The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-03


ations is tatsit by the two sheriffs, the
common SCI grant ann the common crier,
carrying his mace to the lord mayor and
aldermen il the room adjoining, the mes
sage being too important to be intrusted
to any one dignitary-
After grave consideration of the re-
spectiye merits of the two approved can
didates and suitable pondering over the
Importance of their decision the lord
mayor and aldermen choose the senior
of the Two candidates, and the defeated
man is serene in the knowledge that he
viii be chosen next year. The junior can
didate this year was Sir j. G. Dimsdale,
and it is reasonably certain that at this
time next year his style and title will be
The Right Honorable the Lord Mayor
Elect"
The mayor-elect has not passed all OF
his perils until. in the last week of Oc-
| tober, lie is taken to the House OF Lords,
and presented to the lord chancellor. That
| functionary, in robe of black and gold, &C
conpanied by his mace, his ushers and his
gorgeous purse bearer, informs the aspi-
rant whether or not the Queen approves
him. AS matter of fact, she never thinks
of disappearing, but that doesn't matter.
After this ordeal the lord chancellor and
| the new lord mayor drink rare old port
in turn from an official loving cup. and
the mayor-elect begins to feel reasonably
certain of getting his office.
But the most oyerpowering functions or
all await him. The queerest comes on
November s, when he is admitted in the
Guild Hall. The lord mayor, the lord
mayor-eiect, and the aldermen take their
seats on the raised dais at what is called
the hastings end of the hall. the city's
mace is put in position. and then the town
clerk, making the three low reYerences"
required by law. approaches the lord
nlayor-elect and administers the deciara-
tiOn of office, then backs away with three
more reyerences.
Then comes the great day of all, the i'm
mortal 9th of November. celebrated as
Lord Mayors D ever since 1883, and
probably even before that, although there
is no definite record OF it Nearly all c.
the city's SIT lord mayors have gone
through with ii.
At first the lord mayor used to walk
| from the Guild Hall to the Palace of JUS
tice 10 take the oath of office, but the
robes Of state were heavy, and after a few
hundred years some bold innovator provld-
ed the mayor with horse Most of Tie
mayors were comfortable city merchants,
net much used TO equestrian eToiuttons,
and there is a tradition that somewhere
along in the HOGS one of them tumbleu
eff his horse and fell with all his robes OF
state into a capacioUs mud puddle. AT
trcduced in 1757 and has been used ever
since. It cost $4,000, and in these days
! of its old age it rolls like a snip at sea
This coach with the great mace sticking
! out OF the window and the poor mayor
popping about inside. is the chief attrac-
/ ton -ofthe Lord Mayors show, which
makes the 9th of November sacred. Hall
a dozen floats, bodies of policemen, fire
men and other civic bodies complete the
/ procession, which all London turns out 10
+ see. Out CT t%snty-thTee bands in last
years procession eleven of those that
: passed were pla ing S0usa'ss music
The lord mayor drives 10 the Palace of
Justice on the Strand and is received there
by the Queens judges. Brave as all tie
preceding shows have been, the array at
the Law courts beats them, for added 10
the magnificent robes of the mayor and
his sherifTs, mace bearer, sword bearer,
and all the other funetiOnaries, are the
scarlet and eruiine of the Queens judges
in full dress. and the giltterfng Chain OF
office worn by the Lord Chief justice.
Back to the Guild Hall again for the
! crowning function. the Lord Mayors ban
/ quet which rarely costs less than $4,000.
/ The mayor pays half and the two sheriffs
pay the other half which is perhaps their
( most important duty OF the year. The en-
J tire corporation of London, from mayor to
common councillors, dimes in the great
! hall Members o. the royal family are
! also invited. and nearly all of the big
! Government officials. Furthermore, tie
! Prime Minister is expected TO make a
/ speech. in which he gives forth some i'm
portant utterances concerning the effaiFs
( of the nation In all 1000 people dine,
! and the wine bill is something prodigious.
| All the food that is left over IS given TO
! the poor.
After the banquet the Lord Mayor goes
to the Mansion House and settles down
for year of such things His official res
| idence is a grim and uninviting sort OF
place to hold such an incarnation Of fes-
! tfvity. 1t was opened in 1888 and cost
| $500 600 Perhaps it's most interesting fea-
/ ture is its famous collection of plate. said
to be valued at between half and mil
| lion dollars. Each mayor is expected to
| add to it to the amount of $500 He is
! also expected 70 contribute a valuable
! piece Of furniture.