BOROUGH

originally a fortified town. In England the tenn was early restricted to those towns the which sent burge es to Parliament. This burden, as it was once considered, was probably imposed on the largest and wealthiest towns, or on those which had plawsed themselves under the protection of some at baron. Up to the reform act of 1832 many places or formerly populous, and entitled to be represented, though reduced to not more than two or three houses, v. continued to retain their original privilege. These The were called rotUn boroughs. (See Parliament in art. BBiTAnr.) The term borough is also applied to a the corporate town, though it may not send a member few or members to JParlumient, and in this way borcfugha in are divided into parliamentary and municipal boroughs. The qualifications for voters in both cla es of boroughs are the same. In all boroughs a mayor is chosen annually, and a certain number of aldermen and and councillors periodically. The burge es, that is, those entitled to vote, elect the councillors, yfboao hip number depends upon the number of waids into cats which the oorough is divided; the councillors elect the mayor and aldennen. The mayor, aldermen, and are councillors together form the coundL The council and manage the property of the borough, impose rates for public purposes, pa bye-laws for the good government of the borough, for the prevention of nuisances, . For the Scotch boroughs, or rather b%irffht, see BUEOH.