Royal Commission on the Amalgamation of the City and County of London facts for kids

The Royal Commission on the Amalgamation of the City and County of London was a special group set up by the government. Its job was to figure out how to join the old City of London with the larger County of London. The County of London had been created just a few years earlier in 1889. The commission finished its work and shared its ideas in 1894.

The government at the time, led by Lord Rosebery, liked the commission's ideas. But when a new government, led by Lord Salisbury, took over in 1895, most of the suggested changes were stopped.

Why London Needed a Change

For a long time, since the 1830s, people had been talking about how to manage London. They also wanted to change how the old City of London was run. Other special groups had given ideas in 1837, 1854, and 1867, but not much happened.

In 1888, a new law created the County of London. This new county surrounded the old City of London but didn't include it. So, London had two main governments: the Corporation of London for the small, central City, and the London County Council (LCC) for the much larger area around it.

Two Londons, Two Governments

When the first London County Council was chosen, a group called the Progressive Party took charge. They were close to the main Liberal Party in Parliament. The first leader of the LCC, Lord Rosebery, really wanted the City and the County to become one.

In 1892, when he was campaigning for the next LCC elections, Lord Rosebery explained what the Progressives wanted:

The way things are now, with a small part of London separate, can't continue. Parliament and reformers want the City to join London as soon as possible. This is the most important change for London, because many other improvements depend on it. You can't have a complete city government without it.

The Progressives won even more seats in the elections. In November 1892, the LCC voted for five ideas to get more power. One main goal was:

To unite London, by removing the split in power between the City and the County. This split makes every change difficult, especially for big public services like water, gas, and markets.

A New Commission is Formed

The Liberal Party won the national election in July 1892. In February 1893, the government announced they would create a royal commission. This commission would plan how to unite London.

H. H. Fowler, who was in charge of local government, told Parliament that the commission would have five members. One member would represent the City's views, and one would represent the County Council's views. He wrote to both groups in March, suggesting people who could be on the commission. However, the City of London was not keen to help.

The City of London Says No

From the very start, the City of London didn't want much to do with the commission. Their main problem was that the commission's job seemed to assume the merger would happen. It wasn't asking if the merger should happen, but how to do it.

A special committee from the City's government (the Common Council) was set up. In November 1893, they told the City to stop giving information to the commission. They believed the proposed merger was:

...a thing that should not be done. Creating a giant city government should be completely avoided, and the City's destruction should also be avoided.

Arguments and Withdrawals

The government's top lawyer, Sir Charles Russell, criticized the City's stance. He thought the only reasons for resisting the merger were pride in the Lord Mayor's job and too much care for the City's money.

After getting a letter from the government, the City agreed to start giving evidence again in December. They thought the commission's job description might be changed.

However, in February 1894, the City suddenly announced they were stopping all evidence. Their representative on the commission, H. Homewood Crawford, quit right away. The Common Council wrote an open letter to The Times newspaper. They explained that the government's promises about the commission's job were not kept. Also, the commission refused to hear their ideas about other local groups outside the City.

The London County Council's Ideas

Unlike the City, the London County Council (LCC) was very eager to work with the commission. They gave detailed plans for joining the City and County. Here are their main ideas:

• The County of London and the City of London would become one area. It would be called the "City of London."
• The current City government and the LCC would be replaced by one new group. It would be called the "Mayor, and Commonalty and Citizens of London."
• This new group would take over all the property, powers, rights, and even debts from both old groups.
• Everyone who could vote for county councillors would be a "citizen" of the new London.
• The new government would have 118 councillors and 19 aldermen, just like the LCC. They would be elected in the same way.
• The Lord Mayor would be chosen by the new government, similar to how mayors are chosen in other towns.
• A "Deputy Mayor" would be chosen each year, acting like the chairman of a county council.
• A "City Local Authority" would be created for the area of the old City. This group would handle local tasks, like a local council.
• The High Sheriff of London would be chosen by the new council.
• The Lord Mayor would automatically become the lord lieutenant of London.
• The special "Freedom of the City" (a special status) would mostly end. The new council could give it out as an honor.
• A group called The Honourable The Irish Society would be ended. Its property in Ireland would go to the towns of Derry and Coleraine.

