Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-06-16
DAILY SENTINEL,
SATURDAY,, JUNE is, 1877.
7Ks FREEDOM OF THE cry.

TKE FREEDOM OF THE CITY.
General Grant was, at noon yesterday
formally presented with the freedom
of the great city Of london in agold
aox, q token OF steer never before
conferred upon I'M American. The
very full account of the ceremonies as
cabled to the SENTINEL will be found
especially interesting. Ii is probable
that sonle of III readers do not under
stand the significance Of the freedom
of n city as viewed from a trans-At-
lantic standpoint. The city of London
ia n municipality within a metropolis,
and is ruled by its own government,
founded up6n the votes OF its freemen,
while the rest oil the mighty Capital OF
Great Britain, including the enormous
majority OF its Inhabitants, and the
greater part Of its area, is governed by
Parliamentary authority. Fac history
of the liberties of Londou. makes one
OF the most interesting and important
chapters in the annals of British free
dom; aud the Lord Mayor is so Tar
from being a mere pageant and ponp
that h still does as much work as any
Cabinet Minister, while his privileges
put him face to face with the Crown
within the city limits. Within
those limits he takes precedence
Ill E r~t ia ~, M
can the Sovereign enter those lin
us save with his formal permission.
Sir James Shaw. in the time of George
III, compelled the first gentleman
in Europe" TO how TO these civic pre-
negatives. The citizens of London
have many rights and privileges of
their own, and it has long been the
custom of the city TO offer the warrant
Of their franchise, as being the most
p ecious thing the corporation pos
sesses. to eminent persOnages whom
they desire 10 honor. The process is
called Common Hall, 10 vote to bestow
this warrant. This was done about
the time OF General Grants arrival on
British soil.l The parsonage to be
honored by it is then notified, and
upon some convenient public occasion
he is expected to appear before the
City Chamberlain. as the General did
Yesterday. who in London is the Con-
.servator of the 'Chamoer' or treas
ury of the city, and the guardian aud
supervisor of all apprentices. Gen
eral Grant, as our dispatches inform
us, was yesterday brought into the
presence of this functionary as we'll as
the Lord Mayor and a batch of Alder
men in scarlet robes; the clerk and
officers of the Chamber put their
names down with his in the proper
book as his 'compurgators," making
themselves responsible for his good
behavior and citizenship; the Cham
berlain administered to him the oath Of
fidelity, shook hands with him and
gave him in the gold box, infinitely
described in the Geographic account,
a slip OF parchment warrauting 10 him
and his children. dwelling within sew
ell miles of the city, the franchise of a
freeman of London. Under this fran
chise the General is at liberty to carry
on any retail trade within the linn
it's Of the city without being taxed at
the gates on the goods he brings in;
he is exem pied also from compulsory
service in the British army or navy.
II he should elect TO live within the
city limits, which is not likely, he
will be free from tolls and customs
throughout all England and parts OF
the sea; and his children being left
orphans will have the right to become
wards Of the city and 10 put their
properly for safe keeping into the City
Chamber. He has also the right to
hunt in the county OF Middlesex,
which doubtless seems 10 him a cruel
mockery, seeing that he is just now a
hon himself and IS more in danger of
being hunted than of hunting any
where. The whole red tape business,
of course. amounts TO nothing in Gen
eral Grants case except as a mark of
distinction.