The Sun.
London, England, 1819-09-30 00:00:00

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1819.

COMMON HALL.

ELECTION OF LORD MAYOR.

Yesterday being the day on which a Common
Hall is annually summoned fof the purpose. of
electing a Lord Mayor- for 'the ensuing year, a
crowd assembled at an 'early hour, with a view of
witnessing the struggle expected to take place
bet meen the Reformers and ,the pdiitical friends
oftheLOßD MAYOR, as an' open rupture between
the great body of the Livery and his Lordship
had been for sortie days announced; and-as neither
of the parties had made any secret of their inten-
tions, the public anxiety was throtighout the morn-
ing manifested in -an extraordinary degree. The
area in front of Guildhall was crowded at an early
how, and the 'Marshalmen'atthe,centre door, and
Beadles belonging tothe:several Companies, were
extremely careful at their respective tatehes•to
admit oo_person into the Hall but acknowledged
Livery:nen. .
At half-past ten the City
,State Carriage drew
op to_ the private door of the Maui:ion-home, arid
of course attracted a concourse of spectators. In
a quarter' of an hour his Lmdship, accompanied
by his Chaplain and•tbe Sword-bearer, came forth
and entered the carriage. His Lordship looked
round with great good- humour, and smiled as
two or three of the Radicals made an 'inarits•fent
attempt to.excite a general expression of diSap-
• probation. -His Lordship proceeded by the usual
route-through the •Poultry, Cheapside, and King-
street,. without .being greeted by his friends or
foes. • On his -arrival in, the area in front of the
Hall, however, the assembled multitude received
bin) with loutl .groans, hisses, and-cries of ''',Fire
and murder !" Ino»ediately preceding his arrival,
thedoars of the Half had , been opened. and a
strong party of the ,Reformers gained possession
of the.front row of the . bustiogs,•from • whence,
as bis Lordship passed, towards tie. Court :of Al-
dermen, they discharged a volley,of abuse. His
Lordship turned towaids those Gentlemen, and
made •thent a most -respectful obeisance. The
Livery now poured into the Hall from the •hatches
of their respective Guilds, 'and, • with important
looks, .gave notice of the active operations in
which they were about td..be engaged,

Several meetings, it- Was knawn, had 'taken
place within the 160 few days`; for the purpose of
deciding:on the course to be pursued on this (K.
casion. The Reformers, it was known, were
determined otk imitating the precedeu( set in the
reign of Charles the Second,
.by calling- for the
diScossion of their grievances before they p:o-
-ceeded to the EleCtion ; but the reports Were va-
rious as to the nature of tliFSYstem recorMnended
frau head-quarters, and 66 at least the advan:
tare' of a uniform plan was lost, although the con-
, junction of many plans tending to the same end,
proved tolerably soine, it was- said,
that divisions, each 'consisting of one hunsdied
individuals; were to be formed, who were to re-
lieve each other in the' exercise of their lungs at
stated periods, until the' objects which' they had
in'yieWvWere obtained--:by Others, that the tuo-
rnent\the Lord Mayor made his appearance; he
was to be assailed ny cried of" fire and Murder,"
slid tfrat this was to he' continued omit he pa-
tiently submitted to the castigation which, his
merciful judges might think proper to giVe him ;
—and by a third parry, that they should endea-
your to pick a quarrel With thOse Who might be
disposed to regard his' Lordship'S coquet in a
favouratile point'tiflvii'.:*; and hienteting-.into a
regular engagetnelit,Trevent the transaction of
any public busineSS -whatever. To Counteract
these ingeniotis arrangements; it was stated flint
the Lord Mayor was making the mosf'forMidable
preparations; that he iferd sworn in a large'botly
of extra constables, and intended dispersing tVin,
In 'vat-Vohs parts of the. Hall, with instructions to.
take'into caste,dy any'perscii who should presume
ttrdiitnrb the hartriOny of the asseMbly. This,
howevts, proved to be a 'Mere invention of the
erienifl"fdr the 'purpose ofincret;sing • any angry
feelineWhich might exist,'and of creating a mole
delertditied-spirit 'Of resistance. •So' 'far' was the.
Lord Mayor from takingeyen preventive 'Mea-
sures, that he aid:mit-solicit the support of his
friends. He prudentlygre'solved to attempt, at
least, to perform his duty in the usual way,
and, irtfa as hhimselfto Support-. the: dig-
nity' office), accordiag:to hisowir-conscien-;
tions-a9tions,of the. course which that dignity de-
tuanded'he should pnrsue. He felt, he said,.that
he ‘,vas exposed to. file malevolent Shafts of de-
signing, men ; bar be. Wal not to be driven by in-
. titaidation to that which .he was not persnaded
*as strictly right. The. only orders which be
gave were, that .liartieular attention 'slio'uld be
paid to the admission' of persons' into I the -Hall ;
and that, with tlie,-exception- of ilre.Gentlemen,
connected with the Public Press, none but Li-
verymen should be alloived to'enter—au order
which was, 'as far its•Thssibre, observed,
The•Jollowing
.hautt-hills were distributed by
the Radicals with a.liberal band :
" The WILL of the LORD MAYOR! Versus the RIGHT of
the 'LIVERTof LONDON to' meet in Common Hall to
discuss. Public Grievances.
•i" I can never allow that thelord Mayor 'shall' be every
thkug, and the Livery notLing.'--Combe, 1810. •
" This Cause is to be tried in the Guildhall of the City of
London, this Michaelmas-clay,: 1819, proioutt to the Eire-
tion of the Lid Mayor for the year ensuing.
1" Liverymen, the eyes of the whole Kingdom are directed
to the issue of this important struggle. Remember that the
Livery on Midsuinnser-day, 1769, fended this right for you.,
It is your-duty to baud the same down to posterity ttnim-
raked. Do your duty ! lie temperate ! !—but be firm !! !"
""IlltoirrEn LxvEurnv.::—You are this day assembled to

