OUR HIGHWAYS. 



of the power of subtraction or dissolution of the 

 district authorized by the Act. Another circum- 

 stance which affords some guidance as to the opinion 

 formed generally of the working of the Act may be 

 gathered from the fact that in twenty counties in 

 England and North Wales the parishes are nearly all 

 included in highway districts, and in several others 

 the system has been adopted with respect to the 

 majority of the parishes, while in seven counties no 

 highway districts are in existence. 



The election of the members of highway boards 

 and poor-law guardians in unions is similar, both 

 being elected annually — about ' Lady- day — by the 

 parishioners ; in one case under the denomination of 

 waywardens, and in the other of guardians ; in both 

 instances justices of the peace being, under certain 

 circumstances, ex-officio members of the board. The 

 number of guardians for each parish, and . also of 

 waywardens, is fixed at the original constitution of 

 each board. 



Each board has a clerk and treasurer, and the 

 modes of raising the necessary funds are very similar, 

 the guardians issuing their orders to the different 

 parishes for their share of the moneys required for 

 the union expenses, and the highway board doing the 

 same for the moneys they require ; in each case the 

 moneys being raised by rates, while the general 



