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ciilors and 35 Aldermen. The meeting place is, as yet, unde- 

 termined, but will probably be in Preston. Peers are eligible 

 for election, and so also are all owners of pi-operty if property 

 owners within the county, even though non-resident. To qualify 

 for the County Council it is enough to be simply a ratepayer 

 within the district for which the ratepayer has been elected or, 

 as above, a property owner within the county. 



The Effect of the Act upon this Neighbourhood. 



Our next inquiry is what effect will the Act have upon this 

 particular neighbourhood ; taking as the true definition in this 

 case of the word neighburhood the Burnley Union with its 

 aggi'egate of twenty-six townships and a population of some one 

 hundred and sixty thousand. And since municipal Burnley — 

 largely through the well-directed efforts of Mr. Southern, its able 

 Town Clerk — has become a county in itself, the Burnley Union 

 offers fair ground for a general explanation of the scope of the 

 Act, having within its borders a county borough, five local board 

 districts, and a rural sanitary authority composed entirely of poor 

 law guardians. In attempting this explanation it will be neces- 

 sary to avoid explaining many things unless we are prepared to 

 share the fate of the knight who was drowned through carrying 

 too much armour. Previous to the passing of this Act certain 

 sums, amounting in the aggregate during 1887 to £1,825,491, 

 were handed over from the national exchequer in aid of local 

 rates. These were chiefly expended upon pauper lunatics and in 

 aid of medical officers, and teachers of paupers, and salaries. 

 These grants cease when the Act comes into operation, and in 

 their place a settled proportion of the license and probate duties 

 will be paid over to the credit of each County Council. Burnley, 

 therefore, by attaining the rank of a County Borough will be able 

 to retain for its own use — subject to certain restrictions we have 

 hereafter to specify — a fixed fractional portion of all licensing 

 and probate duties falling due within its own area, and will no 

 longer be much interfered with by outside authorities, whether 

 they. may be styled County Justices or County Councillors. On 

 the other hand — -in return for these acquired rights— the Burnley 

 Mmiicipal district will have to contribute its fair share of the 

 costs incidental to both Assizes and Quarter Sessions, and also 

 towards the salary of the District Coroner. Pauper Lunatics sent 

 from within the Municipal Borough of Burnley will have to be 

 partially supported from the Borough funds — the Council having 

 power to appoint visitors to any asylums in which Burnley Luna- 

 tics may be patients. County Bridges and their approaches 

 within the municipal boundary will henceforth be transferred to 

 the Corporation, and the sole cost of repairing them and the 

 main roads over the same area will rest with the Town Council. 