exercise a most important duty, the-choice of a Chief Magis-
trate.

Are you p►ot called upon then. to elect such a ,Magistrate
as will not deny you a Common H►►ll, to consider the pro-
priety of Petitioning for,the Redress of PaWit Grievances?
" Will Alderman Bridges,
,and the Alderman below the
Chair, come fOrth and declare- their readiness to convene

Common Halls, when requested so to do by a respectable
number of Liverymen ?
" If not, what alternative have you then, hut to return
Mr. Alderman Wont) and Mr. Alderman TfroftP? by which
you can aloii secure youriancient and undoubted privileges,
guaranteed to you,by the Rill. of Rights..--Your's
"-A LIVERYMAN."
On !lie other site sof the qtreition, the subjoined
paper was scut forth :
" Ttie' Loyal and Independent Livery 6f London,- having
,met at the London Tavern, on Friday, the.Qlth day of Septem-
ber, 1819, •JOHN BLADES, Esq. in the Chair, it Ivas una-
nimously Resolied, That the Line of Rotation to the Office of
LORD MAYOR, should be most strictly adhered to. The
Loyal and Independent Livery of London are therefore
earnestly requested to Support the return of Sir MATTLIEW
BLOXI4AM, Knt.. and CHRISTOPHER MAGNAY, Esq:
beim.; the two Aldermen next jn Rotation,' to he returned to
the COURT of ALDERMEN as PIT and PROPER PEMONS to serve
the Office of LORD MAYOR for the Year ensuing."
While the Livery were increasing theit'Airetigth
within, the mob gathered force without, and by
occasional shouts testified their -approbation or
dislike towards the different persons who ap-
proached. Alderman Brydges, who introduced
Parkins to the Court of Aldermen yesterday, :was
the first of the Civic Body. who entered the Hall ;
he was partially cheered, Aider Man Rothwell,
the new Sheriff, followed, .and was both cheered
and hissed, His friends, however,_ were 'pr edo-
mioant.—A report was now circulated, that au
attempt would be made to commence the bosiness
of the. day with the introduction of. the Manches-
ter business, %Illicit it was said was to be brought
forward by Alderman AVaithmati ; • and as it was
insinuated that the Lord Mayor bad expressed
kis firm resolve to commit every man olio should
in this manner interfere with tile -legitimate busi-
'ness of the day, a powerful phalanx ;were stared
tit be in :readiness,, to support .him_ in : the sante
attempt, until, the 'teity jails .should. he crowded
with -,' irregulars,'!. and until„ each constable
should have a prisonerto,guard. • _ .
At half-past eleven Air. Hinalwho, in common
with other Liverymen, :had, teceived a precept to
attend, and who arrived from Middleton Cottage
yesterday, in -order to be present), appeared at
the from door of the Hall,. and demandett. admis-
sion. He was desired to go to the hatch of his
guild, and immediately proceeded to that of the
L9trainer's Company, where, after.a sbort_scru-

iny, be wls.permit(ed to enter. He was receive;!

