LONDON. 



a fonmlation for nmcli curious fpeciilution. In the follow- 

 ing table \vu are enabled to give tho total nmnber of pcrfons 

 at four different periods ; but it luay be uecedary to pre- 

 iriife, that the kll is prefuiued to be the moll correct cenfus 

 ever taken in London. 



Populiilton. — London is Icfs populous, for its extent, than 

 many other great cities. The llrccts are wider, and the in- 

 habitants of every clat's, below the highcft rank, enjoy more 

 room for themfclves and families than is ulual for the fame 

 chlfes in foreign ceuiitrtcs. Hence a given number of peo- 

 ple is fpread over a larger fpace in Loudon thuH in foreign 



cities. From the report on the populatum of Great 

 Britain, publilUed on the authority of an adt paired43 G. III. 

 London, inohidinif t!:e fuburbs, appears to contain 837,906 

 fettled inhabitants ; but the great nuniber of foldiers, ma- 

 riners, provincial vifitors, colonills, and foreigners, who are 

 coullantly in London, for purpofes of pleafure and bnfinefs, 

 and the new inhabitants of 10,000 houfes built within the 

 lall fevcn ycai-s, cxteixls the total population to more than a 

 million. As the increafe or diminution of the population 

 claims a dillindl notice, the following table will {hew its five 

 divifions, at four different periods. 



Covenmentof Lohdon. — In tracing the outline of the pre- 

 fent government of this metropolis, it will be proper to divide 

 it into three principal parts 4 v/3. the city of London, with 

 its dependencies ; the ci'y and liberties of \Vellmii.fter ; 

 and the fnbuvbs connefted with the two, but out of the 

 jurifdiftion of both the cities. 



The civil government of the city of London is Teftcd, by 

 charters and grants from the kings of England, in its own 

 corporation cr body of citizens. The city is divided into 

 26 principal dillritls, called wards ; and the corporation con- 

 fills of, I, the lord mayor; 2, the aldermen; and 3, the 

 common council. The lord mayor is chofcn annually in the 

 foll'jwing manner,' on the 29th of September, the livery, in 

 Guildhall or common afiembly, choofe two aldermen, who 

 are prefented to the court of lord mayor and aldermen, by 

 whom one of the aklermrn fo chofen, (gentrally the fenior,) 

 is declared lord mayor eleft ; and on the 9th of November 

 he enters on his office. Tlie aldermen are chofen for life by 

 the free houf.iolders of the feveral wards, one for each ward ; 

 except Brida;e-ward without, where the elcftion is by the 

 court of aldermen from among thofe who have pafTed the 

 chair, commonly tl>c fenior : he is llyled father of the city. 

 The common council are chofen annu;illy by the fi-ee 

 honfliolders in their feveral wards, the number for each ward 

 being regulated by ancient cuftom ; the body corporate 

 having a power to extend tlie number. The common 

 council are the r<;prefentatives of the commons, and com- 

 pofeoneof the parts of the city legiflature, which nearly re- 

 lembles thai -©I the kingdom; for as the latter con h lis of king, 

 lords, and ccwniijon.s fo this is compofed of lord mayor, 

 aldermen, and common councilmen ; the principa' diflerence 

 is, that in the three e'lates of the kingdom each enjoys a 

 feoarate negative, while in the city this right is denied 

 to the lord mayor, and confined to the aldermen and 

 common council. Before the year 1347, there were 

 only two common-councilmen ret'.:rued for each ward, 

 which, being thought inlulBcient to reprefent fuch a nume- 

 rous body, it was at that time fettled that each ward fliould 

 choole a number, not more than twelve, or lefs than fix, 

 according to its dimtnfions ; which has lince been increafed 

 to the profent number. The 26 wards are fubdivided into 

 236 precindts, for each of which a reprefentative is eledted 

 in the fame manner us the aldermen ; with this difference, 



that as the lord mayor prefides in the wardmote, and is 

 judge of the poll at the eleclion of an alderman, fo each 

 alderman, in his refped^ive ward, prefides at the eledfion of 

 common council men. The civil powers exercifed by the 

 corporation are very complete : the laws for the internal 

 government of the city are wholly framed by its own legif- 

 lature, called the court of common council, which confdls 

 of tl'.e lord mayor, aldermen, and reprefentatives of the 

 feveral wards, who affemble in Guildhall as often as the 

 lord mayor thinks proper to convene them. They annually 

 feledl fix aldermen and twelve commoners for letting the 

 city lands, and this coi.imittee generally meet at Guildhall 

 on Wednefdays. They alfo appoint another committee of 

 four aldermen and eight commoners for tranfadling the 

 affairs of Grelham-college, who ufnally meet at Mercer's- 

 hall, at the appointment of the lord mayor, who is always 

 one of the number. The court of common council alfo, by 

 virtue of a royal grant, annually choofe a governor, deputy, 

 and afhftants, for the management of the city lands in Ire- 

 land. This court alfo difpofe of the offices of town-clerk, 

 common ferjeant, judges of the fheriffs' -court, common 

 crier, coroner, bailiff of the borough of Southwark, and 

 city garblcr. The eledlion of the recorder is veiled in the 

 court of aldermen only. The lord mayor is the chief magif- 

 trate of the ci'y : and the aldermen arc the principal magif- 

 trates in their feveral wards. The lord mayor, the recorder, 

 the common ferjeant, and the aldermen, are judges of oyer 

 and terminer (that is, the king's judges to try capital of- 

 fences and mifdemeanors) for the city of London and county 

 of Middlefex ; and the aldermen are perpetual Jullices of 

 the peace for the city. The two fheriffs, (who are ftridlly 

 officers of the king, fcr many important purpofes of his 

 executive government,) are chofen annually by the livery 

 of London, not only lor the city, but fur the county of 

 Middlefex, the fame perfons being flicnffs fur London, and 

 jointly forn.ing One (hen ff for the county. (See Philips's 

 Letter on the Office of SheriflT, Svo. and Sheriff.) The 

 adminillration, in all its branches, within the jurifdiftion of 

 the corporation, in all cafes embracing the city and the 

 borough of Southwark, and in fome cafes extending beyond, 

 is exercifed by members of the corporation or its officers. 

 The borough of Southwark was formerly independent of 

 the city of Louden, and appears to have been governed by 



4 a bailiff 



