act of 1882, one of the most important is the power to make by-laws
for the good rule and government of the borough, and for the
prevention and suppression of nuisances not already punishable in
summary manner by virtue of an act in force throughout the borough. It
will be observed that these by-laws are of two classes. The former do
not come into force until the expiration of forty days after a copy of
them has been sent to the secretary of state, during which forty days
the sovereign in council may disallow any by-law or part thereof. The
latter require to be confirmed by the Local Government Board.

Police.

Under the act of 1882 every municipal borough might have its own
separate police force. As has already been stated when dealing with
county councils, boroughs having a population of less than 10,000
according to the census of 1881 can no longer have a separate police
force. But for some time before that year it had become the rule not
to grant to any new borough with a population of less than 20,000 a
separate police force. The subject of police is separately treated in
the _Encyclopaedia Britannica_, and it is not necessary to supplement
what is there stated. Under an act of 1893 the borough police may, in
addition to their ordinary duties, be employed to discharge the duties
of a fire brigade.

The district and the district council.

The powers and duties of a borough council in the Municipal Corporations
Act do not arise or exist to any great extent under that act. In a few
cases, those namely of county boroughs, the councils have the powers of
county councils. In the quarter sessions boroughs other than county
boroughs they have some only of these powers. But in every case the
council of the borough have the powers and duties of an urban district
council, and, except where they derive their authority from local acts,
it may be said that their principal powers and duties consist of those
which they exercise or perform as an urban council. These will now be
considered.

Before the year 1848 there was not outside the municipal boroughs any
system of district government in England. It is true that in some
populous places which were not corporate boroughs local acts of
parliament had been passed appointing improvement commissioners for the
government of these places. In many boroughs similar acts had been
obtained conferring various powers relating to sanitary