warlike appearance, which raised in the minds of the peaceable citizens the idea of a town garrisoned with regular troops. "I shall be much obliged to your lordship, if you will be pleased to inform me, whether this unusual appearance of soldiers marching through the heart of the city, with drums beating and fifes playing, was occasioned by the order of your lordship, or of any other commissioned officer. "Ever since I had the honour of being the first magistrate of this metropolis, I have not heard of any riot or disorder within my jurisdiction; and I trust, if any tumult should be excited by evil-disposed persons, the force of the civil power will be sufficient to subdue all disturbances, and bring the offenders to justice, without the aid and assistance of a single military man. "I am with great respect, "Your lordship's most obedient, "WILLIAM BECKFORD." To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of London. "War Office, Dec. 19, 1769. MY LORD, "I received your lordship's letter of yesterday, informing me, that On Saturday last a relieved detachment of soldiers from Spitalfields, without any previous notice given to you, marched, on their return, before the Mansion House, and through the heart of the city, with drums beating and fifes playing.' "Your lordship desires I will inform you,' whether this was occasioned by me, or the order of any commissioned officer.' "The detachment from the foot guards, relieved every twenty-four hours, which has for some time past done duty in Spitalfields, at the requisition of the worthy magistrates acting there, in order to secure the public peace, went by order from hence; but no particular directions were given as to the manner in which they should march, which was left, as usual, to the discretion of the commanding officer. "I am very clear in opinion, that no troops should march through the city of London in the manner described by your lordship, (though I find on inquiry, it is sometimes done) without previous notice given to the lord mayor; and I shall take care, that the officer who commanded the detachment, which returned from Spitalfields last Saturday, shall know my opinion. I will also take such measures as shall, I trust, for the future, prevent any just offence being given to the city, or its chief magistrate. "I have the honour to be, "With great respect, my lord, "BARRINGTON." Such was the conduct of a Beckford!—and such ought to have been the conduct of future magistrates; the present parade, every morning and evening, of the foot guards to the Bank might then have been prevented; more especially when there are now two effective regular regiments of the City Militia, to whose province it justly belongs to preserve the property of that city to which they are appropriately affiliated. It is well known in many recollections, that some few years afterwards, in the mayoralty of Mr. Pickett, upon complaint to him of rude conduct of these sons of Mars from the west end of the town, he attempted to remonstrate with the commanding officer, who, though he knew him by the ensigns of his office, scandalously hurled into the highway, the first magistrate of the first city in the world-and was not punished for his insolent conduct *.-Had Beckford been lord mayor, he would have expiated his offence at leisure in Newgate!-We must add, that the insult to the lord mayor had been preceded by an assault of a most dangerous nature on Mr. Crespigny, son of a member of parliament, * On the contrary, when the chief magistrate applied to the higher powers, it was intimated to him, "that if the measure of refusing to permit the soldiers to come into the city was persisted in, his majesty's ministers would, in all probability, advise, and exert their influence with the directors, to remove the Bank to Somerset Place !'' who who was first pushed off the kirb-stone by one of the Bank guard, in their way to the City; and on his striking the assailer with his switch, was stabbed through the neck by a bayonet. "An assault," as Mr. Erskine termed it," which had produced the most melancholy circumstances to Mr. Crespigny; inasmuch as it had impaired his mental faculties, and deprived him, in a great measure, of his memory." The year 1770, exhibited an era of petition and remonstrance to the throne, detailing public grievances; the measure of remonstrance was the occasion of division in the court of aldermen, and a protest signed by sixteen of the court was published. This protest was of such a tendency, that three of the city companies took the presumptive liberty of disputing the power of the lord mayor in calling common halls on any other occasion than merely for the election of city officers. At a court of assistants of the Goldsmiths Company held the 22d of March, the following resolution was agreed to: "The right honourable the lord mayor having issued precepts for summoning the livery of this city to meet at Guildhall on Tuesday the 6th instant, to consider of a farther application for redress of