The Commission's Report

The commission released its report on September 29, 1894. It started by looking back at all the attempts to change London's government since 1835. Then, it laid out general rules for how London should be governed in the future.

Most people who spoke to the commission agreed that London needed a two-level system. There should be a "central body" for the whole city and several "local authorities" for smaller areas. The commission had four main questions to answer:

1. What should the central body be like, and what should it do?
2. How should the powers and property of the old City government be handled?
3. What should the local government for the City and other areas be like?
4. How should the local governments and the central body work together?

The report then gave detailed ideas for each of these questions.

The New Central Government

The new main government for London would be called the Corporation of London. It would take over from both the old City government and the London County Council. Basically, the special status of "City" would be given to the entire County of London. This new, larger City would be run by a council.

Choosing Council Members

The commission looked at two ways to elect council members. One way was to elect a third of the council each year, like in many towns. The other was to elect the whole council every three years, like county councils. The commission suggested elections every three years.

Aldermen

Both town and county councils had "aldermen." These were people chosen by the councillors themselves. The commission suggested keeping aldermen, with a small increase in their number.

Council Size

The London County Council had 118 councillors and 19 aldermen. The commission suggested increasing the City's representation from four to eight elected members. This was because, even though the City was small, its property value was a big part of London's total. This would make the new council have 122 councillors and 20 aldermen.

The Lord Mayor's Role

The job of Lord Mayor of London would continue. The new council could choose any citizen of London to be Lord Mayor. The Lord Mayor would be the main leader of the council. All the traditions and special rights of the Lord Mayor would continue. The Lord Mayor would also be a justice of the peace and hold other important titles for London.

City Clerk

The LCC had an elected deputy chairman who was paid. The City of London, like other towns, had a "town clerk" who was a paid official. The commission strongly suggested hiring a town clerk who would be independent of political parties.

The commission also suggested creating smaller local councils, each led by a mayor. While the big merger didn't happen, these smaller councils were created later by the London Government Act 1899.

What the New Corporation Would Do

The commission wanted a clear split of jobs between the main city government and the local councils. The main government would handle big-picture things, and local councils would handle everyday tasks. If something needed to be done the same way across London, the main government would make rules, and local councils would follow them. The main government could step in if a local council wasn't doing its job.

The new corporation would take over most of the LCC's powers. It would also take over London-wide jobs from the old City government. These included managing the Port of London's health, running London's markets, and looking after places like Epping Forest. The new corporation would also get powers over bridges, street improvements, water, and weights and measures in the "old city" area.

What Local Councils Would Do

The remaining jobs would go to the local councils. These powers would come from existing local groups like vestries and district boards. This included things like public libraries, bathhouses, and helping the poor.

Handling the Old City's Powers and Property

The commission made plans for how the old City's powers and rights would be moved to the new London-wide government or to the new local council for the City area.

Things Transferred to the New Corporation

Many important things would move to the new main London government:

• Bridges like Blackfriars Bridge, London Bridge, and Tower Bridge.
• Markets.
• Money from certain estates that helped maintain bridges and parks.
• Parks and open spaces like Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches, and Highgate Woods.
• The Royal Exchange and Gresham College.
• The City of London Court.
• The Guildhall and Mansion House.
• Schools like the City of London School and Guildhall School of Music.

The new corporation would also pay money each year to the local council for the old City. This money would help run charities, schools, and hospitals in that area.

Ceremonies and Sheriffs

The new corporation would continue the traditions of the old City. The Lord Mayor would keep all existing rights and could receive money to cover the costs of the job. The Lord Mayor and corporation would still have special access to the King or Queen and could present requests to Parliament.

The Sheriffs of London would be chosen by the new corporation's council, similar to how sheriffs were chosen in other counties.

Freemen and Liverymen

The old way of becoming a "freeman of the city" would end. In the future, it would just be an honorary title given by the council. However, existing freemen and their families would still have access to City charities and schools. The new local council for the old City would manage these.

The power to decide how many "liverymen" (members of special old trade groups) there were would move to the national government.

