LONDON’S LORD MAYOR

Taranaki Daily News, 4 February 1930, Page 10

LONDON’S LORD MAYOR

MOSTLY CEREMONIAL DUTIES. ANCIENT PRIVILEGES AND POWER. The Lord Mayor of London is Mayor merely of. the -email financial ;section of London (area about. one square mile) which includes the' territory • embraced in . the ancient Roman city of London. ’ Thus “the city'.’ in London means' hardly more ■than “Wall, Street” in New York. The number of citizens who Actually, live ‘ within. the,. Lord' Mayor’s-, domain ; is ;Only. - 14,000, and his’ Jectiotf depends not upon, these citizens’ Hilt upon thei membership of the .’‘liverytnenf of the city of : London’’— that is, 5 the leading business meh who control the. ancient “city companies.” ; / ■ ;’ The Lord- Mayor has nothing to .do with ■city.. administration. ). And the Commissioner of Police is »■ matter for the Home Secretary, not for the ' Mayor to. worry about. The Lord Mayor does not have to concern • himself -, with’ ” - politics. 'He does not have to issue statements about' street-cleaning, snow-removal or clubhouse ■ gambling' scandals. . ' The Lord . Mayor,- bn the . other : hand,; has ..duties which New York’s Mayor esk capiis, Or misses, according to the point , of view. The Lord Mayor, for instance, atcoronation ceremonies,' occupies?- position, in the immediate, vicinity of /'the new :Sovefoign ! 6 “historic -‘ chair;”lf - a ?banquet’ ;follows he has the ■ right to • serve wipe ,to the newly-croWned/King,and hi? title on such occasions is “chief butler.” Upon the death of the occupant of the. throne, the Lord Mayor, -becomes temporarily the principal officer in /the King-'; dom. No troops' may. pass ; through the city without his permission. .He 'is entitled to the password. to the town;'which ia sent-to him quarterly under the sover; eign’s sign manual.:':At Court .Junctions and levees he has the “privilege of the entree” —accorded only, to a favoured few.’ The Lord Mayor is not oily [magistrate of the Mansion House Police Court, but first commissioner of the Central. Criminal Court and 'at the first session takes pre-’ cedence over tfie Lord Chancellor of England. He also is (a .notable honour) justice of the peace'and'perpetual coroner for Southwark'.' ’ • / . : The extent of the Lord Mayoris. ancient ; rights (some of ■ which. -. probably have lapsed) may be gathered from tfie fact that in the olden times he promptly had be-' headed two holligaris „who /.attempted to molest him during the Lord Mayor’s parade. - . ' ’ The Lord Mayor, as “first citizen of the world and dispenser of public and international hospitality, as well as chief almoner in cases of disaster,” receives a grant of £12,000. during his year of office. Actually he has to spend more than twice this sum from his own pocket ■ during his. term of office. . , , .. But'the Lord Mayor also receives for his, own exclusive use, four bucks a year. By warrant, dated 1428, now in the. British Museum, “four bucks from the jioyal forests” are every year conveyed to the Lord Mayor. And in December, according to this document, “does are given in like proportion." This, is known, as tlie venison custom.' .. • ' ' The four chief robes of state of the Lord. Mayor are: .The violet robe, worn-by theLord Mayor in his capacity of. magistrate of the Mansion House Police Court; the scarlet’ robe, worn on state occasions and saints’ days;.the black and gold robe worn, when he attends, in his official capacity of trustee, the 'services at ,St.- Paul’s, cathedral, and-the ermine robe, worn when , the King visits the city. .<• ■. .