New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-23
FREEDOM OF THE CITY"
MAYOR VAN wYCK's MISUSE OF THE

TERM IN WELCOMING THE RALEiGH
Mayor Van Wyck's address to Captain Cogh-
Ian OF the Raleigh when he boarded the vessel
10 bid the returning sailors welcome to New
York, contained a phrase which probably caused
some amusement among the officers who knew
that it meant nothing, despite its lofty tone The
Mayor said that 1t was his priced duty to ex-
tend to the officers and men Of the Raleigh the
CONGRATULATIONS and hearty welcome OF the peo-
pie of New-York, and then he slipped into a
popular error by saying that he extended to the
sailors the freedom of the city"
The phrase would have had some meaning II
It had been uttered by the Lord Mayor Of Lon
don or by the Chief Magistrate of any city in
the United Kingdom, but NewYork has M
freedom to give. Mayor Van Wyck followed
the example which was set by mayors Of little
towns all over the United States some years
ago, when they wished to honor some visiting
dignitary.
The freedom Of the city" is an honor which
has been bestowed in England for many years
There the lists of burgesses or burghers are
made from the rolls Of the various corporations,
and men who are entitled to be enrolled have,
according to the old acts the rights OF free
men" burgess is described as "a man OF
woman Of full age who has occupied house or
other building and has resided for one year IN
the borough and has paid poor and borough
taxes. and as such has been enrolled on the
Burgess roll
Although this right was for long time OBJ
tainable only by birth or apprenticeship, II has
been the custom also for magistrates OF the more
important cities and towns of the United King
dom to admit persons of distinction, whether
residents or strangers, to the position OF honor
airy burgesses. This practice is known az Civ
ing the freedom of the city"
The names Of the persons who are honored IN
| this way are entered the list or register 81
municipal electors, but only az a matter OF
form because the honorary citizen has no rights
as a voter unless he acquires the rights by resi-
dence or otherwise, the law prescrbes AZ
first the honor was conferred only on men who
had distinguished themselves IN commercial
enterprises by which the whole country was the
| gamer The ceremony Of presenting the cocu-
ment containing the announcement that the
honor had been bestowed was often marked
by great pdmp and display. In later years
men who had gained fame in scientific circles
generals and statesmen have also received the
honorary citizenship Of towns where they VS.
tied General Grant received the freedom ot
! eeveraI cities in England on his tour through
| that country. and Henry NJ Stanley was similar =
| " honored when he returned from Darkest
| Africa In some instances the freedom Of the
city documents were nclosed IN costly caskets'
which gave the municipalities opportunity 10
bestow something tangible in connection "itA
the empty honor
The custom became popular in the United
States after General Grants trip around the
world and mayors OF little towns placed their
own construction on the meaning of the cere-
mony
| Exemption from taxation and jury duty
and the right TO vote at town meeting was a
New Englander's idea of the privileges which
came with the freedom OF the city and having
the whole time to do with as he saw ht was
another Interpretation.
A CITY official when asked what Mayor Van
Wyck wished to say when he offered the cap
tain of the Raleigh, his officers and men the
freedom of the city, said: We'll he wanted
them to know that the place was wide open TOT
them, that the coppers would wink If they saw
some of the boys loaded and If they had TO pun
them in they would he locked up in hrst-
class hotel and not in the station house. 1t was
a hint too to the theatre and show people 10
take no money from any man who belonged 10
the crew, and to the people all over the city
10 take care of the boys wherever or whenever
they came across one That's what the Mayor
meant"
This is probably the view of all the mayors
in the United States VINO have given the Tree
; DOM Of the cities over which they preside out
many people believe that while the sentiment
may be laudable another and more American
term should be used