CHOOSING A LORD MAYOR

Evening Star, Issue 19710, 10 November 1927, Page 9

CHOOSING A LORD MAYOR

METHODS AND CEREMONIES London has elected a new Lord Mayor for tho ensuing twelve mouths; but London does not in these times re-elect a Lord Mayor for his second term of office, immediately on tho conclusion of his first year, liven Dick Whittington, “ thrice Lord Mayor of London,” who in reality was elected to that post on four occasions, passed an interval of eight years between his second and third terms, and a further interval of thirteen years between his third and fourth terms. Tho practice -in modern times is for the office of Lord Mayor of London to bo filled in rotation by the aldermen, of whom., there are 26 -one for each ward in the city—who are elected for life. Tho common council, which consists of 208 members elected annually, shares with the court of aldermen and the Loid Mayor the municipal government of the “But the Lord Mayor, is not primarily elected by the aldermen or the common councillors. Two candidates are chosen from among tho aldermen according to somoiitv lay the members of tho livery complies of tho city.. These hvcrjr companies which now number 79, with a total membership of 8.900 are the old trade guilds, which date back centuries. Tho members of tho livery companies aro summoned to attend at the Guildhall on September 29 each year for UiQ election ot a Lord Mayor. A barrier in the form of a series of small doors is placed aciOSa th* street to prevent unauthorised persons entering tho Guildhall. On each door is inscribed tho names of some of the livery companies, and the members of each company must enter through the door over which tho name of their company is inscribed. Behind those doors stand tno beadles of tho various companies in gorgeous liveries of varied designs, with three-fcornered hats. It is tho duty of tho beadles to identify each liveryman as ho outers, and to keen out intruders. Almost invariably tho liverymen select as candidates tho two aldermen who, on account of seniority of service, aro next on the list for tho office of Lord Mayor. These names aro sent in to the court of aldermen in an adjoining room, and they choose one of the two. A procession is then fofmod by tho aldermen, who return to the common hall of the Guildhall, where tho liverymen are assembled, the new Lord Mayor chosen by tho court of aldermen walking by the side of the retiring Lord Mayor, at tho head of the proces610U‘ LORD MAYOR’S SHOW,

This is by no means the end of the ancient, picturesque ceremonies carried out in modern times, as for centuries past, in connection with the election of a new Lord Mayor of London. Although the Lord Mayor is elected on September 29 (Michaelmas Day), ho does not take office until November 9. On that day he drives in State, at the tail of a lengthy procession, sometimes a milo long, through some ot tho main streets of the city, to the Koval Courts of Justice in the Strand, in order to make a statutory declaration before His Majesty’s judges to carry out faithfully all tho duties of his high office. This procession, which is known as the Lord Mayor’s Show, dates back to the year 1215, when King John ordered that every Mayor of London on his election should bo presented to him for approval, or in his absence to his justice. In olden times tho procession often proceeded by water in tho gaily-decorated barges of the livery companies, to the King’s palace; for the Thames was the main highway of London until Die close of the seventeenth century, when the newly-invented hackney carriage began to displace the waterman and his boat. Processions on horseback to the Koyal palace wore also tho rule for many rears; and it was not until the beginning of the eighteenth century that the Lord Mayor used a coach. In these days the Lord Mayor’s Show, which starts at the Guildhall about noon on November 9, and proceeds along Cheapside, Ludgalo Hill, and Fleet street, to tho lioyal Courts of Justice, is a bright and amusing spectacle, which attracts thousands of spectators along the route. 'Die procession costs about £4,000, of which the Lord Mayor pays half out of his allowance of £10,000; the other half is paid by the two nowly-eleclcd sheriffs who accompany him in lieavy lumbering coaches several hundred years old, driven by coachmen in resplendent liveries and powdered wigs. _ Tho ordinary traffic along Cheapside, Ludgato Hill, Meet street, and part of the Strand has to he. diverted for several hours while the procession proceeds on its way and remains outside the Law Courts while tho Lord Mayor takes his oath of office, livery year public protests are made at tho way in which the Lord Mayor’s Show interferes witli tho traffic, but as the Corporation of the City has complete control over tho city streets, and is very tenacious in tho observance of ancient customs, these protests havo no effect. Tim ‘ Law Times,’ in complaining about tho difficulty people who havo business at the Law Courts experience in reaching, the building, lias described tho .Lord Mayer’s Show as little better than a shabby circus procession, but only people of bilious temperament would agree with this description. After the Lord Mayor has taken the oath tho procession returns to tho Guildhall by a circuitous route. GUILDHALL BANQUET. lu tho evening the new Lord, Mayor gives a banquet in the great hall of the Guildhall, at which Cabinet Ministers attend, and often deliver _ momentous speeches dealing with domestic’ or foreign policy. In former times tho Sovereign attended tho banquet; it is on record that Charles 11. attended on eight occasions, and that Janies 11., William and Mary, Anne, and ilie first three Georges _ wero tho guests of the Lord Mayor at tills annual banquet. In accordance with tradition, tho cooks and waiters at the banquet are all English, (hough most of tho chefs and waiters at tho fashionabio betels and restaurants in tho West End axo foreigners. Twenty cooks are required to superintend (ho preparation of the dishes in the enormous kitchen iu the Guildhall, and the waiters at tho banquet number 210, of whom 60 are required to servo the wine. Tho guests usually number about 800. The chief meat dish is always_ a baron of beef, which is carved in full view of the guests on platforms 12ft high, by white-coated cooks.

