The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-20

get drunk when in employment. and forth
with fined him ten %shillings. A youth
named Fisher was then rraigned for throw
ing stones from Blackfriar's bridge. He
couldn't deny his guilt. The lord mayor
said gravely that this was q serious ofense,
and that persons might be crippled for life
fnod the Young man two shillings and six
pence.
There were more of the same kind, but
these cases will do as we'll as others for ex-
amplas. Citizens of any big American city
would smile at the sight of their mayor sit
ting in police court. Englishmen see their
lord mayor, a man of wealth and high po-
sition, doing such work, and think it right
and proper. And, indeed. even the stranger
Who sees this high official going conscien-
tiously about this petty routine. may indeed
doubt the utility Of putting q public officer,
go prominent and busy, at this u%nimport-
ant work that a subordinate might do just
as we'll, but he will scarcely be inclined TO
laugh. When he thinks it over there is
something very democratic that brings the
lord mayor into a common court 80 many
hour every day for the purpose OF MEETING
out mercy as Justice to the lowest an
msansst Of the inhabitants Of Rrsat the cit y
of which he is chief magistrate.
At later hours than those on which l saw
him at tho Mansion house court, you might
fnd the lord mayor pursuing other duties
with the same steady industry n peerse-
verance that he displays when sitting in a
petty criminal court. As lord mayor he is
connected with all the civic boards that
have to deal with tho finances of the city;
and he has to dispense the hospitality of
the city to those persons whom 1t may care
to honor. He is a member OF the school
board for London, ar almoner of Christs
hospital, a governor of the Royal Holloway
college, chairman of the Princess Helena
college and a governor of the United West
minister schools. Then again he is a COVER
nor of Queen Anne's bounty and of the
Royal hospitals. Besides these ne IS q
church warden of the historic church of st.
Mary's Woolnoth, a prominent m OF
the anciont and honorable guild of Gold
smiths. a conservative and q member OF the
Primrose league. g,
So you can readily see that the lord
mayor is far from being an idle man. Then
on special occasions, such for instance, as
the visit of q frisky monarch to London,
the drafts which are made upon his time
and energy and p~ocketbook are something
enormous. In return he gets compensation
in the way of a little extra glory, and IN
the shape perhaps OF q decoration OF some
sort to have and to hold as q mark of the
generosity of kings and queens. His show
On Lord Mayors day, when he is sworn into
Office, is a very costly affair, but he does
not have to pay all the expenses OF it. 1t
Is paid for on a sort of voluntary ASSESS
menu plan by INC lOEu mayor, Viz
of the city, and the city guilds.
For all this, the lord mayor ia paid 80
900 per year, while to keep up anything like
the dignity OF the Office he must spend at
least 2 5,O00-he can serve but one term OF
one year in duration. Most lord mayors
indeed spend Il good deal more than this,
for they do not elect poor men to be lord
mayors in London. and rs the honor is oon-
sidered a great one by London merchants,
rich aldermen are willing 80 spend a deal
of money once they reach the high position
of chief magistrate of the city.
This present lord mayor is no exception tc
the rule. Indeed he has more than one rea-
son to make his Incumbency noted for gen
erous display. He has been married but
two years and his wife is an exceedingly
charming woman, with a genius for enter
tanning. She helped him not a little when
the German emperor was here, and since
her husband has been in office, has more
than kept up tho reputation Of that man.
sion house for hospitality. Mr.. Savory wal
a good while climbing to his present
prominence. His father was . respectabl,
business man in the goldsmith line. H'
mounted up by easy stages. He joined his
fathers guild, and that gave him a start
Later he was elected nsherif. Next he wal
elected an alderman to represent Lang
bourn. All this was don slowly, but once
he became an alderman his way to the lore
mayoralty was clear, providing he could
live long enough. No one but an alderman
can become lord mayor, and it is the alder
men who elect him. In accordance with ar
old custom, if not II rule, it is the senio1
alderman who is each year elected, SO once
an alderman-you must be worth 5000 al
leaat to be oue-it is only a question OF time
when you will be lord mayor. But many {
good and worthy citizen of London has
YEARLY waited for the years to roll rounC
and has died befora the time came when hi
ambition would be satisfied.
Pushing, but matter of fact Americans
can scarcely understand the way this lore
mayor is looked upon here in London. ii
their eyes IL may seem of less importance
than tho mayoralty of New York or of hal
a dozen other American cities. The lore
mayoralty Of London il a very expensive
one. The man who holds it yields oom
paratively littlo political power, and as
stepping stone to a higher position il Is o
no consequence Indeed most lord mayor
think there ia no higher position. not ever
that of prime minister. In New York ant
other American cities. on the other hand
the mayor il = political power Of the frs
magnitude, and from the mayors chair h
may mount to that of president of tn
United States-nayora Of smaller town
than New York have done AZ much.
But Londoners hold the position of lor,
mayor in high respcct because of its histor.
and Of the traditions that are connected
with 1t. In a sense 1t represents the ancien
AZ we'll az the present rights OF the freemel
OF the city of London, rights that they hav
had to fRht for, with varying results, TO
some eight centuries, and they have beef