Local Government Act 1888

1888 c.41

An Act to amend the Laws relating to Local Government in England and Wales, and for other purposes connected therewith.

Annotations:
Commencement Information
I1

Act in force at Royal Assent but subject to s. 109 (now repealed)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1

Act amended by Local Government Act 1894 c. 73 (56 & 57 Vict.)

C2

Act amended with the substitution for any reference to a specified officer of a local authority as a reference to the proper officer of a local authority by Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70), Sch. 29 Pt. I para. 4 subject as in that paragraph mentioned

C3

Councils of administrative counties, boroughs, (except those in rural districts), urban districts, rural districts and urban parishes outside Greater London and Isles of Scilly together with municipal corporations of boroughs outside Greater London now abolished and councils of metropolitan counties, non-metropolitan counties and districts constituted by Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70), ss. 1, 2, Sch. 1

C4

Functions of Local Government Board under this Act now exercisable by Secretary of State: Ministry of Health Act 1919 (c. 21), s. 3(1)(a), S.I. 1951/142, 1900 (1951 I, pp. 1348, 1347), S.I. 1965/319 and 1970/1681

Act: transfer of functions (W.) (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/672, art. 2, Sch.

C5

Words of enactment omitted under authority of Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (c. 62), s. 3

C6

Certain words repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1908 (c. 49)

Part I County Councils

1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2

4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3

5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F4

6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F5

7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F6

8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F7

9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F8

10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F9

11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10

12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F11

14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F12

15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13

16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F14

17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F15

19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F16

Financial Relations between Exchequer and County, and Contributions by County for Costs of Union Officers

C720 Payment to county council of proceeds of duties on local taxation licences.

1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F17

C8C9C103

It shall be lawful for Her Majesty the Queen from time to time by Order in Council made on the recommendation of the Treasury to transfer to county councils as from the date specified in the Order the power to levy the duties on all or any of the local taxation licences, and after such date every county council and their officers shall (subject nevertheless to any exceptions and modifications contained in the Order) have within their county, for the purpose of levying the duties transferred, the same powers, duties, and liabilities as the Commissioners of Inland Revenue and their officers have with respect to the duties transferred, and to the issue and cancellation of licences on which the duties are imposed, and other matters under the Acts relating to those duties and licences, and all enactments relating to those duties and licences, and to punishments and penalties connected therewith, shall apply accordingly.

4

Provided as follows:—

i

All penalties and forfeitures recovered by a county council in pursuance of this section shall, instead of being paid to the Exchequer, be paid to the county fund, and carried to the same account as the duties.

ii

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F18

iii

Nothing in this section shall confer on the county council any special privileges of the Crown as respects legal proceedings.

5

On a transfer under this section of the power to levy the duties on any licence—

a

the county council shall provide for issuing, in different parts of their county, their licence for the same purpose, so as to enable persons to obtain it near their residences; and

b

if such licence has operation in any place in the United Kingdom outside the county in which it is issued, the licence of a county council for the same purpose shall continue to have the like operation outside the county in such place.

21–27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F19

General Provisions as to Transfer

28 General provisions as to powers transferred to county council.

1

The county council shall, as respects the business by this Act transferred to them from quarter sessions or the justices out of sessions, be subject to the provisions and limitations in this Act specified, but, save as aforesaid, shall have and be subject to all the powers, duties, and liabilities, which the quarter sessions, or any committee thereof, or any justice or justices had or were subject to in respect of the business so transferred.

2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F20 the county council may also, without prejudice to any other power whether to appoint committees or otherwise, delegate to the justices of the F21peace F138acting in a local justice area consisting of or including the whole or part of the county any power or duty transferred by this Act to the county council in respect of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F22 the execution as local authority. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F23 of the Act relating to contagious diseases of animals.

3

Provided that the county council shall not under this section delegate any power of raising money by rate or loan.

29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F24

30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F25

Part II Application of Act to Boroughs, the Metropolis, and certain Special Counties

31–39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F26

Application of Act to Metropolis

40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F27

41

1

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3

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5

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6

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7

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8

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42 Arrangements for paid chairman and sitting of quarter sessions for London.

1

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8

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10

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11

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12

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13

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14

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43. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F41

44. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F42

45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F43

46. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F44

47. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F45

48. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F46

49. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F47

Part III Boundaries

50–53. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F48

54. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F49

55. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F50

57. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F51

58. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F52

59

1

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2

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3

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60–62. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F56

63. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F57

Part IV Finance

Property Funds and Costs of County Council

64. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F58

65. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F59

66. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F60

67. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F61

68. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F62

F13569 Borrowing by county council.