During the Great War, when food rationing was enforced in Great Britain, the banquet became less sumptuous than in former times, and the pre-war standard has never been restored, but tho banquet still ranks us the most mmorlant function of its kind that takes place in London. But the appetite of tho modern man does not compare with that of his grandfather, judging by tbo menu of tho Lord Mayor’s banquet in tho«e days in comparison with that of 90 years ago. Tho following was included in the menu (printed on gold and blue satin) at tho Lord Mayor’s banquet in 1837, the year of the coronation of Queen Victoria: —220 tureens of turtle soup, 110 turkeys, 20 pea bens, 20 dishes of wild fowl, 80 pheasants, 40 dishes of partridges, 110 dishes oi fowls, 45 hams, and 40 tongues. There wore also unlimited quantities of oysters and shell fish, and an enormous supply of barons, rumps, and sirloins of beef and meat pics. The sweet dishes included 140 jellies and 130 dishes of tarts, and the dessert included 200 dishes of hothouse grapes and 100 costly hothouse pineapples. A SCRAMBLE FOR SEATS.

In the year 1826 the number of guests invited to the Lord Mayor’s banquet exceeded the number of places at tho tables, and there was a scramble for seats. The ‘ Times,’ in its account of the banquet, criticised the food and the wine. The following is an extract from its account:— ‘‘Guildhall and the old Court of King’s Bench wore crowded'with company long before 5 o’clock. Tho number of persons invited absolutely exceeded the accommodation which the spacious hall and adjoining apartments provided; and wc observed several unfortunate wights, who could not obtain seals, eyeing in much despair the enviable situations which had been obtained by those gentlemen and ladies who had appeared early on the scene. At half-past 6 the Lord Mayor entered the hall in gram! procession, followed by the late mayor and a number of persons of distinction. Amongst them we observed the Lull of Liverpool, Mr Canning, Mr Huskesson. Prince Polignao (the French Ambassador), and Lord Chief Justice Best. The dinner (of which wo cannot speak in very - laudatory' terms, nor yet of the'wince, Romo of which, particularly the hock, and a species of champagne, that savored strongly of homo manufacture, were exceedingly bad) having been despatched with all duo diligence. . . ANCIENT PRIVILEGES.

In precedence at official functions the Lord Mayor of London ranks as an earl, and ho' retains numerous ancient privileges such as no member of the aristocracy enjoys. He is Hie first person who is summoned as a member of the Privy Council to a meeting of that body when

a new Sovereign is proclaimed, and be isigns the proclamation before any of tlio oilier Privy Councillors. When a Sovereign dies ho is the first person officially informed by the Secretary of State, who requests him to give instructions for the tolling of the bell of St. Paul's Cathedral. "The right to give these instructions does not belong to the Dean of the Cathedral, hut- (u the Lord Mayor, who is cxoflicio a trustee of tho Cathedral, and possesses tho right to audit the accounts of the Cathedral. THE TOWER PASSWORD. For centuries tho Lord Mayor lias been provided with the password of tho Tower o-‘ London, and this practice is continued, although in these days tho ordinary cilizons can gain admission to the Tower on payment of 6d. Hut after the gates ot tho Tower are closed at night no 0110 can obtain admission to this ancient Royal palace and orison without the password, 'there is a story to tho effect that in recent times the Governor of tho Tower, on returning to his official residence after a convivial evening with some friends, was unable to obtain admission because ho had forgotten the password for the night. The Lord Mayor gets a quarterly list of the passwords i'or each day for tho ensuing throe months; the list is signed not only by the Secretary of Stale, but also by the Sovereign. On one occasion the list wa« sent to the Lord Mayor without the signature of Queen Victoria, who was out of London. The Lord Mayor sent the list back for Her Majesty’s signature—a course which evoked tho approval of tho Queen. The Lord Mayor, as the official representative of tho "citizens of London, claims tho ancient privilege granted to them _of barring even tho Sovereign from entering the city without first obtaining permission. This right is formally admitted by the Sovereign in those days, for when the King visits the city in State ho halts at tho entrance where Temple Bar formerly stood as the western gate of the city, A chain ur cord is placed across the street to bar his way, and the Royal herald formally asks permission for tho King to enter the city. The Lord Mayor and aldermen are assembled on horseback on the city side of the obstruction to welcoiiij the King. After the herald • has asked permission' for the King to pass the obstruction is removed, and tho Lord Mayor, .dismounting from his horse, kneels before tho King and offers him the crystal sceptre of the city. Tim King touches this bauble, and it is handed back to the Lord Mayor, who then precedes the King through the city streets. Troops aro not allowed to march through the city without the permission of the Lord Mayor, and only one regiment, the Buffs representing the train-bands raised for the defence of the city in olden days, is allowed to march through the city with fixed' bayonets and colors flying.