ABSTRACT
The creation of committees dates from the obligation, laid upon the boroughs by the Act of 1835, to set up a special body known as the Watch Committee, to deal with questions of police. The creation of non-statutory committees lies wholly at the option of the Council. Every Council varies from every other in the habits of its committee system. The Finance Committee is composed of chairmen of the other committees of Council, in others its membership is entirely unrelated to the composition of other committees. The character of committee work is largely governed by the intensity of party organization on the Council, in others, most notably in the counties, party organization has, so far, had relatively little influence on committee work. Committee work in local government differs from that in the national sphere in that its outstanding quality is a function of direct contact between members and the officials of Council.
