The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-29 00:00:00

ELECTION OF LORD MAYOR.
(THIS DAY.)
The election of this high civic officer has been for the
last four years a matter of great interest in the City, and
not that routine species of proceeding which it was
heretofore. That interest has been occasioned in con-
sequence of the unexampled rejection of the claims of
Arr. Alderman Wood to the civic chair. The arrival of
another Michaelmas-day has again put the eitiaene of
London on the alert, and the neighbourhood of the
Guildhall was the scene of bustle and confusion from an
early hour. The walls of the Guildhall presented
a never-ending but still beginning decoration of bills,
calling upon the Livery to 'ote for Wood for Lord
Mayor, and a general implession seemed to prevail that
tardy justice would be done to Alderman Wood, and
that his claims to the civic chair, would be acknow-
led_ged.
The doors, of the Guildhall were opened at twelve
so'clock. At this hour there was but a small number of
!he Li-eery in attendance, but before one o'clock the
nail was crowded to suffocation.
Shortly after the opening of the hall the Lord Mayor,
zue new Sheriffs, and several members of the Court of
Aldermen met in the Council Chamber, and proceeded
from thence to St. Lawrence Church, where an excel-
lent sermon was preached by the chaplain of the Lord
Mayor. At the conclusion of the service, at half-past
one, the procession returned to the Hall, and the Lord
Mayor and Aldermen having taken their seats at the
upper end, the usual proclamation having been made.
The RECORDER came forward and said that the Livery
were this day convened to exercise the highest privilege
Which they possessed, namely, the election of the chief
Magistrate of this ancient city. To be an alderman and
to have served the office of sheriff constituted the legal
qualification, and the mode of election which the
custom of London and the constitution of the city pre-
scribed, was, the assembled Livery should nominate two
magistrates, duly qualified, to the Court ofAldermen, and
that Court should choose one of them to fill the
office of Lord Mayor for the ensuing year.
The names of those gentlemen who had not yet attained
,the civic dignity would be first presented to the notice
of the Livery, but it was his duty to explain that it was
Slot obligatory on them to elect those gentlemen in
Nation, and that their choice of nomination was free
and unfettered.—(Cheers.) Their discretion was limited
by no other consideration than an honest zeal to promote
the public service.—(Cheers, and loud cries of derision.)
Re was persuaded they would enter upon the discharge
Of their important duties and this high trust, with a full
Conviction that they were called upon, in fidelity
to their fellow-citizens on this occasion to elect a
gentleman in every way qualified to sustain
the dignity of the chief magistrate of this great city.—
(Cheers, and derisive laughter.) The popular character
of our institutions had mainly sustained them in
the shocks to which they had been exposed, but
that which was retained to them in preserving their
liberties was the judgment, the discretion, and honesty
of their public bodies, to whom such important fran-
Chises were entrusted.—(Cheers.) On the importance
The
their present duties he would not further touch.
Ile nomination was for their decision, and then pre-
sently the Lord Mayor and Aldermen would withdraw
to their chamber, and would leave the choice of the
Livery free and unfettered.—(Cheers and laughter.)
Re had stated to them the rights and privileges which
they enjoyed, not deceiving them in any degree as
to their extent and character.—(Cheers and laughter.)
Each branch of the constitution in this city had separate
duties and functions, and to the discharge of that im-
portant duty which the Livery was this day assembled
to fulfil he would now leave them, with the single
recommendation that they would preserve the high
spirit and honour which had hitherto distinguished them
in its discharge.—(Cheers, mingled with some loud ones
of an ironical character.)
Mr. Alderman WOOD then came forward to the front
of the platform, and was received with the most deafen-
tog cheering. Silence having been restored, the worthy
Alderman said—Gentlemen of the Livery, I am
here again before you in my accustomed rotation
,!.0 receive that support which, on previous years,
has been rendered me, and which I trust I
I shall not on this occasion look for in vain. If there is
aught in the past years to notice it is, perhaps, the
strenuous exertions which I have myself made—exertions
which have been met by the greatest kindness
on your part, exertions which have been con-
tinued without an atom of ill-feeling to any
one of my brother Aldermen.—(Cheers) Gentlemen,
I trust that while there is nothing in my conduct to call
for reprehension, I have exhibited at no time any feeling
of enmity to others, at the same time that I have en-
deavoured to preserve and maintain that feeling of re-
spect which is due to myself.—(Cheers.) I know
that no popular magistrate can be of much
use unless he lives in the esteem and con-
fidence of the people. To that confidence I ap-
Peal, as I have done from time to time. It has sustained
Die in the day of persecution—it has enabled me to dis-
charge my magisterial duties, I hope, with advantage to
the public and honour to myself, and it now sustains me
In this hour, when I again solicit your further confidence.
t enables me to ask for that return of kindness which
has never heretofore been refused me.—(Cheers.) Gen-
tlemen, I have been so long before you, and the subject-
?latter of my address is so well known to you all, that
It would little become me to trouble you with a
lengthened statement now, or to deprive you
`' .
the opportunity of your going immediately
~the election. I, therefore, leave it in your hands, and
"lkatever position you may be pleased to place me in;
even should I be defeated, I will respectfully bow to your
decision, although I trust (judging from past experience)
you will place me in the position from which I have so
long been excluded. Gentlemen, I thank you for the
kindness with which you have heard me.
