Note on the Origins of British Military Government in North‐West Europe
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1946.tb03066.x |
| Published date | 01 March 1946 |
| Author | D. R. Woodman |
| Date | 01 March 1946 |
EARLY
SCOTTISH
IXICAI,
GOVFRNMPNT
changed, the new powers were not vested in the Council but in an elective body
of Commissioners. The ratepayers were empowered, but only by
a
majority
of
three-fourths, to determine that the functions
of
the Commissioners should be
discharged by the Council. _?'he three-fourths majority was afterwards changed
to
two-thirds. By the Police Act
of
1850
the councils
of
royal burghs were
definitely invested with the powers of the Commissioners. Only in
1900
does
the reference
to
Commissioners finally disappear and the councils of
all
royal,
parliamentary,
or
police burghs
are
named as the authorities for
carrying
out
the Burgh
Police
and the Public Health Acts.
Definite
powers of levying rates
within certain limits were given by
the
Police Act of
1833,
but the
proceeds
could
be
spent only
for
the
purposes
specified in the Act.
The
fines
to
be
imposed couId not exceed
those
specified. There was
no
such
control as that
imposed in England by the Municipal Corporations Act
of
1835
and
later Acts
under which the
sale
of
land, and the lease
of
land beyond a limited
period,
likewise the borrowing of money, were made subject
to
the conseat
of
the
Treasury (now
Ministry
of
Health). With certain exceptions,
it
is the
fact
that
until
very recent
times
Scottish Town Gmncils were not
so
much under the control
of
Government Departments as English Town Councils. The Scottish Councils
retained very wide discretion as to the manner
in
which they spent the common
good.
Ample prcwisim was made under the Scottish
Am
for publicity when the
authority proposed
to
sell'
or feu or lease land or borrow money.
In
this
respect
the Acts were
in
accord with the general tenor of the recommendation of the Royal
(&lmission that the abuses
of
the past were largely due to secrecy and they could
best
be
avoided by exposing the transactions
of
the authority to the light
of
day
and by bringing the full blast
of
public opinion to bear upon them.
Note on the Origins
of
British Military
Government
in
North- West Europe
By
D.
R.
WOODMAN
THERE
was nothing very imperial about the origins
of
British Military
Government for North-West Europe, the development of which is
in
fact
an intriguing example of the British soldier's capacity for successful improvisa-
tion.
In
the latter part
of
1943
the War office had established at Wimbledon
a
Civil Affairs Staff Centre which produced potential administrators for all exist-
ing and projected theatres of operations. The material was drawn from both
civilian and military sources, and the course was in those days
of
necessity
distinctly empirical in character. In December a handful
of
successful students,
headed by the Commandant of the Centre, arrived
at
Headquarters,
21
Army
Group, which was then established
in
London, and it
is
with this event that
our story proper may
be
said to begin.
The established staff branches and directorates at
21
Army Group extended
to this new and rather unlovely arrival in their midst
a
welcome that ranged
from the frankly sceptical to the mildly amused-and ordered it to produce
within seven days a draft plan for a major operation. A plan
of
sorts was
produced and, despite four changes of location, redrawn and expanded during
the
ensuing month. Although the precise contingency
for
which it was intended
41
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