The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-28
ELECTING a LORD MAYOR
HOW THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE
GREATEST CITY Is CHOSEN.
A Selection Made by BurIesque Meth
DDS with the Consent of Half a
Dozen Very wealthy Men.


election of new lord mayor. and each has
been in accord with venerable precedent.
The municipal year opens with these quaint
ceremonials Of Michaelmas day. which are
colored with the ancient traditions of the
liverymen of the medieval guilds.
Before the new sheriffs, who had been
elected by the Council. were installed the
great hall of the Guild Hall were strewn
with camomile flowers and sweet-scented
herbs in conformity with an old custom.
The aldermen and members of the Council,
with the retiring sheriffs and the lord mayor,
formed in procession and marched into the
hail. The macebearer and common crier,
when the court had been opened, summoned
the new sheriffs 20 take the oath of office.
The two officials, one a veteran alderman
of twenty years service, and the other a
Scotch councillor who now enjoys at thir-
ty-three the distinction of being the young
est sheriff in the annals of London, repeated
at the bidding Of the town clerk declara-
ton of fealty to the crown in archaic En-
glsh, and subsequently signed g. modern
translation of it. Gorgeously attired foot
men then advanced and Invested the retiring
sheriffs of their gold chains of office, and the
Scotchman changed his gown. The gold
chains were put around the necks of the
new sheriffs, and they were conducted to
their seats under cog and magog in solemn
state. What is still known as the sheriffs'
breakfast, although it is a dinner with two
hundred guests, ending after midnight. fol-
lowed the installation. This final ceremonial
occurred in Winners Hall, one of the
quaintest relics of antique London, where
five kings We're once entertained in the
course of a single year.
On the following day the new lord mayor
was elected with all the ancient formalties.
The present lord mayor and the new sher-
ifs went in full state from the Mansion
House to the Guild Hall with retinue Of
swordbearers and macebearers, chaplains
and under-sheriffs, wearing either court
suits or robes and carrying bouquets AT
the Guild Hall they were received with cere-
were escorted to the little Church of St.
Lawrence in Jewry to attend Michaelmas
service and to hear sermon by the vicar:
After the service they returned to the Guild
Hall, the floor of which had been sprinkled
with understanding herbs There was
small attendance of liverymen, who were
to exercise the time-honored privilege of
selecting two candidates for lord mayor.
The common crier proclaimed in stentorian
tones the purpose of the gathering, and the
recorder explained that in order that their
choice might be free and unfettered, the
lord mayor and the Rldermen, whe had
passed the chair, would leave them to their
deliberations.
CHOOSING BY SHOW OF HANDS.
The common sergeant next read the
names of seven members of the Court of
Aldermen, who, having duly served in the
office of sheriff, were eligible for election
as lord mayor A show of hands was
ordered and the sheriffs announced that
the choice of the livery had fallen on Alder
man Davies and Sir John Moore. The sher-
ifs Immediately retired with the nomina-
lions to the Council chamber, where the
aldermen, choosing between the two candi-
dates elected the lord mayor. When the
sheriffs returned to the main hall the re-
corder announced with grand nourlsn tnat
Lieutenant Colonel Horatio DAVID Dawes,
M. P, alderman and spectacle-naker, nao
been elected lord mayor of London Tor the
ensuing year. The designation of spectacle
maker referred to the liveried company or
guild of which he was a member. Inc
swordbearer at once invested the lord
MAYOR with the chains of office, ana the
new civic head of London thanked the livery
for the honor which had been conferred
upon him. A vote of thanks to the out
going lord mayor was passed and the two
rage to the Mansion House, where recep-
ton was held in the evening.
No civic election could nave Oeen more
expeditions than this function In the
twinkling of an eye the group of liverymen
raised their hands and named two canql-
dates from the seven who were englDle:
They put out their thumbs and pulled out
two plums In five minutes the aldermen
had expressed their preference for one can
new lord mayor. While the liverymen had
been pompously reminded by the recorder
that their choice was absolutely Tree ana
unfettered they knew that everything had
been arranged in advance among the little
group of ex-sheriffs of the Court of Alder
men, who had not passed the cnalr, ana
were alone eligible for election. 1t Yves de-
cided as long as year ago that Alderman
Davies should be elected lord mayor this
Michaelmas. He had expressed his willing
ness to take the office. and everything had
been settled beforehand. The hverymen
raised their hands and the aldermen voted,
but these functions were purely formal, and
everything had been cut and dried before
hand. The candidates do all the caucusing
among themselves. Not only has a new
lord mayor been elected in consequence of
these amicable consultations among eligible
candidates, but the succession has also
been determined for the following year,
without a Citizens Union to force nominal
tons
Arrangements of this kind are expeGient,
for the office of lord mayor is an expensive
one, and only a rich man can hold 1t. The
expenditures for subscriptions and enter
tainments are largely in excess OF the sal
airy and the official allowances. 1t costs Sts
to 100000 to occupy the office. The out
going lord mayor. Sir George Faudel-
Phillips, has probably spent from G25,000 to
ESQ, 600 in excess of his salary and allow
ances He has taken charge of the Indian
famine relief fund and many of the jubilee
funds, and has been the patron OF All the
charities during an "annus mirabilis'' of
subscription lists and systematic codging.
He has subscribed literally to every fund
His gracious hospitality has been enjoyed
by thousands Of jubilee guests at the Man
sion House. The last year has been an ex-
ceptional one, but the office is always
costly one Whoever accepts 1t expects to
pay heavily for the honor. No lord mayor
ever energies from the office without being
at least $4,000 poorer for the experience:
but the honor of knighthood is invariably
bestowed upon him, and his wife enjoys the
distinction of being addressed as Lady So
and-So. No alderman who has passed the
chair ever returns to 1t. Reelection to the
Office never occurs. No alderman is willing
to pay the tolls twice. He might be, If he
could get a peerage for a second term.
WHAT DETERMINES THE CHOICE.
The choice of a lord mayor is ordinarily
determined by seniority of service. Every
alderman who has been sheriff will be lord
mayor in the natural order of succession.
unless he declines the honor on account of
the expense. The senior ex-sheriff is the
candidate usually selected. and the group of
aldermen who have not passed the chair is
ordinarily so small that every member of IL
can have a reasonable expectation of be-
coming lord mayor some day. AS the alder
men are elected for life they form a small
and exclusive municipal club, which can be
conducted for mutual benefit and conven-
fence. The succession is talked over and
arranged from year to year in q friendly
way. Sometimes a cadidate has business
reverseS and has to wait until the times
improve and he can afford to take the of
flee. AT other times ex-sheriH has a
foreign journey TO make or is out of health,
and the honor Is deferred to a more con-
venient season. The outgoing mayor re-
tains his seat in the Court of Aldermen.
About one-half the members of that court
have been lord mayor, one-half of the re-
naming aldermen have been sheriffs and
are consequently eligible TO election to the