Mr. JAMES Wiestresosr next addressed the liverymen.
He said, that the Recorder had already informed them
of the business which they had on that day to do, and
he (Mr. Wilkinson) hoped that they would act honestly
and fearlessly on that occasion.—(Hear, hear.) He had
seen that during the last three elections for the office of
Lord Mayor what he ever considered the perpetra-
tion of a great injustice.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.)
in the first place, if they:would allow him to tell them so,
he had never in his life spoken to Alderman Wood, and
he Was not conscious that Mr. Alderman Wood had
ever spoken to him; all his acquaintance with him having
arisen from occasionally hearing him in his capacity
a public magistrate, and he thought the gentlemen
of the Livery would be of the same opinion with him,
that in that capacity no one could find fault with the
,41011. Alderman.—(Cheers.) He believed the Livery,
like.„ himself, detested hypocrisy and trick.—(Cheers.)
Englishmen prided themselves on fair play, and they
held it as a maxim that all persons should be con-
sidered innocent until they were discovered to be guilty.
tile regretted to see that of late years that good rule had
"en laid aside.—(Cheers.) He (Mr. W.) had come
there that day to express his sentiments on the matter.
Re had himself served the Livery faithfully. For the
last four years he had audited their accounts, and he
had never taken a pennyworth of victuals from them,
although 4001. had been voted for the purpose of eating
and drinking. He was determined to countenance no
hypocrisy or trick ; and if charges were brought against
the worthy: Alderman let them be proved, and then it
would be time to condemn him.—(Cheers.) He thanked
them for the attention they had given him, and he trusted
they would that day do their duty by returning Mr.
Alderman Wood as their chief magistrate.
The COMMON SERGEANT then stated that it was his
duty to declare the names of the several gentlemen who
'Were candidates for the office of Lord Mayor of this
ancient City of London. These were—Messrs. Alder-
men Thomas Wood, Sir George Carroll, Sir J. Duke,
l'arneombe, Musgrove, Hunter, Sidney, and Moon.
The show of hands was then made, and an immense
number was held up in favour of Alderman Thomas
Wood, while immense cheers were given in his
favour. The names of the several other members of
the Court of Aldermen were then severally put to the
Meeting, and were greeted with marks of the most ex-
cessive opprobrium, those of Sir G. Carrol and Mr.
Alderman Hughes being treated with peculiar marks of
disapproval. At the close of the proposition of the se-
veral Aldermen, the Common Sergeant declared the
choice of the Livery to have fallen on Thomas Wood,
Alderman and framework knitter, and on Sir G. Carrel,
Alderman and spectacle maker, when the same expres-
sions of favour in behalf of the former, and of disappro-
bation of the latter, with still more vehement demon-
stration, were renewed.
vs.A poll was then demanded on behalf of Mr. Alderman
•etooper.
Mr. Wean came forward, and said—Gentlemen, I -am
entitled to say, on the part of Mr. Alderman Hooper,
that he is no party to demanding a poll on the present
occasion.

Mr. ANDERTON said that he had demanded a poll on
the part of Mr. Alderman Hooper, for the purpose of
giving the Livery an opportunity of showing whether they
desired the election of Alderman Wood or not. He had
been twice returned to the Court of Aldermen by the
Livery, for election to the office of Lord Mayor, and
had by that Court been twice rejected. He was
empowered to say that the Court of Aldermen had de-
clared that, iu the event of the poll proving in favour of
Alderman Wood, that they had no objection to elect him
to the dignity of Lord Mayor. The Alderman would
now have an opportunity of proving by this means the
validity of his character, and of retaining his position in the
Corporation of London. There was now a means for
fully testing the feelings of the Livery, for there was
now an opportunity of making their election. If they
by their votes returned Alderman Wood, if they thus
expressed c wish for that purpose, they would see him
Lord Mayor. He would then take up his right position
in the Corporation and in society, and this was the
reason why he had demanded a poll on behalf of Alder-
Man Hooper.
Mr. Alderman WOOD re-entered the ball, and was
again received with loud cheers. He said, since I have
left the hall I understand that a poll has been demanded
e,„tt behalf of one of the gentlemen in rotation, and
1, believe perfectly unauthorised on his part. I
believe that course has been adopted because it is
well known that I never anticipated it, and am, there-
fOre at the present moment quite unprepared to meet
such a result. lam not prepared with the varied ma-
chinery requisite to enable a person to go to a poll
effectually, neither have I had time, nor did I think it
necessary, even if I had had, to canvass my friends amongst
the Livery. But, although thus taken by surprise, I sin
determined to place myself entirely in your hands, and
either stand a contest or retire, according to your dis-
cretion. It was not my wish thus to disturb the city of
London, and cause a large expenditure, which
las not at all called for by any of the ex-
sting circumstances. I do not claim to myself
theright to complain of the conduct of
gentleman who has thought proper to pursue that
course, but I do say, that I have a right to complain that
received no previous notice of such a thing as a poll
beiDa demanded. Had I any idea that would be done,