New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-13
LITTLE LONDON.
uovy THE LORD MAYOR is ELECTED BY
BURLEsQUE METHODS WITH THE
CONSENT OF HALF A DOZEN
RICH MEN.
London, October =.


London October ,.
II view Of the first municipal election III
oo.,ar Nev-York it may be interesting 10 ue
..r,hs the simple method by which the Lord
Movor OF the greatest city in the "or'a ~
orrually elected There have been two fnuh'c'-
" ,,nc,,ons in the City Of London this week.
~. sberiffs installation and the election or
w.. ord Mayor. and each has been in accord
nth venerable precedent. The municlpai year
ons with these quaint ceremoniaIs Of Michael
nv which are colored with the ancient
,,,,ors Of the LIverymen Of the medi@Vai
Guilds o,oc,ed
yo,ore the new Sherifs. who had been eie''eu
=, tho Council. were installed, the great nan
y, ,he Guildhall were strewn with camo""e
o.,,.rs and sweet-scented herbs In cohior"'''!
.,.h an old custom The Aldermen ana mem
go n, the Council with the retiring Sne'iiS
80 tho Lord Mayor. formed In procession anu
,,orchcd into the hall The M2cepeaIei anu
-,noon Crier. when the court I'D"
o,a,ad summoned the new Sherins u '"Ne '"'
18th o, office The two officials, one 'e'ei""
alderman Of twenty years service anu -"
.h.r Scotch Councillor. who now e"''s' a.
.,,vthree the distinction OF belnE the !ou"e
u" STIFF an the annals Of London. repeated
=, tho bidding Of the Town CLERK oe'ia' "'''
=, ,.,ltv 10 the Crown in archaic fhsis'' anu
,saouently signed a modern trahsia'io" VI ~
c.roouslv attired footmen then aoNanOeu ""'
,,.s,od the retiring Sheriffs OF their golu '"''''
-. e,oe and the Scotchman Chanseo ii' s'""
NJ ,old chains were put AROUND Inv "' "
80, rov, Sheriffs. and they were 'ohuu0'eu ~
.ba,r seats under Cog and Mas"e !" -.
49, What is still known as the "he'''
hreak-ast. although IT Is ann, WIN smooa
oF.ar ,r1iOn H..
hundred guests, ending after "''''''e .o,,rroa
meditation This final ceremon'ai ocou'ieu
IN Winners Hall. one OF the p""'''' oo
er,ioue London. where hve N,"s'
entertained in the course OF s"h ,,ou
~ ,ho following day the new Lord Mayor
y" NV ,,.;th all the ancient formalities
~. r.oso,t Lord Mayor and the ne" ""'i'"
Inc x,,u s,ote from the Mansion House 10
c..,,hou n,th q retinue Of swordnearers'
''' ,rs charlains and under-sheri'S
i'''O' .,..o- Court suits or robes. and carry
o,s Al the Guidhall they were re-
me ,.,,h csremonious solemnity by the Cor
49,, ,rare escorted to the little Church
' -.uoroo IN Jewrv to attend Michaelmas
Va - 70 beer sermon by the vicar.
~ 49,, sorv,ce they returned TO the Eulio-
80 49, eoor Of which had been sprinkled with
.... sr,e,,ine herbs There was small at
$50 ~ 1ivervmen who we're 10 exercise
49,. .,,o borored privilege Of selecting TWO can
s,sa,es for Lord Mayor The common Ni''
oc,ain,.d in stentoran tones the purpose Va
.bo Gathering and the Recorder explained '""'
IN order that their choice might he free anu ~"
,sttered tie Lord Mayor and the Aldermen "nO
.oa nassed the chair would leave them 10 'her
deliberations.
cr,oos1SC RY SHOW OF HANDS.
- coroeant next read the names OF
,hors ~ the Court Of Aldermen. VINO
,, d,,,, served in the office Of Sheriff, were
.,,u,,,o for election as Lord Mayor. show OF
Ids WAS ordered and the Sherfs announced
,,o. tho choice Of the Livery had fallen on Al
.a.rn,an Davies and Sir John Moore. Inc "hef
,a. Immediately retired With the NOMINATIONS ~
,,a Council chamber where the Aldermen chooS'
ING between the two candidates. e'ec'eu wy
ord Mayor When the Sherins returne" w W
vain hall the Recorder announced WIN 3 ion,
n,h .ha, I5eutenant- Colonel Horatto DaVio
Do,,as n p. Alderman and Spectacle-HaAe''
"a been elected Lord Mayor or Lohuoh ioi ''
"s..,,ro vear The designation OF Spec'acle
- referred TO the lveried company or gum
~ which he was a member. the o"oiupe"'
., orce invested the Lord Mayor Win 'he CHAINS
~ office and the new civic head OF -o"uo'i
thanked the Livery for the honor which 'i"'
been conferred upon him vote Oh 'hahhS ~
the outgoing Lord Mayor was passed. anu '"e
tvo officials returned in the same state carriage
N the Mansion House, where recep'io" ""'
held in the evening. ,
W. tit e,ec,,on could have been more expedi-
tious than this function. In the twnKllng Oh an
eve the group Of Liverymen raised their hahus
I'D NAMED two candidates from the seven VINO
ra s,eihle They put out their thumbs ana
,,uea out TWO plums In five minutes the Al
aorr,a, had EXPRESSED their preference for one
ard,sate over the other and London had new
1ord Mayor While the Lverymen had been
r,,ors,,, reminded by the Recorder that their
ohoica WAS absolutely free and unfettered. they
knew that everything had been arranged in ad-
vance among the little group Of x-Sherins or the
Court Of Aldermen, who hadnot passed the cha'r
and we're alone eligible for election 1t was decld-
Cd as long as a year ago that Alderman Dawes
shonld he elected Lord Mayor this Micnaeiinas
He had expressed his willingness to take the
Office and everything had been settled peiore-
hand The Liverymen raised thelr hahos All"
the Aldermen voted but these functions "er"
purely formal. and everything had been cut ana
s.s A.oroband The candidates do all the
caucus,ng among themselves. NOT only mas
Now Lord Mayor been elected In consequence VI
these amcable consultations among eHeloie call
d,dat.s. but the succession has also been defer
,oined for the following year, without Citizens
Union to force nominations
Arrangements Of this kind are expedient for
,he office of Lord Mayor is an expensive one, and
only a rich man can hold it. The expenditures
for subscriptions and entertainment are largely
in excess Of the salary and the official allowances
1t costs every Lord Mayor anywhere from tio'-
600 to 10000 to occupy the office The outso-
ing Lord Mayor Sir George Faudel-Philips. has
probably spent from f25.o0O to 10000 in excess
OF his salary and allowances. He has taken
charge Of the Indian Famine Relief Fund and
many OF the Jubilee funds. and has been the
diirl