The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-01-28
A MAN OF PRIVILEGE
LOaOON'S LORD MAYOR A PERSON.
AGE OF POMP AND POWER.

The First Holder of the High and
Mighty Office Was Elected in 1iSD
and Proved Popular Dick Whit
tiuEton sud other Ancient W orthies.
The most Impressive thing about the
ma: orally Of London is its great an
tquty. In Saxon and Norman times
London was an independent state, and
the chieY magistrate the pOrtrcevc, or
the baiIin--Vas an absolute ruler. Tie
first mayor was elected in 1889, and he
was 50 popular that he retained the
office for twcnty-four years. The first
lord mayors pageant was III the reign
of Henry VIII, and in it he figured as
chief butler to Anne Boleyn
Through the long Intervening years
the lord mayor has retained many OF
his preyOgatives as 4 ruler Most peo-
privileges are.
He has his own chaplain Gn Oldcn
days, like the monarch, lie had his
Jester, too. and badges of royalty are
attached 10 his otIicc-the sccptcr. the
swords Of justice and mercy and the
mace. He has right OF precedence III
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 lcyccs. lie can at any time dis
solve the city courts, even that Of the
common council, by removing the
sword aud 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 a
sum of 10000 to cxpend. His palace,
the Mansion House is furnished with
plate and orna- IS worth 100000.
lie has a splcu rctinue OF servants.
including sword bearer, mace bearer
and seven trumpeterS. whose liVerIcS
cost some Fl Geo annually. He gives
n yearly banquet. which costs thou
sands Of pounds, and employs an army
of $50 walters. cooks and CarvCrs.
Best of all, he has the power to raise
vast sums of money for charitable pur-
poses. In the last quarter of a century
yhe lord mayors of London have raised
nearly f6,0O0,0OO for the relief Of vari-
Gus people In distress.
Another feature which makes the
lord mayoralty attractive is it's glamour
of romance. More often than not the
1t xif Il. ,1IP do
Dick Wilmington started out as an
apprentice. as many other lord mayors
have done. The mayor of 1911 came to
London in rags in carriers cart. The
wealthy mayor of 14lS had been
founding. As recently as 1900 we had
a lord mayor Of London who began life
as Il brlcklaycrs laborer.
When men of this character are cx-
aited to the seats OF the mighty they
are apt TO do freakish things at times
The laboror mayor iustanccd above
had son WHO fell from Il high ladder
and was killed. and the mayor on being
brought to til" spot broke through the
crowd. cxclaining. See that the poor
fellows watch is safe"
Another self made lord mayor gave
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