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70. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F63

71. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F64

72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F65

73. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F66

74. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F67

Part V Supplemental

Application of Acts

75. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F68

76. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F69

78 Construction of Acts referring to business transferred.

1

All enactments in any Act, whether general or local and personal, relating to any business, powers, duties or liabilities transferred by or in pursuance of this Act from any authority to a county council, . . . F70, or to any joint committee, shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, and so far as circumstances admit, be construed as if—

a

any reference therein to the said authority or to any committee or member thereof or to any meeting thereof (so far as it relates to the business, powers, duties, or liabilities transferred) referred to the county council or to a committee or member thereof or to a meeting thereof, as the case requires, and as if—

b

a reference to any clerk or officer of such authority referred to the clerk or officer of a county council or committee thereof, as the case requires,

and all the said enactments shall be construed with such modifications as may be necessary for carrying this Act into effect.

2

Provided that the transfer of powers and duties enacted by this Act shall not authorise any county council or any committee or member thereof—

a

to exercise any of the powers of a court of record; or

b

to administer an oath; or

c

to exercise any jurisdiction under the Summary Jurisdiction Acts, or perform any judicial business, or otherwise act as justices or a justice of the peace,

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F71

3

Where under any such enactment as in this section mentioned, any powers, duties, or liabilities are to be exercised or discharged after any presentment or in any particular manner, or at any particular meeting, or subject to any other conditions, the county council may, by the standing orders for the regulation of their proceedings, provide for the exercise and discharge of those powers, duties, and liabilities without any such prior presentment or in a different manner, or at any meeting of the council fixed by the standing orders, or without such other conditions; and until such standing orders take effect shall exercise and discharge them in the like manner, and at the like time, and subject to the like conditions, so nearly as circumstances admit; F136...

C11C124

For the purposes of this section the expression “authority” means a Secretary of State, the Board of Trade, the Local Government Board, and any Government Department, also any commissioners, conservators, or public body, corporate or unincorporate, specified in a Provisional Order transferring any powers, duties, or liabilities to the county council, also any quarter sessions and any justices, also the Metropolitan Board of Works, or other local authority mentioned in this Act; and the expression “member of an authority” includes, where the authority are quarter sessions or justices, any justice, and the expression “meeting of an authority” includes a court of quarter sessions and the assembly of justices in special or petty sessions; and the expression “clerk of an authority” includes in relation to any quarter sessions or justices, the clerk of the peace or the clerk to a justice as the case requires.

This section shall apply as if a joint committee were a committee of the county council.

Proceedings of Councils and Committees

79 Incorporation of county council.

1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F72

2

All duties and liabilities of the inhabitants of a county shall become and be duties and liabilities of the council of such county.

3

Where any enactment (whether relating to . . . F73 bridges, or other county purposes, or to quarter sessions) requires or authorises land to be conveyed or granted to, or any contract or agreement to be made in the name of, the clerk of the peace, or any justice or justices or other person, on behalf of the county or quarter sessions, or justices of the county, such land shall be conveyed or granted to, and such contract and agreement shall be made with, the council of the . . . F74 county concerned.

80. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F75

81 Appointment of joint committees.

F761

Any county council or councils, and any court or courts of quarter sessions, may from time to time join in appointing out of their respective bodies a joint committee for any purpose in respect of which they are jointly interested.

2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F77

82. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F78

83. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F79

84. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F80

Regulations for Bicycles, &c.

85 Regulations for bicycles, &c.

1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F81 bicycles, tricycles, velocipedes, and other similar machines are hereby declared to be carriages within the meaning of the Highway Acts;. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F82

a

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b

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2

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Adaptation of Acts

86. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F85

F13787 Application of provisions of 38 & 39 Vict. c. 55 as to local inquiries and provisional orders.

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88. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F86

89. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F87

90. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F88

91. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F89

Savings

92

1

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2

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3

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93. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F93

94. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F94

95 Saving as to Middlesex, Surrey, and Kent.

1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F95

2

Where any enactment, deed, instrument, or document refers to the county of Middlesex, Surrey, or Kent, such enactment, deed, instrument, or document shall be construed to apply to the same area to which it would have applied if this Act F96and the M1London Government Act 1963 had not passed, except where such application is inconsistent with this Act F96or with the said Act of 1963 or any instrument made thereunder, or where the object of such enactment, deed, instrument, or document requires that it shall be construed to apply to F97the area consisting of the inner London boroughs, the City of London, the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple.

96. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F98

97. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F99

98 Saving for powers of Commissioners of Inland Revenue and Customs. C13

Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing sections of this Act, the Commissioners of Inland Revenue and the Commissioners of Customs, and the officers of those Commissioners respectively, shall have the same powers in relation to any articles subject to any duty of customs or excise, manufactured, imported, kept for sale, or sold, and any premises where the same may be, and to any machinery, apparatus, vessels, utensils, or conveyances used in connexion therewith or the removal thereof, and in relation to the person manufacturing, importing, keeping for sale, or having the custody of the same, as they would have had if this Act had not passed, and any licences transferred in pursuance of this Act had continued to be granted by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue.

Annotations:
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C13

Functions of Commissioners of Inland Revenue as to excise duty now exercisable by Commissioners of Customs and Excise: S.R. & O. 1909/197 (Rev. V, p. 465: 1909, p. 239)

Definitions

99. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F100

100 Interpretation of certain terms in the Act.

In this Act, if not inconsistent with the context, the following terms have the meanings herein-after respectively assigned to them, that is to say:—

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F101

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F101

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F102

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F101

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F103

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F101

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F101

  • The expression “quarter sessions” as respects any county, riding, division, or liberty, means the justices in quarter or general sessions assembled, and includes justices assembled in gaol sessions, annual general sessions, and adjourned sessions, and as respects any borough, means any court of qarter or general sessions held for the borough . . . F104

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F105

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F101

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F106

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F101

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F107

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F101

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F108

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F101

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F107

  • The expression “person” includes any body of persons, whether corporate or unincorporate:

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F109. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F110

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F101

  • The expression “powers” includes rights, jurisdiction, capacities, privileges, and immunities:

  • The expression “duties” includes responsibilities and obligations:

  • The expression “liabilities” includes liability to any proceeding for enforcing any duty or for punishing the breach of any duty, and includes all debts and liabilities to which any authority are or would but for this Act be liable or subject to, whether accrued due at the date of the transfer or subsequently accruing, and includes any obligation to carry or apply any money to any sinking fund or to any particular purpose:

  • The expression “powers, duties, and liabilities,” includes all powers, duties, and liabilities conferred or imposed by or arising under any local and personal Act:

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F101

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F101

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F111

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F112

  • The expression “office” includes any place, situation, or employment, and the expression “officer” shall be construed accordingly:

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F101

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F113

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F114

101 Extent of Act.

This Act shall not extend to Scotland or Ireland.

102 Short title.

This Act may be cited as the Local Government Act, 1888.

Part VI Transitory Provisions

103–108. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F115

109. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F116

110–114. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F117

115. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F118

116. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F119

117. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F120

118–120. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F121

121. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F122

Savings

122. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F123

C15123 Saving for existing bye-laws. C14

All such bye-laws, orders, and regulations of the Privy Council, Secretary of State, Board of Trade, Local Government Board, or Government department, or of any quarter sessions, council of a borough, the Metropolitan Board of Works or other authority, whose powers and duties are transferred by or in pursuance of this Act to any county council, as are in force at the time of the transfer, shall, so far as they relate to or are in pursuance of the powers and duties transferred, continue in force as if they had been made by such council, subject, nevertheless, to revocation or alteration by such council in the manner in which bye-laws can be made by such council, and also to any exceptions or modifications which may be made at the time of the transfer.

124. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F124

125. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F125

SCHEDULES

FIRST SCHEDULE Local Taxation Licences

Section 20.

Annotations:
Amendments (Textual)
F128

Words in Sch. 1 repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt. X Group1

F129

Word in Sch. 1 repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt. XV Group1

F130

Words repealed with saving by Finance Act 1949 (c. 47), s. 52(10), Sch. 11 Pt. II

Licences for the sale of intoxicating liquor for comsumption on the premises;

Retailers of spirits (publicans).

Retailers of beer and wine.

Retailers of spirits, occasional licences.

Retailers of cider.

Retailers of beer.

Retailers of wine.

Retailers of beer, occasional licences.

Retailers of wine, occasional licences.

Retailers of sweets.

F126 . . .

F139...

Licences for—

Beer dealers.

F127. . .

Spirit dealers.

F128. . .

Sweets dealers.

F129. . .

Wine dealers.

F126. . .

F130. . .

F128. . .

F128. . .

F131. . .

F139. . .

F132. . .

F133F133SECOND SCHEDULE

Annotations:
Amendments (Textual)

F133. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F134F134THIRD SCHEDULE

Annotations:
Amendments (Textual)
F134

Sch. 3 repealed by S.I. 1974/1351

F134. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .