Municipal Corporations

Created by government for political and administrative purposes, and generally po e ed of power of local legislation. Municipal government originated with the Romans, and now exists in various forms in the city, town, borough, and parish, but deriving its powers by charter from the legislature of the country or State, to which appeal must be made for any modifications. In U. S. the city government usually consists of a mayor, an executive officer, with veto power, and a council, a deliberative body, sometimes with a second chamber, board of aldermen. These make regulations for the collection of taxes, the elections, schools, poor, police, public health, the repairs of streets, water supply, and sometimes the lighting. There are also police or city courts, with limited jurisdiction. The towns and boroughs have similar government, though le broad, and with no judicial functions, these being relegated to county courts, or, in minor cases, to justices of peace appointed by the Governor. The county provides the court of justice, the jail, and the poorhouse and bridges, the last three usually in charge of commi ioners duly elected. In England, the local government is vested in county, city, town, borough and parish, the city, town and borough having limited powers, the parish having charge of paving and lighting streets, the poor, etc. France is divided into communes, each governed by a council elected by universal suffrage. Italy and Belgium have similar systems. In Germany there is a certain property qualification in local elections. In addition to the functions mentioned, some cities run the local railroads and slaughter-houses.