The minutes were to be open to the inspection of any burgess, and an audit of accounts was required. Exclusive rights of retail trading, which in some towns were restricted to freemen of the borough, or to specialist guilds and companies (similar to those of the London livery companies), were abolished. The system of police, which in some places was still medieval in character as a town watch, was modernised along the lines of the Peel reforms for constabulary placed under the control of the council. The various privileged areas within the bounds of a borough were with few exceptions made part of the borough. The powers of the council to alienate corporate property were closely restricted. The operations of the act were extended by later legislation, and the diverse amendments and enactments which followed were consolidated in the Municipal Corporations Act 1882.