City of London Police

The commission suggested ending the separate police force for the City of London. Instead, the City area would join the Metropolitan Police District. The City leaders worried that there wouldn't be enough police to protect banks and businesses. But the commission said that business areas in other cities were well-policed by their local forces.

Things Transferred to the Old City's Local Council

The remaining powers and duties would go to the new local council for the City area. These included:

• Baths and washhouses.
• Burial grounds.
• Charitable trusts.
• Helping the poor (though birth, death, and marriage records would go to the national government).
• Public libraries.

Local Councils Across London

The commission suggested creating a second level of local councils. One would cover the area of the old City. The rest of London would be divided into many areas for local management. New local councils would replace the existing vestries and district boards.

What Local Councils Would Do

The local councils would handle tasks like:

• Health and sanitation, including building rules and drainage.
• Maintaining local roads and small street improvements.
• Registering voters.
• Providing small parks and morgues.
• Controlling electric lighting and gas supply.
• Regulating overhead wires and food sales.

How Local Councils Would Be Set Up

The commission thought the existing local councils had too many members. They suggested that even the biggest towns outside London had no more than 72 council members.

Council for the Old City

The report suggested a new local council for the old City area, called the "Mayor and Council of the Old City." It would have 72 councillors, with three elected from each of 24 areas (wards). Councillors would serve three-year terms. They could elect a mayor from among the citizens of the Old City. As a temporary measure, the 26 existing aldermen from the old City government could sit as "life members" on the new council.

Other Local Councils

Some people suggested that the councillors elected to the main London-wide government should also automatically be members of the local councils in their areas. The commission liked this idea, thinking it would help the two levels of government stay connected.

The new local councils would be elected in a similar way to other urban district councils. They could elect one of their members as a mayor, but their areas would not be called "boroughs." All members would be directly elected; there would be no chosen aldermen on these new local councils.

The commission listed nineteen areas that could become "areas of local administration" without needing boundary changes:

• Bethnal Green
• Chelsea
• Clerkenwell
• Fulham
• Hammersmith
• Hampstead
• Islington
• Kensington
• Lambeth
• Mile End Old Town
• Newington
• Paddington
• Poplar
• St George, Hanover Square
• St Marylebone
• St Pancras
• Shoreditch
• Westminster, St Margaret and St John
• Whitechapel

For other parts of London, existing areas would need small changes to combine them. The commission didn't make more detailed plans for local areas, as it was beyond their job.

How the Two Levels of Government Would Work Together

The report ended by explaining how the two levels of local government would relate. The "personal connection" was important, with members of the higher level also being members of the lower level.

In practice, local councils would have as much freedom as possible. But the central government would make sure that local laws were applied the same way across London. Some powers of the county council might move to the local councils. At the same time, the new main government would have powers to "supervise, appeal, and control." If local councils failed, the main government could step in. The main government would also need to approve large loans taken out by local councils.

What People Thought About the Report

People had very different opinions about the commission's ideas. These opinions usually split along political party lines. Liberals were very much in favor, and Conservatives were strongly against.

Liberals Liked It

A meeting of the London Liberal and Radical Union happened on October 15 to discuss the report. Three London members of Parliament, James Stuart, Edward Pickersgill, and Dadabhai Naoroji, spoke at the meeting. They passed a resolution strongly supporting the report. They asked the government to introduce a law in the next parliamentary session to make the report's ideas happen. The meeting even went further than the commission, asking for the Metropolitan Asylums Board to be ended and for the Metropolitan Police to be controlled by the new corporation.

Conservatives Disliked It

Lord Salisbury, the leader of the Conservative Party, gave a speech in London on November 7. Salisbury had led the government that created the London County Council, but he had become one of its biggest critics.

Salisbury made fun of the royal commission. He said the members were either "Radicals" (a political group) or didn't understand London. He called them "about the worst men" to study London's government. He warned against "too much central power" and said the idea of one big government for all of London wouldn't work. He believed such a "giant city government" would be too far away from its citizens.

While he agreed a central body was needed for some things, he preferred creating many "municipalities of suitable size." This, he said, would encourage "local pride."

