NEWS OF THE WEEK.
REFORMERS are to have no respite from political activity this autumn. The Registration Courts have only just been closed, and the time is already at 'hand for making preparations for the -.election of Town-Councillors. We are glad to perceive that in various parts of the country the Liberals are exerting themselves with a yiew to secure the benefits placed by the Municipal Act within their reach. They must not be betrayed by any apparent slackness on the part of the Tories. It is true, the Standard ad- vises its party " not to oppose the election of respectable and well-disposed men, whatever their politics," . and recommends " moderation to the extent of repressing even the just, lionou able, and;patriotic wish to command, when the, opportuuity arises a majority of declared Conservatives in the Town-Councils? But that thoroughgoing partisan cannot wish or expect his advice to be followed. The Tories will take their measures with practised cunning, and not lose a vote that they can get. Hence the ne- cessity of constant vigilance on the side of the Reformers. The last Parliamentary ..Election proves With what success the Tories can avail thernselies:of 'defeets-in 'measure good and useful in the main, if aided- by ounigligesice àud over-confidence. The recent Registration shows the benefit of timely prepczatiro. Let the advantage id in the Revising Barristers' Cuurts be fol- lowed up in the ;Municipal Elections : if the Reformers are out- voted next December, that gain will be more than counter- balanced.
We have received several letters suggesting the propriety and use of laying down some general plan . for the conduct of the Municipal Elections, and of pointing out the description of persons to be preferred for Town-Councillors. Of course, the good sense and experience of the inhabitants of the various towns will enable them to judge how far any plan may be fit for adoption in their peculiar municipality but it seems advisable in every instance to act with as much publicity as possible.* In all towns there is per- sonal jealousy of those who take the lead, however well qualified they may be for the command. There are also local spites, arising from very trivial circumstances.. In hole-and-corner meetings full scope is given for intrigue. Every one must have noticed that opposition to a candidate springs up frequently without any as-
- signable cause. In most cases it will be found, to originate in some private pique, and to have been matured at some
• secret Meeting. Now, generally spLking, the public care little about these personal quarrels. 'Their interest, and, we believe, Their intention, alWayi is. to select the best-man for any office in their gift. It will therefore be the safer plan to fix upon can- . didates for the Town-Council at Ward meetings, where paltry motives of opposition or Support cannot well be avowed, and where • it may be seen at once who are and who are not likely to receive the vofeS Oa majority. 'When it is once ascertained who are the persons among the Reformers most agreeable to the majority, let the other candidates retire, so that the Liberals may go to the hust- ings an united body, pledged to vote for one list. This is the only
• .safe mode of proceeding. The Americans—the most experienced people in the world in self-government—adopt it almost uniformly.
• A meeting of the party is summoned ; certain persons are proposed
• as candidates; their qualifications are discussed, and then it is
• ascertained by a vote whether or not they shall be supported. If ' the decision is favourable, their names are inscribed on a list, 7 which is put forth as that of the party ; and he who votes for any
candidate not on the list is looked upon as adeserter. In this way .• the necossary cooperation is secured, and the number of the persons , to be elected occasions no confusion or uncertainty. This method involvea sonic sacrifiee of individual feeling and opinion; but its advantages to the public - are manifest, especially where there is a . powerful opposition to contend with. .
,.• This hint has been anticipated, in a useCul paper on the subjeat, which al peered .0me days ago in the G:obe.
In selecting persons proper to be intrusted with the functions of local representatives, it should be remembered, that the new Town-Council will not merely have certain routine duties to perform, but that it will have valuable patronage to dispose of; that the interests of the locality will be under its charge, as the general welfare and liberties of the People of England are pre-
sinned to be the especial care of the House of Commons; that in all matters which require the interference of Parliament, the
Town-Council will be regarded as the organ of the municipality; that whene%'er any Parliamentary or Government measure, in- tended for general benefit, is likely to prove peculiarly advan-
tageous or injurious to their constituents, the Town-Councillors ought to take such steps as are deemed advisable to support or resist it; that the appointment of Town-Clerks and of Magistrates will be under the control of, at all events, the first-elected Town- Councils; and finally, that the sentiments of the inhabitants of towns, on the most important political questions, Will be held to be expressed more perfectly through the Town-Councils than through any other channel—inasmuch as a tar greater number of persons will have the right of voting for Local than for Parlia- mentary Representatives. If a correct idea of the duties of a Town-Councillor can be gathered from the above sketch, it is plain, in the first place, that he should be no jobber ; that he should have no hanker- ing after corporation dinners, fees, and places ; and that he should not be the tool or the agent of any great man, Peer or Commoner, in his neighbourhood,— for one of the principal advantages of the Act is the cutting off the means of commu- nication which, for the most corrupt purposes, noble Recorders
• have too often kept up with towns through the agency of their deputies. If he belongs to the "tag, rag, and bobtail" of the old Corporation, be will do his best to bring the new Council into dis- credit,—like some of the Town-Clerks in Scotland, who by an im- perfection in the Scotch Burgh Reform Bill were allowed to re- main in office. He should not be a Tory, for the Town-Council ought to represent the opinions of the commons of the town : besides, as no prudent merchant would select for his agent in a commercial transaction one who had declared that ruin would re- sult from the speculation, so a wise constituency would not t honse • as an instrument for carrying a new s) stem of local government into effect, one who had opposed its establishment, and was pledged to the opinion that it would not work well : such a person would be too apt to labour for the accomplishment of his own prophecy. Men of leisure, where they can be found properly qualified, should be preferred to those who are engrossed in business. By men of leisure, however, we do not mean needy idlers. In every town there are meddling, prattling, corceited persons, who are perpetually candidates for this or that place—probably in possession of some unimportant office under Government, or more frequently the Corporation, and ready to do the dirty work of both or either. All such should be spurned. But there are within the seven miles circuit of most places, men of independent property, active habits, Liberal principles, and sound understanding, a por- tion only of whose time is devoted to their profession or trade. these, generally speaking, are to be sought out as members of the new Town-Councils. Men who have already given proofs of capa- city, and disinterested devotion to public interests, in the times that preceded Reform, are to be preferred to the untried.
