The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1921-11-22
Six Baver Skins for
Freedom of City


dom of the city-6 beaver skins"
Entries like this would have dotted
the debit side of the expense accounts
of Foch, Diaz, Beatty, Jacques and
others of the brilliant procession of
old void figures drawn to America in
the wage of the world war, had they
come about three centuries earlier.
And instead of riding at the head of
triumphal professions to the city hall:
of various municipalities, there 10 re
ceive the freedom Of the city at til,
hands Of respectful mayors, to the &C
compartment of bands and cheerinf
throngs, they would have had to fiji,
petitions in court for their freedom
and take oaths not to offend agains
the law of the land.
Comforting of the freedom Of cit.
on a visitor has come to mean almos
precisely the opposite of what it
meant in the young days of Amer
lea and-earlier-in the medieva.
days in Merrie England.
"The origin of the custom of grant
ing the freedom of the city to aliens
is virtually lost in antiquity" sal,
Professor Harold McBain, instructor
in municipal government at Columbis
University, commenting on the rount
Of brilliant receptions that have KEEP
the mayors of New York and othe,
cities almost constantly in tall hats
and frock coats in recent months.
at appears, however, to have grown
directly out of the medieval organiza
ton of industry on a monopolistic ba-
sis, and was originally an economic
measure, pure and simple.
"In the old English borough j.
amounted to license to carry on bus
mess and, later, to vote. Without the
status of a freeman, conferred by the
grant, a man could not rise above tn.
class Of employe.
The early Dutch settlers of New
Amsterdam New York-set UP
a similar status, called the Burghel
Right, in 1648, as protection against
Scotch Merchants and Petty Trad.
ers who spoil trade and business b.!
underselling' Persons not holding the
Burgher Right were prohibited from
conducting business EITHER with
Christian or heathen.' The fee was
six beaver skins.
Freedom of the city was provided
for in the Dongan charter of 1856
the first English charter of New York
city, and its dispensation was entrust-
ed to ye mayor or any three or more
of ye aldermen. The fee by this time
was reckoned in British pounds in
stead of beaver SKINS pounds, IL
shillings for the shopkeeper class and
pound, 4 shillings for handicrafts-
men.
"Persons receiving the grant were
required to take the oath, 'Obeysant
and Obedient Shall be bee to the
Mayor and Ministers of this City,
aud swore to take turns at the watch
LAY their taxes, and warn the mayor
of ANY Gatherins, Conventicles OF
Conspiracies made against the Kings
Peace
at was in the latter part of the
eighteenth century that the practice
of bestowing gratuitous, honorary
freedoms of the city appeared.
early New York records recite the
bestowal of the freedom of the city OF
New York on Captain Sir Peter War
rem for his exploits against the
French and to Generals Shirley
Monckton and Gage.
Later there is an entry showing
the honor was bestowed on three sail
ors of vessel lying in New York har-
Dor, in recognition of their services in
helping extinguish a disastrous fire.
The formality had nearly died out
when the termination of the war
brought revival, designed to honor
noted visitors. Professor McBain said
he new Of no records showing the orr
gin Of the practice of delivering the
"keys of the city" to persons receiv-
ing the honor.