The Select Committee was appointed. The results of its inquiries are stated in the next chapter. In 1888 the local government of London underwent a most notable change. In the early part of 1887 various rumours gained currency as to questionable dealings in connection with the lettings of land owned by the Metropolitan Board. Certain officials of the Board were mentioned. The details do not fall within the history of the sanitary evolution of London, except so far as they affected the central governing authority of London. The allegations made received increasing confirmation, and early in 1888 a Royal Commission was appointed to inquire into and thoroughly sift them, and early in May the Commission held its first sitting, the Metropolitan Board affording every facility for the thorough investigation of the matter. Before that time, however--namely, in March--the Government had introduced into the House of Commons its proposals as regarded the local government of England and Wales generally; and the opportunity was taken to deal with the great problem of London government which had so long vexed and perplexed successive governments, and which was becoming more and more insistent as years went on, and London was accordingly included in the general scheme. By the measure now introduced London was to be created--not a Corporation, nor a Municipality, but a County--with a Council as the governing authority of the County. Mr. Ritchie, introducing the Bill into the House of Commons, said[168]:-- "We cannot shut our eyes to the fact that whereas every other borough in the country possesses a body directly representing the ratepayers, no such body exists in London. "There is no one elected by, or responsible to the ratepayers. "We propose to take London, as defined under the Metropolis Management Act, out of the counties of Middlesex, Surrey, and Kent, and we propose to create it a County of London by itself, with a Lord Lieutenant, a Bench of Magistrates, and a County Council of its own. "We propose that the Council shall be directly elected by the ratepayers, as in all other counties and boroughs--that the franchise shall be the same--and that it shall consist, as in all other cases, of elected and selected members; the elected members sitting for three years, the selected for six years (one-half of their number retiring every three years). "It will take over the licensing powers and all the duties of the Metropolitan Board of Works, which will cease to exist." The "City" of London was to be allowed to retain its separate existence within the new County, together with its ancient privileges and immunities for the most part unaltered and untouched. The Bill developed into an Act, which created a new central authority for London, under the title of the London County Council. The area of the new "Administrative County" of London was made co-extensive with that of the former district of the Metropolitan Board of Works.