Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 14.djvu/849

 ADMINISTRATION.] LONDON 819 vestries and district boards ; while various authorities, to be afterwards mentioned, exercise jurisdiction in special matters over the whole area of the metropolis or in separate localities. Govern- The City of London, which is a county in itself, and ment of ^.[fa w hich the borough of Southwark is assimilated, is the City. g 0verne( j by a lord mayor, twenty-six aldermen, and two hundred and six common councilmen, forming a Court of Common Council. This court has a certain independent power to enact regulations for the government of the City, is entrusted with the management of the finances and the estates of the corporation, elects most of the officials, and controls the police. The City elects a sheriff of Middlesex as well as a sheriff of London ; and the lord mayor is elected by the trade guilds in common hall from among the aldermen who have served as sheriffs. He is lord lieutenant within the City, the dispenser of its hospitality, the chair man of the courts of the corporation, and holds certain other offices, the dignity of which is now almost entirely nominal. The aldermen, who hold office for life, are chosen by the several wards, each ward electing one. Since 18G7 the power of election has been enjoyed by all possess ing the household and lodger franchise. The Court of Aldermen has the power of appointment to certain offices, exercises judicial functions in regard to licensing and in disputes connected with the ward elections, has some power of disposal over the City cash, and possesses magisterial control over the City, each alderman being a judge and magistrate for the whole City, and by virtue of his office exercising the functions of a justice of the peace. The common councillors were chosen originally in the reign of Edward I. as assistants to the aldermen, and in 1384 were constituted a standing committee to regulate the affairs of the City, each ward chosing four, six, or eight, according to its size. A gradual increase in their number took place until 1840, when it was fixed at two hundred and six. From the time of Richard II. the election was vested in freemen householders, but it is now regulated by the Act of 1867. The Court of Common Hall, formerly the popular assembly or ancient folk/note, is now composed of the lord mayor, four aldermen, and the liverymen of the city guilds, and nominates yearly two aldermen, who must previously have been sheriffs, for the Court of Aldermen to select one for the office of lord mayor. The sheriffs are themselves chosen by the Court of Common Hall, which also appoints the chamberlain, the bridge masters, and the city auditors. City The fragmentary and indirect participation in the guilds, government of London at present exercised by the livery companies represents the remnants of an influence which was paramount from the time of Edward III., when enactments were passed which made admission to the freedom of the city dependent on membership in a trade or mystery. Originally established to afford mutual aid to members of their &quot; craft,&quot; the guilds of London gradually assumed a certain control over their trade or manufacture, and by the payment of large sums of money obtained various monopolies, with the power to make by-laws for the regulation of their craft. From gifts for charitable purposes, and from entrance money and fines, many of the guilds, on account of the rise in the value of property, have amassed enormous wealth. &quot;Within the limits of the City alone the gross annual rental of the land possessed by them is over 500,000, and it is believed that the land they possess outside its limits is of equal value. At one time their number was over one hundred, but they now number seventy-six, and some represent trades which are extinct. Twelve so-called &quot;great companies &quot; claim pre cedence over the others, but of these some are not so wealthy as a few of the less highly privileged. The &quot;livery&quot; or dress of the companies, first formally adopted in the reign of Edward III., was ultimately worn only by a higher grade of the members called liverymen. The extension of London beyond the City limits and changes in trade maxims and in social life have now left them little more than the shadow of their former authority over trade and manufacture, but a few, such as the fishmongers, the stationers, the goldsmiths, and the apothecaries, still discharge certain functions in the regulation of their several crafts. Besides administering their charities, many of the companies contribute largely to benevolent objects of pressing need, and some take an interest in promoting technical instruction, and in various matters relating to their special trade or manufacture; but the business of most of them is now chiefly of a ceremonial kind. The halls of the companies number thirty-five, and many of them are of interest either from their architectural merits, their antiquarian associations, or the portraits or other objects they contain. Their annual assessed value is over 60,000. The hereditary connexion of the companies with the corporation, their large ownership of property in the City, and their control over so many charities still enable them to exercise a very great influence in municipal affairs. The following list (Table I. ) gives details regarding the twelve great companies, and six other companies which may be ranked next to them in importance : Name. Date. Situation of Hall. Ptmhase of Freedom. Livery Admission. Great Companies. 1393 s. d. s. d. 1345 4 11 23 10 Drapers 1364 Throgmorton Street 108 26 5 Fishmongers 1363 1327 Upper Thames Street 113 10 6 1 19 31 15 63 7 1327 Merchant Taylors.... Haberdashers 1466 1448 1530 Threadneedle Street Gresham Street St Swiihin s Lane 84 84 80 8 20 &quot;o 1464 110 1 6 45 5 Vintners 1363 Upper Thames Street 126

Clothworkers Other Companies. Apothecaries 1480 1615 Mincing Lane Water Lane 110 11 6 105 108 17 22 Armourers 1452 1462 Coleman Street Monkwell Street 113 18 33 2 6 40 2 6 1410 60 40 Saddlers ... 1364 63 20 5 1556 Ludgate Hill 33 70 The corporation of the City of London still retains certain exceptional prerogatives. The lord mayor s court still exercises civil jurisdiction, the two courts of the sheriffs compter survive in the City of London court, and the lord mayor exercises the functions of judge in the central criminal court, which superseded the court of oyer and terminer in 1834, and extends beyond the radius of the Metropolitan area. The corporation possesses the sole right to establish markets within 7 miles of the City ; it enjoys a metage of grain, partially commuted in 1872 to a fixed duty chargeable by weight, and applied to the preservation of Epping Forest and other open spaces ; and it levies coal and wine duties, continued by various Acts, for defrayment of the cost of public improvements. Most of the work of the corporation is performed by committees; and &quot;com missioners of sewers,&quot; under Act of Parliament, have charge of the cleaning, lighting, and paving of the streets. A large portion of the City income is derived from rents, which have increased from 3488 in 1692 to 19,199 in 1785, 45,269 in 1825, and 117,781 in 1881. In 1692 the City markets were farmed for 3100, the profit being about 2500 ; in 1785 their revenue was 15,631, and the profit 2621 ; in 1825 these were respectively 58,958 and 52,271; and in 1881 they were 152,816 and 20,911. The total revenue of the City in 1692 was 11,658, in 1785 59,356, and in 1881 896,688, not including the public and trust accounts, which are regulated by various Acts of Parlia ment. They include the Bridge-House estate account, the sewers rate, the Metropolitan Board of Works sewers rate, the police rate, the ward rate, and the duties on coal, wine, and grain. The total charge of the government establishment in 1692 was 3947, and in 1881 it was 51,855, not including 7856 spent in pensions of Special preroga tives of the City corpora tion. City accounts,