REVIEW. 



The History of the Boroughs and Municipal Corpora- 

 tions OF the United Kingdom, from the earliest to the 

 present time, with an examination of Records, Charters, and 

 other Documents, illustrative (f their constitutions and powers ; 

 by Henry A. Merewether, Sergeant at Law, Solicitor 

 General to the Queen; and Archibald John Stephens, 

 M. A., F. R. S., Barrister at Law. 



The Authors of this work have been peculiarly fortunate in 

 bringing their labours before the public at a period when there 

 exists so much excitement on the subject. We say fortunate 

 because it is obvious that the peculiar aptness of the time, and 

 circumstances for the publication, must in a great degree have 

 been fortuitous ; the labour of collecting the facts recorded in 

 this work must have occupied years. The authors therefore 

 cannot have been induced to undertake the task by the recent 

 popularity of the subject. 



Why the constitutions of the several borough towns should 

 be so widely different one from another, and especially why the 

 parliamentary representation should have been so various before 

 the passing of the reform bill, is a problem which has puzzled 

 antiquaries and lawyers in modern times to a great extent. To 

 solve this difficulty is the intent of the work before us — to direct 

 the legislature to the restoration of the municipal corporations to 

 their original utility and beauty is its object. 



The investigation of the proposed problem is pursued synthe- 

 tically and we think with great success; the state of these 

 boroughs in the earliest periods is investigated, and their history 

 is then brought down almost from year to year to the present 

 day — the origin and causes of those deforming features now so 

 deservedly unpopular in these institutions are detected, their 

 progression illustrated, and their present evil consequences pointed 

 out. The proper remedy for these evils seems obvious from a 

 knowledge of their nature — they are like exotic parasites, clinging 

 to a venerable trunk, which can be removed with advantage : in 

 a word, the remedy proposed is simple restoration. 



It is a remarkable fact that we owe nearly all the most valuable 

 portions of our constitution to those of our mixed ancestors we 

 generally consider the most rude, viz. the Anglo Saxons ; during 

 their domination most of the popular rights, those which English- 

 men have principally valued in latter times, seem (with few 

 exceptions) to have fiourislied to the extent to which probably 

 VOL. VI. — 1835. B 