with,sonie applause., He was:dressed in a suit of
black,. and had substituted also a black hat for
that of:the uniform of his. squad., Atter having
asserted Ilk tight, finding the business had not
yet comirienced,, he retired to' a neighbouring cot-
fee-horse.
Atilt 20 minutes before. twelve, the Lord -Mayor,.
aceoppanied by' the sevetall)fficers of the Corpo.
ratiolt, and by the two-Aldermen whose names
we br !ready mentioned, went. in procession to
h rif4RTitr
passed along, the Hall and the street resounded
with trEtne-ndrius testimonies of dislike, in which
all kinds of discordant yells were intermingled—
groans, catcalls—cries of fire ! murder ! and so
forth.

one o'clock the utmost impatience was ma-
nifested for the commencement Of the business;
and in a few Minutes the 'wishes of the 'multitiitre
were met, `by the approach of the Lord Mayor
and the Cm prat ion, in the 'acc►istomed order,
and Who, from the pressure' of the'croWd, found
infinite diffiCulty in reaching their destination.—
Nothi►ng could exceed the crinfnsion and uproar
that now Preiailed. The Court of Aldermen', and

the crowd became, from the resicles's force of
persons preisint; to get on the hustirtgs,'lntermin-
gled, and nearly a quarter of an hoar elapsed be-
forethe Officers:of the Corporation.wer e io a. si-
tuation to commence the performance of their
duty. At length, at ten minutes past one, the
Lord Mayor took his seat on the httatings,,amitim.

the most,.dismal yells anti hootings, mixed. se;th.
applause:, Aldernien C. Smith, iV,Ood,
man, J.. Smith, -Hunter., •Scholey,
Brydges, and Hevgate,y werelalso, present. .:The
•rown:Crier svaiteti Silence!' and announced Thig
'' the itens ;were, called together to elect-'a •fit-
and propel'. person. to serve-. the office of Lord
Mayor :,for the year enshing.'!—(Ceies' of " No,
119 I'' now burst from aft quarters), and Mr.
Thompson, .Ofcame forward)). and
attempredthq:address the Licerv, in the room of
Alderman .Waitliman, whose intlisp_ositiou, it was
said, disqualified him for such a task.

Thy ICticoartaa instantly presented himself, anal
repeated the purpose for which they were alone'
assembled —(The most terrific uproar. prevailed
during the scene.)

Mr. Tnomi.spN rose to propose a series of Re
solutions, hat was interrupted by the LORD MAYOR
and the Iik,CORDER. 'COMIMioN SRRJ RANT:
also declared that the proceeding was illegal. •
Mr. TitomPsoN persisted in . his course,.and.
called upon tie; Livery to asset rtheir rights-,hut
this was all-that could he heard. Attempts were
made-to- remove Mr. Thompson, but he was up-
held by the Orator, and cheered in the loudest
manner by his friends. At last the Lord Mayor.
and Aldermen, finding it impossible to proceed
with the election, retired altogether from the
hustings, through a. side. dour to the. Chamber-;
lain's Office. A new contest now ...arose. . Mr,
Thompson was forced aside to make way for the
Sheriffs, who- at last obtained a-front standing-
•place. Mr. Parkins asserted his right to speak
first, which was opposed by Sheriff llothwell.—.
'arkins gave. way, and Sheriff Rorhwell entreated
they might be allowed to proceed to the " order
of the day."
Alderman Warrnm AN now rushed between the
Sheriff's, and cried " No, no;" and Waved his hand

to enforce his advice.--(Loud and reiterated
cheers, with cries (.4 " Off; off.")
Sheriff l'Aututgs protested against the prece-
dency assumed by Mr. Rothwell, and censured the

Lord Moyor for permitting it. He begged that
the Livery would be patienta'and " hear what