a single existing separate village. Around Islip are four small villages (under two hundred inhabitants), in every one of which I know there are at least six men—squires, parsons, churchwardens, guardians, farmers—of a position to serve on a Council which need not consist of more than three members. And then there are the working men, and—the women.
Thirdly, to set up Village Councils without control would be madness, as your article indicates. Let them, therefore, be under the supervision of the County Council, which should have the usual powers of inspection, audit, and appeal. Thus, if, say, school attendance was not satisfactory, the county would be empowered to step in and enforce it. Again, there would be no possibility of a Village Council, carried away perhaps by a fit of passion, burdening the rates with the costs of a lawsuit, without the permission of the County authority, which would play the part of arbitrator as well. Voila, tout !- I am, Sir, &c.,
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