When the Provisional County of Haliburton was formed in 1874, the geographic townships of Glamorgan, Cardiff and Monmouth formed one municipality in the newly created County.

Philip Harding of the Township of Cardiff was the first Reeve and Alex Southworth, also of the Township of Cardiff, was the first Clerk. Mr. Harding and his Council had the task of organizing and setting the framework for the operation of this new Municipality. Since this area was part of Peterborough County prior to 1874, there would have been By-laws passed by that County and its Municipalities which would have provided guidance but, no doubt there were unique situations in this Municipality which required By-laws not in place in Peterborough County. This meant that Mr. Harding, Mr. Southworth and the Council would have had a working knowledge of the applicable Provincial laws that delegated authority to Municipal Councils to enact by-laws. 

Some of the early issues dealt with by Council were:

By-law No. 2 – "That the said Municipality be divided into two electoral divisions as follows: that is to say Division No. 1 shall comprise the whole of the township of Cardiff and that part of the township of Monmouth beginning with Lot 16 in the various concessions and that the election be held at School House No. 2 at the corner of Burleigh road and Monk road and that the Clerk be the returning officer.

Division No. 2 to comprise the township of Glamorgan and that part of the township of Monmouth west of lots number 16 in the various concessions and that the elections be held at Mr. Samuel Whittaker’s house Gooderham and that Mr. Charles Way be the returning officer."

By-law No. 3 divides the Municipality into road "beats for the purpose of performing statute labour" and "pathmasters", probably the equivalent of Foremen. This is will be a subject of further study.

This was the era of the timber barons cutting under Provincial license, but the Council of this Municipality used its authority under Sub Section No. 5 of Section 333 of the Upper Canada Municipal Act of 1866 to pass By-law No. 6 "for the preservation of the timber on the Concession lines and road allowances in the Municipality of Glamorgan, Cardiff & Monmouth." This By-law was passed August 21, 1874 and a certified copy was to be sent to 

"Department". 

By-laws were passed annually, starting in 1875, to "fix and determine the number of licenses to be issued to taverns shops or other places for the sale of spirituous & fermented liquors". No license was issued in 1875. 

By-law No. 11 set up School Districts in the United Townships of Glamorgan Cardiff and Monmouth. "Glamorgan and that part of Monmouth included in No. 2 electoral district shall be erected into a School Section to be known as number 1 School Section Glamorgan & Monmouth and that Mr. Abraham Lake shall be appointed the person to call the first meeting of such Section."

The first "Budget By-law" was passed August 31^st, 1875 and comprised:

County Rate $104.16

County School Rate 115. 74

Councilors fees 50.00

Clerk & Treasurer 30.00

Collectors 25.00

Assessors 25.00

Incidental expenses 52.85

$402.75

"Also a further sum of 23 dollars on the Township of Glamorgan for railway debentures … and also the sum of $150.00 on School Section No. 1 Glamorgan and Monmouth …".

This is only a glimpse of some of the issues which had to be dealt with by the "New Municipality" in the mid-1870’s.