gh councillor if he is
in holy orders or is the regular minister of a Dissenting
congregation. Women, other than married women, are eligible. Borough
councillors are elected for a term of three years, one-third of the
whole number going out of office in each year, and if the borough is
divided into wards, these are so arranged that the number of
councillors for each ward shall be three or a multiple of three. The
ordinary day of election is the 1st of November. At an election for
the whole borough the returning officer is the mayor; at a ward
election he is an alderman assigned for that purpose by the council.
The nomination and election of candidates and the procedure at the
election are the same as have already been described in the case of
the election of county councillors. The law as to corrupt and illegal
practices at the election is also similar, and the election may be
questioned by petition in exactly the same way. A borough councillor
must, within five days after notice of his election, make a
declaration of acceptance of office under a penalty, in the case of an
alderman or councillor of L50, and in the case of a mayor of L100, or
such other sums as the council may by by-law determine. A councillor
may be disqualified in the same way as a county councillor, by
bankruptcy or composition with creditors, or continuous absence from
the borough (except in case of illness). In short it may be said that
as the provisions relating to the election of borough councillors were
merely extended to county councillors by the Local Government Act of
1888 with a few modifications, these provisions, as already stated
when dealing with county councils, apply generally to the election of
borough councillors. After the annual election on the 1st of November
the first quarterly meeting of the council is held on the 9th, and at
that meeting the mayor and aldermen are elected. The election of the
mayor and aldermen is again the same as has already been described in
connexion with the election of the chairman and aldermen of a county
council. The officers of a borough council are the town clerk and the
treasurer, but the council have power to appoint such other officers
as they think necessary. All these officers receive such remuneration
as the council from time to time think fit, and hold office during
pleasure. The provisions with respect to the transaction of the