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returned to fill the civic chair, a poll was demanded in favour of Sir George Mertins and Sir Francis Forbes; but upon the sheriffs declaring that the majority was in favour of the former gentlemen; Sir Gerard Conyers, was accepted by the court of aldermen and duly returned. This incited the disappointed party to apply to parliament on the 14th day of December, 1724, setting forth several grievances, and praying, "That, for promoting the welfare, for preserving the liberties, the peace, and tranquillity of the said city, and for settling elections in the said city on a just and lasting foundation, the House of Commons would take the premises into consideration, and give the petitioners such relief as the house should think fit." Upon this, a bill was ordered to be brought in, "For regulating Elections in the City of LONDON; and for preserving the Peace, good Order, and Government of the said City. The bill was presented on the 27th of January, 1725; and passed into an act.

Among its provisions it was particularized, that on all elections by the livery, as well as at wardmotes, the presiding officer should appoint a convenient number of clerks to take the poll; that none should be permitted to poll but such as had sworn, or, being a Quaker, affirmed; that the presiding officer should begin the poll immediately after being demanded; that it should continue seven days for city officers, and three days for those of wards; should a scrutiny be demanded, the scrutineers to appoint six on each side, and the scrutiny to commence within ten days after the copies of the poll had been delivered, when it was to continue open for fifteen days, and no longer for city officers, and for those of the ward, three days; at these scrutinies, there were to be delivered true copies of the objections. against the voters, under a penalty of 2007. with costs. The electors of aldermen and common council were to be freemen, paying scot and lot, and 10l. per annum rent: the scot ascertained to be the church-rate, poor, scavenger, orphan, and watch, and such annual assessments as might hereafter be imposed by the city; or thirty shillings in the whole,

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as taxes; partners were also eligible to vote. The exemptions were, not being liverymen for twelve calendar months; those who had not paid their fines, or had received them back; those who had within two years preceding, requested to be, and were discharged from rates and taxes, or had received any alms whatever. The mayor, aldermen, and common council, to have a negative in passing acts, orders, and ordinances, except in the appointment of governors, &c. of Ulster, in Ireland. Freemen made after the first of June, 1725, to dispose of their personal estate as they thought proper. This act also altered the oath usually taken by every freeman*.

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*The Freeman's oath agreeably to the formula, was as follows: the alterations by the above act, are printed in Italic,

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THE OATH OF EVERY FREEMAN OF THE CITY OF LONDON,

"Ye shall swear, that ye shall be good and true to our Sovereign Lord, King Charles, and to the Heirs of our said Sovereign Lord, the King.

"Obeysant and obedient ye shall be to the Maior and Ministers of this city, the Franchises and Customs thereof ye shall maintain, and this City keep harmless, in that which in you is.

"Ye shall be contributory to all Manner of Charges within the City, as Summons, Watches, Contributions, Taxes, Tallages, Lot and Scot, and to all other Charges, bearing your Part as a Freeman ought to do.

"Ye shall colour no Foreigners Goods, under or in your Name, whereby the King, or this City, might or may lose their Customs or Advantages. Ye shall know no Foreigner to buy or sell any Merchandize, with any other Foreigner, within the City or Franchise thereof, but ye shall warn the Chamberlain thereof, or some Minister of the Chamber.

"Ye shall implead or sue no Freeman out of the City, whiles ye may have Right and Law within the same City.

"Ye shall take none Apprentice, but if he be Free-born, that is to say, no Bondsman's Son, nor the Son of any Alien, and for no [for any] less Term than for Seven Years, without any Fraud or Deceit; and within the First Year, ye shall cause him to be enrolled, or else pay such Fine as shall be reasonably imposed upon you for omitting the same; and, after his Term's End, within convenient Time, being required, ye shall make him free of this City, if he have well and truly served you. "Ye shall also keep the King's Peace in your own Person.

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The citizens considered this as one of the most dangerous bills that had operated against the interest of the metropolis, and therefore opposed it with the greatest diligence.

On the twenty-second of March, the court of common council presented formal thanks to Francis Child, Richard Lockwood, and John Barnard, efquires, for their strenuous endeavours to prevent its passing, which was presented to them by a deputation of four aldermen and eight com

moners.

