PROCEEDINGS FOR 1897 CXLV 



not a member of the Church of England, it is not unusual for him to ask 

 the corporation to join him at one of the Free churches, but at all of 

 these latter services only the mayor and high sheriff wear their dis- 

 tinctive dress, and the members of the corporation meet the mayor and 

 hiffh sheriff in the vestibule of the visited church. 



I have given these incidents to show you old customs, which amongst 

 many of a similar character, still abide in our old city life, and although 

 I personally belong to what my friends would call " the progressive 

 party," I had no wish during my tenure of office to make any departure 

 from these century-old institutions. 



Before leaving the mayor, I ought to say he is provided by the city 

 with a state carriage, very similar to that of the Lord Mayor of London, 

 but which he uses only for state occasions. 



The mayor personally provides a handsome semi-state carriage for 

 use on occasions of less importance. The livery of the servants differs 

 according to whether the occasion is state or semi-state. 



The maj'or of Bristol is appointed on the commission for the assizes 

 held three times per year in the city. He sits by the side of the judge, 

 but naturally takes no part in the court. 



The city is now promoting a bill in parliament for an extension of 

 the municipal boundary (and there is every probability of the bill becom- 

 ing law), which will make the population of Bristol about 330,000 instead 

 of about 235,000, as it stands to-day ; this will increase the number of 

 representatives on the council to about 80, inclusive of aldermen. No 

 extension of the boundary has been obtained by Bristol since 1835, whilst 

 a population has grown outside our present municipal area, for the 

 simple reason that there was no room for development within. When 

 you compare the present city, grown populous and rich, with what it 

 was 400 years ago, when its merchants fitted up the little ship " Matthew," 

 what possibilities there may be laid up in its future history, provided the 

 spirit of aggressiveness and enterprise be still alive ! I hope, as well as 

 believe, that the new and greater Bristol will yet establish a modem 

 history worthy of its best record in the past. 



The city is now divided, for parliamentary purposes, into four 

 districts, each of which returns independently a member to Parliament. 



Docks and Shipping. 



The fortunes of Bristol for the past five centuries have been closely 

 bound up with its docks and shipping. ]n order that you may appre- 

 ciate the position of our docks to-day, 1 must explain to you that prior 

 to the commencement of this century, we had no floating harbour, but 

 simply a tidal dock, and the shipping was subjected to the great incon- 

 venience of the very rapid flow and ebb of the tides. Notwithstanding 



Proc. 1897. K. 