grievances, at which meeting a most indecent remonstrance was ordered to be presented to his majesty; "Resolved and ordered, that for the future the wardens of this company do not summon the livery thereof, to attend at any meeting in the Guildhall (except for the purpose of elections) without the express approbation or consent of this court." The companies of Grocers and Weavers followed the example of the Goldsmiths, and at their next court days distinguished themselves by passing resolutions of a like tendency. On the 12th of April a common hall was held at Guildhall, by virtue of a precept from the lord mayor, to receive the report of his majesty's answer to the address, remonstrance, and petition of the lord mayor, aldermen, and livery of London; as also to hear the resolutions and addresses of the houses of Lords and Commons thereupon; and to take into consideration the late proceedings of the companies of Goldsmiths, Weavers and Grocers, and in particular their resolution not to obey the orders of the lord mayor for summoning the livery of the respective companies to attend at common halls. The last committee of the livery were appointed to take into consideration what would be the proper mode of proceeding against the refractory companies. A satisfactory answer to the late remonstrance having been denied, another was formed and presented at St. James's, which the town clerk having read to his majesty, seated on his throne, he was pleased to return the following answer: "I should have been wanting to the public as well as to myself, if I had not expressed my dissatisfaction to the late address. "My sentiments on that subject continue the same; and I should ill deserve to be considered as the father of my people, if I could suffer myself to be prevailed upon to make such an use of my prerogative, as I cannot but think inconsistent with the interest, and dangerous to the constitution of the kingdom." To this answer William Beckford, Esq. the lord mayor, made his majesty a very modest, humble, and manly reply. There not being any answer given to Mr. Beckford's reply, his lordship and company, after waiting about a minute, withdrew, and returned to the city, far from being satisfied with the issue of their application. On the 23d of May the lord mayor, attended by the sheriffs and several of the aldermen, went in state to the Old Bailey, where his lordship laid the first stone of the present building called Newgate. Under the stone were deposited several gold coins of his present majesty; and at the conclusion of the ceremony his lordship drank success to the building, that the liberties of the people might be as lasting as that stone, and that the place might want inhabitants. This was the last transaction that distinguished the active part of Mr. Beckford's life; for his lordship having made an excursion 3 excursion to his seat at Fonthill in Wiltshire for the benefit of his health, he there contracted a severe cold; and such was the anxiety of his mind in the discharge of his magisterial duties, that he travelled an hundred miles in one day, and this brought on a rheumatic fever, of which he died at his house in Soho Square, on the 21st of June.-If his lordship's character could want any additional lustre, it would receive it from the circumstance that occasioned his death. He persevered to the last in exerting his utmost endeavours to discharge the duties of his high office, and may be said to have sacrificed his life in the service of his fellow-citizens. He lived universally beloved, and died universally lamented. Mr. Beckford's death occasioned three vacancies, viz. that of chief magistrate; of alderman of Billingsgate ward; and of one of the members of parliament for the city of London. The alarming and unprecedented exertion of arbitrary power, by the imprisonment of Brass Crosby, esquire, lord mayor, and Mr. alderman Oliver, in the Tower, because, by rescuing their fellow citizens from the absolute mandate of the Speaker's warrant, unbacked by any city magistrate, they had conscientiously discharged their duty, and asserted the chartered rights of the city, forms a striking feature of the year 1771*. General disapprobation was excited, and an increased odium was attached to the ministry, from whose conduct this unpopular measure proceeded. Their machinations were baffled, and what they intended as a punishment of the city magistrates, redounded to their greater honour. To * At this time a circumstance happened, which it was greatly feared would have been attended with the most alarming consequences. The printers of certain newspapers were in the habit of detailing the debates of both houses. These communications were so highly gratifying to the public, that the success of a newspaper was principally dependent on the report of parliamentary proceedings. Those members who did not conceive that justice had been done to their harangues, were offended at the freedom of the writers, and Colonel Onslow made a complaint to the |