The great ferment which this transaction occasioned was productive of general alarm; printed papers were dispersed, inviting a meeting of citizens at Guildhall, on the twentyfourth, at five in the afternoon, to consider the merits of the bill; but the lord mayor Sir Gerard Conyers, and aldermen, resenting this measure as a violation of their authority, ordered the gates of Guildhall to be shut as foon as the business of the common council (which had been called on this occasion) should be finished, and the lord mayor sent information of what had passed to the ministry; upon which the guards at St. James's, Leicester House, and Somerset House, were doubled; and such other precautions were taken, as were necessary to preserve order: the heads of the bill were also printed, that the citizens might be better informed of the nature of the law intended to be passed.

As soon as the citizens knew its contents, and that it was sent up to the house of lords for their determination, a great number of them petitioned the house against it, as being injurious to their liberties.

This petition stated among other grievances, "That the said bill takes away from great numbers of the freemen, (other than paupers and non-jurors) the undoubted rights

"Ye shall know no Gatherings, Conventicles, or Conspiracies, made against the King's Peace, but ye shall warn the Maior thereof, or let it, to your power.

"All these Points and Articles ye shall well and truly keep, according to the Laws and Customs of this City, to your Power.-So God you help.

"Goa Save the King."

which they before had of voting in their corporate elections, without any crime or fault in them assigned.

"That it destroys the former qualification of a voter in wardmote elections, and hath substituted a new, complicated, and uncertain one, in the room of it, and which might be productive of various controversies and disputes.

"That it left all the remaining votes of the city at the mercy of the presiding officer, who might still declare as he should be inclined, without granting a copy of the poll scrutinized, or giving any account what votes he allowed or disallowed, notwithstanding this bill; whence the remedy either for the injured candidate or voter, became exceedingly difficult, if not wholly impracticable.

“That it in a manner abolished the antient and laudable custom of distribution of frecmens personal estates, so agreeable to natural equity, and so wisely adapted to the prosperity of a trading city, without just occasion, and upon suggestions not well founded.

"That by the same bill, the commoners in common council, who were two hundred and thirty-four in number, and though they were all unanimous, might, nevertheless, be restrained from applying to his majesty, or either house of parliament, upon any occasion, how necessary soever; from issuing out of the chamber so much as one farthing, upon any occasion, how just soever; or seal any city lease, though upon terms ever so advantageous; or come to any resolution whatsoever, and how reasonable soever, without the consent of the mayor and aldermen, or the majority, though there should be no more than three of them present : and this, as it was said, by the antient constitution of the city; and yet, which is very extraordinary, the same bill laid no restraint upon the power which the lord mayor and aldermen exercised themselves over the public purse and seal, which was now become very great and extensive: if such had been the antient constitution of the city, it was objected, that few or no footsteps thereof, had remained to that day; and that in the memories of the oldest men, the same had never been so much as claimed or mentioned by VOL. I. No. 15.

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the lord mayor and aldermen, except twice only; first, in the year 1674, and again very lately; but that both claims had been relinquished as soon as mentioned; though it was found by experience, that the lord mayor and aldermen were never wanting to assert the most remote pretensions to all their rights and privileges.

"Therefore, from such alterations and innovations, they had too just reason to apprehend, that the good fruit and effect intended by this bill, was not expected from it in the form in which it then stood; and that the controversies and dissentions of the city, would not thereby be lessened, but increased."

After the bill was read a second time, it was proposed by their lordships to ask the opinions of the judges, "whether this bill affected any of the prescriptions, privileges, customs, and liberties of the city of London, restored to them, or preserved by the act passed in the second year of king William and queen Mary, for reversing the judgment on the Quo Warranto against the city of London, and for restoring the said city to its antient rights and privileges ?"

. After various debates, the question was put, "Whether the judges should deliver their opinions upon the said proposed question?" This was at length determined in the negative, in consequence of which the bill passed into a law; and it is under this statute that all elections in the city of London have been since conducted; except the negative power granted to the aldermen by the fifteenth clause, which was afterwards repealed.

The lords, for the question, however, entered their protest upon this negative, as well as when it was resolved, "that the said bill should pass with the amendments. These protests are of so singular a nature, and contain so much important matter, worthy every citizen's attention, that they are given at length:

Dissentient'

"1. Because it being enacted and declared, by the act mentioned in the question, That the mayor, commonalty, and citizens of London, shall for ever hereafter remain,

continue,

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