He then attacked the county council. He claimed it didn't truly represent London because only about 40% of voters participated in elections. He said those who did vote were not "quiet, sober respectable citizens" but "people with strong feelings... cranks and crotcheteers." He believed this led to the county council being full of "intense" people with "fanatical views" or "partisan or class hatreds." He said the county council had become "the place where Collectivist and Socialistic experiments are tried."

London Municipal Society's View

The London Municipal Society, a group linked to the Conservatives, shared its thoughts on November 4. They criticized the proposals for "centralizing" power. They agreed with the report that there should be a central body for London-wide issues and smaller local authorities. However, they wanted the lower level to have "strong and authoritative district councils or corporations." They believed the central body should not do any duties that could be handled locally.

The City of London's Anger

When the City of London received the report, they angrily rejected it. They called the proposals ideas for a "puppet lord mayor" and the "destruction of the City." They accused the commission of simply adopting the county council's plan. They also criticized the commission members themselves.

The City's Common Council formed a special committee to review the report. In January 1895, they presented their findings. They condemned the commission's methods and called its conclusions "illogical." They attacked the Progressive Party on the county council, saying its "real object" was to replace the City government.

The committee felt that if the commissioners had done their job properly, they would have suggested "a scheme for the government of London based on the establishment in the Metropolis of a number of separate municipalities." The City's preferred plan was to create separate city governments, each with a mayor, aldermen, and councillors. They also wanted a central council made up of representatives from all these local city governments.

The Government's Response

In December 1894, the Home Secretary, H H Asquith, attended a meeting in the same hall where Lord Salisbury had spoken a month before. The meeting passed a resolution asking the government to put the commission's ideas into law during the next parliamentary session. Asquith promised to do so. He also responded to Salisbury's comments, defending the commission members. He pointed out that two of them were closely involved with England's largest and best-run cities. He hoped London's government could be as good as Birmingham's and Liverpool's. He noted that one of the other "Radicals" Salisbury mentioned was actually a critic of the government, and the other was a distinguished civil servant.

Asquith suggested that Salisbury's attack on the county council was because he regretted creating it. He also said Salisbury's sudden interest in creating many boroughs was not because he loved local governments, but because he hated the County Council. He dismissed the idea of many municipalities:

Why, they can't even agree if they are going to have eight, ten, twelve or fourteen of these giant municipalities. Where are they going to draw their boundaries? Who wants them? As far as I can see, nobody in London.

In March 1894, Lord Rosebery, the former chairman of the London County Council, became prime minister. As expected, he strongly supported the commission's proposals. In June 1895, he gave a speech where he said that those who opposed unification were fighting an "irresistible movement." He called it "not a matter of party clamor, but a natural force." To keep "two Londons" would be a "civil war." He announced that the law for London's unification was already printed and ready to be introduced to Parliament. He stated that the law "follows almost strictly and literally the recommendations of (the) commission."

New Government, New Plan: The London Government Act 1899

In June 1895, a national election brought the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, back into power. With this change, there was no chance of the unification law being passed anytime soon.

However, changing London's government remained an important political topic, especially within the London County Council. In November 1895, the Progressive Party on the council wanted to transfer powers from the City to the County. The opposing Moderate Party wanted to transfer powers from the county council to the smaller local vestries. In November 1897, a Conservative group called for the government to pass a law to give more power to local governments in London.

The government introduced the London Government Bill to Parliament on March 1, 1899. This bill aimed to make local parish-level governments in London stronger, at the expense of the county council. It would divide the entire County of London into metropolitan boroughs. These new boroughs would take over some smaller powers from the county council. Each metropolitan borough would have a council with a mayor, aldermen, and councillors.

The Times newspaper believed that this bill "had probably brought to its last stage the long controversy as to the form of government best suited to the needs of London." The newspaper's writer also thought the bill would make "the attainment of such unity (of City and county) more difficult." The Liberal and Progressive parties strongly opposed the bill, but it became law on July 13. The twenty-eight metropolitan boroughs officially started on November 1, 1900.

See also

• Royal Commission on the City of London