The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-01-29
A MAN OF PRIVILEGE
lONDoNs LORD MAYOR A PERSON
AGE OF PoMP AND POWER.

The First Holder of the High and
Mighty Office Was Elected In 1850
and Proved Popular - Dick Whit
tington and Other Ancient Worthless.
The most impressive thing about the
mayoralty of London Is its great an
tiquity. In Saxon and Norman times
London was an independent state, and
the chief magistrate-the portreeve, or
the bailif-was an absolute ruler. The
first mayor was elected In 1889, and he
was so popular that he retained the
Office for twentyfour years. The first
lord mayors pageant was in the reign
of Henry VIII, and in 1t he figured as
chief butler to Anne Boleyn
Through the long intervening years
the lord mayor has retained many of
his prerogatives as ruler Most peo-
pie have no idea how extensive his
privileges are
He has his own chaplain Tin olden
days, like the monarch, he had his
Jester, too), and badges of royalty are
attached to his office-the scepter, the
swords of justice and mercy and the
mace. He has right of precedence In
the city before all the royal family
Soldiers in any number cannot march
through the city without his consent.
He has the right Of private audience
with the king. He has the privilege
of direct entrance without question at
royal leyees. He can at any time dis
solve the city courts, even that of the
common council, by removing the
sword and mace from the table He
is lord of the river Thames, of the con-
servancy. and he controls the city
purse.
The majesty of his state Is pretty
considerable too. The city gives him
sum OF 10000 to expend. His palace,
the Mansion House. Is furnished with
plate and ornaments worth 100000
He has splendid retnue of servants,
including sword bearer mace bearer
and seven trumpeters, whose liveries
cost some f1,000 annually He gives
yearly banquet, which costs thou
of 100 walters, cooks and carvers.
Best of all, he has the power to raise
vast sums of money for charitable pur-
poses. In the last quarter of century
the lord mayors of London have raised
nearly 100000 for the relief of vari-
Gus people In distress.
Another feature which makes the
lord mayoralty attractive is its glamour
of romance. More often than not the
king of the city is self made man.
Dick Wilmington started out as an
apprentice. as many other lord mayors
have done The mayor Of 1911 came to
London in rags in a carriers cart The
wealthy mayor of 1418 had been a
founding AS recently as 1900 we had
a lord mayor of London who began life
as a bricklayer's laborer
When men of this character are ex-
allied to the seats of the mighty they
are apt to do freakish things at times
The laborer mayor instanced above
had son who fell from high ladder
and was killed, and the mayor on being
brought to the spot broke through the
crowd, exclaiming, "See that the poor
fellows watch is safer
Another self made lord mayor gave
Charles II. taste of his quality.
Charles dined with him in the city, and
the wine passed so freely that the
guests grew noisy and the mayor ia
miliar. Charles therefore stole away
to his coach in Guildhall yard, but the
bibulous mayor pursued his majesty
and, catching him by the hand, cried
out with a monstrous oath, "Sir, you
shall stay and TAX tother bottlew And
the merry monarch actually turned
back and saw the fun to finish.
The temerity of this mayor seems all
the more remarkable In view of the
Stuart kings tyrannous dealings with
the city. He imprisoned twenty Of the
principal citizens because they refused
him loan on bad security. He fined
the mayor and aldermen $4,000 on the
pretext. Of trifing city riot and ESQ.,
600 for pretended Encouragement of
estates.
The mayors themselves, however,
could fine readily enough on occasion
For example, his worship Of the year
1479 had one of his sheriffs fined f50 |
about $1,000 Of our money for kneel.
Ing too close to him while at prayers In
St. PauPs.
Yet another lord mayor 1892 made
an amusing blunder Of speech at din,
ner to judges and leaders Of the bar.
See before you" he exclaimed mag