Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-11-23
LONDON LETTER.
Iorrespondenee MemphIs pubIlc Ledror.

capital a memorable one in two par
ticulars. In the first place it is the
birthday of His Royal Highness, NC
Prince Of Wales, who, having been
born on the 9th of November,
l841, completes this day his fortieth
year. He has been married eighteen
years, and by his eonsort, the Princess
Alexandra daughter of the King Of
Donmark) has two sons and three
daughters, SO that independently Of
the children OF the other members OF
the royal family, the succession to the
crown OF England is well secured.
The Prince Of Wales is not the eldest
of the Queens children, being the
junior by one year Of the Princess
Royal, who in the course of natural
events (Which cannot now be very
long delayed) will be the Empress Of
Germany. The heir apparent, besides
being Prince Of Wales, is also Duke
Of SaxoIy, Duke Of Cornwall, Duke of
Rothsay, Earl of Dublin, Lord Of the
Isles, a Field Marshal in the army
(the highest military rank), a knight
Of the Garter, ETC., etc. | question
whether, fput TO it, the Prince him
self could remember all his own titles
at short notice-the late Duke of Wei
lington, who had a prodigous string Of
titles and orders ofknighthood, British
and foreign, confessed that he could
not do so, and had to refer on being
questioned to the proper officials whose
business tits to take note of such dis
tinctiOns.
But it is pre- eminently as Lord
Mayors day that the 9th day
of November is especially dis
tinguished in the minds of the
inhabitants of London. On this day
The Chief Magistrate enters upon his
official career, which endures but for
one brief year. On this day the in.
coming Lord Mayor goes in state. &C
companied by a long procession, from
the Guildhall in the city to the COUNTS
at Westminster Hall, and after the
presentation of His Lordship TO Her
Msjesty's Judges, the procession re
turns by different route to the city.
Dense crowds line Ethe streets and
flags, Venetian masts and triumphal
arches make a festive display. The
procession consists of all the leading
corporation officials in carriages, the
Lord Mayor in the city stage coach,
the ex-LOrd Mayor, the Sheriifs, de.
tachments Of troops. the fire brigades,
banner bearers, military bands and so
forth. This year a special feature of
the procession will be the carrying of
the banner Of the United States, es-
eOrted by a Guard of Honor, and
while at a given point, the bands will
strike up THE Star Spangled Ban
ner." This is no doubt intended as a
complimentary return for the saluta
ion Of the British flag at Yorktown.
II The proceedings on Lord Mayors
Day are appropriately brought to a
conclusion by the grand banquet given
in the Guildhall Of the city of Lon
don, at which the Lord Mayor well
cones his guests, the Prime Minis
ter, the Cabinet, the Lord Chancellor
and the Judges, the Commander in
Chief and sons Of the famous men
of the land. AS Parliament is at this
period Of the year cut of session, the
speech Of the First Lord of the Trea-
sury in response to the toast OF
his health given by the Lord Mayor
is looked forward to year by year with
the greatest interest, and though the
Minister for the time being usually
contriyes to avoid betraying the Sc
crets Of the Cabinet over which be
exercises control, still these speeches
are generally regarded as political
manifestoes. Some Of the best re-
membered uttersnces of Lord Pal
merston, Earl Russell, Lord BeacoDs-
field and Mr.. Gladstone have been
made at these civic banquots.
The Lerd Mayor of London for the
year of 1872 IS the Right Honorable
John Whitaker Ellis. The title OF
Right Honorable is given to the Lord
Mayor ty virtue of his holding the
office Of Priyy Councillor ex oficio.
Unlike other Privy Councillors, how
ever, he drops the title on the cxpira
ton Of his year of Office, and from
the Right Honorable the Lord Mayor
becomes this day next year plain Mr..
Alderman Ellis. But there is always
the hope for a Lord Mayor of receiv-
ing a title from the Queen during his
occupancy Of the civic chair. Should
any important event occur, notably a
visit Of royalty to the city, it is usual
for the Lord Mayor TO be created a
Baronet and the two Sherifs made
Knights. The Thanksgiving visit Of
the Prince Of Wales to st. Paul's
Cathedral on his recovery from fever,
the opening Blackfriars Bridge and
the Holborn Viaduct, the visits TO
the city OF the Sultan Of Turkey and
the Viceroy Of Egypt, and other sim
liar events all resulted in the bestowal
Of these hOpOrs. Of the twenty
FIVE members Of which the Court of al
dermen is composed, sixteen Of whom
have already served the Office Of Lord
Mayor, there are 4 Baronets, s
Knights, and z Members Of Parlia-
ment. One is a banker, one a stock
broker, and all the others arc con
nected with the trade and commerce
Of the city. The present Lord Mayor
is the head Of a firm Of a%uctioneers
and land agents.
The jurisdiction Of the Lord Mayor
does not extend beyond the walls of
the city proper which is in size, and
actually resident inhabitants, only a
small portion Of the great metropolis
which with the city contains nearly
four millions Of population. The me
tropOlis outside the city walls is not
incorporated but divided into metro
politan boroughs, each returning two
Members Of Parliament-the city
itself sending fo1r representatives to
the House Of Commons-of whom
only one supports the present Liberal
Goyernment-the remaining three are
Conservatives. The Conservatism Of
the city may in part be due to a desire
to uphold the dignity and exclusive
ness Of the corporation Of London, it
being generally understood that an
item in the Liberal programme is a
plan to invade the ancient vested
rights Of the city, and possibly to give
charters Of incorporation with mayors
Of their own 10 the hnrnnpha nnfsidn