*90 
LONDON. 
matter of the ceremonies at public balls, Sec .—The com¬ 
mon crier is to fummon all executors and adminiftrators 
of freemen to appear, and to bring in inventories of the 
perfonal eltates of freemen, within two months after their 
deceafe; and he is to have notice of their appraifements. 
He is likewife to attend'the lord-mayor on fet days, and 
at the courts held by the mayor, aldermen, and common- 
council ; and he carries the mace on public occafions.— 
The water-bailiff is to look after the prefervation of the 
river Thames againft all encroachments, and to prevent 
the fifhermen from deftroying the young fry by unlawful 
nets. For that end there are juries for each county that 
hath any part of it lying on the Tides or fhorea of the faid 
river: which juries, futntnoned by the water-bailiff at cer¬ 
tain times, make enquiry of all offences relating to the ri¬ 
ver and the fifh, and make their prefentments accordingly. 
He is alfo bound to attend the lord-mayor on let days in 
the week. 
There have been various opinions refpefting the flirre 
which the commonalty of London anciently poffeffed in 
the government of it. That the government by aldermen 
is of Saxon origin, is alrnoft demonftrable by the charter 
of Henry I. which was granted to the city only thirty-five 
years after the conqueit, whereby all Grangers are com¬ 
manded to “ give cuf’con to none but to him to whom the 
foke appertains,” i. e. the alderman, “or to his officer.” 
But it is equally evident from the fame charter, that the 
government was not vetted in the aldermen exclufive of 
the commons, for the citizens are empowered to choofe 
their ffieriff and juffice ; wherefore it cannot be doubted 
that they conftituted a part of the city-legiflature. In the 
abfence of Richard I. in Paleftine, John earl of Moretcn, 
jhis brother, attended by the archbilhop of Rouen, and 
moll of the nobility and bifhops, repaired to St. Paul’s 
church-yard, where, being met by the folkmott of London, 
they unanimoufiy agreed to degrade the bfffiop of Ely, 
chancellor, and one of the regents, for his tyrannical go¬ 
vernment. Many other inftances will be found in the 
former part of this article, to prove that the great body of 
the citizens were always confidered an integral part of the 
government of the city; but, when by the great increafe 
of the citizens, thefe folkmotes were found to be attended 
with inconvenience from the numbers who frequented 
them, they were difeontinued, and the citizens chofe front 
among themfelves a certain number out of each ward as 
their reprefentati ves; who, being added to the lord-mayor 
and aldermen, conllituted the court, denominated the cers- 
vion-council. 
At firft the number returned for each ward was only 
two ; but, thefe being thought by the citizens infufficienfc 
to reprefent their numerous body, it was agreed in the 
year 1347, that each ward fhould choofe a number of 
common-council-men proportionate to its extent, but 
none to exceed twelve, cr be lefs than fix ; which has 
been fince increafed to the prefent number of two hun¬ 
dred and thirty-fix. The common-council are chofen after 
the fame manner as the aldermen ; only with this differ¬ 
ence, that, as the lord-mayor prefides in the wardmote, 
and is judge of the poll at the election of an alderman, 
fo the alderman of each ward is judge of the poll at the 
elettion of a common-council-man. No act can be per¬ 
formed in the name of the city of London, without their 
concurrence; but they cannot affemble without a fum- 
Dions from the lord-mayor, wliofe duty it is, neverthelefs, 
to call a common-council, whenever it (hall be demanded, 
on extraordinary occafions. 
There are various courts held in the city of London, 
for the due adminiftration of jultice among the citizens; 
the molt ancient of which is the Court of Huttings, it 
being of Saxon origin : kus, in the Saxon language, ligni- 
fying a houfe, and dhing, a plea, or caufe ; whence the 
term huttings implies a “ houfe of pleas.” This is a 
court of record, and the fupreme judicature of the city of 
London. It is held weekly, on Tuefdays, and was ori¬ 
ginally eftablithed for the prefervation ot the laws, fran- 
vhitesj and cuttoms, of the city. The judges are, the 
lord-mayor and Iheriffs, who are nffifted by the recorder 
upon all caufes of confequence. See Courts, vol. v. p. 30. 
The Lord-Mayor’s Court is a court of record, held be¬ 
fore the lord-mayor, aldermen, and recorder, every Tuef- 
day, in Guildhall, wherein actions of debt, trefpafs, at¬ 
tachments, covenants, See. ariting within the city and li¬ 
berties, of any value, may be tried ; and actions from the 
file riffs’ court may be removed hither, before the jury be 
fworn. This is alio a court of chancery, or equity, refpefl- 
ing affairs tranfaffed in the city and liberties ; and gives 
relief when judgment is obtained in the the riffs’ court for 
more than a juft debt. This court has an office peculiar 
to itfelf, confifting of four attorneys, by whom ail ac¬ 
tions cognizable therein are entered, for the execution 
whereof there are fix ferjeants at mace, who daily attend 
in the faid office. It is the moft extenfive court in the 
kingdom; for, whatever is cognizable in any of the le- 
verai courts of England, can be brought before this, if 
the caufe arifes within the city of London. The juries 
for trying caufe. in this and the Iheritfs’ courts, are chofen 
annually in their refpeHive wards, and ferve monthly in 
the following rotation : 
January, Aldgate, Portfoken, and Cornliill. 
February, Cheap-ward. 
March, Bnffilhaw and Cripplegate. 
April, Vintry and Bread-ttreet. 
May, Tower and Billir.gfgate. 
June, Farringdon Without. 
July, Bridge-ward. 
Auguft, Alderlgate, Coleman-ftreet, and Broad-frreet. 
September, Farringdon Within, and Caftle-Baynard. 
October, Queenhithe, Dowgate, and Wallbrook. 
November, Langbourn and Lime-ftreet. 
December, Candlewick, Cordwainer, and Bifiiopfgate. 
The Court of Lord-Mayor and Aldermen is a court of* 
record, wherein is lodged a great part of the executive 
power of the city of London. All leafes, and other in- 
ftruments that pafs the city-feal, are executed, the affife 
of bread is afeertained, contefts relating to water-courfes, 
lights, and party-walls, are adjufted, and the city-officers 
fufpended and punilhed according to the notoriety of their 
feveral offences, in this court. It has alfo the power of 
appointing many of the city-officers, fuch as the recorder, 
the jultice of the bridge-yard, the fteward of Southwark, 
the clerks to the lord-mayor and the fitting aldermen, the 
keepers of the different prifont, and fome others of in¬ 
ferior note: and no perfon can be admitted to the free¬ 
dom of the city by purchafe, or without fervinga regular 
apprenticeship, ur.lefsby an order obtained from this court. 
The Court of Common Council conlifts of the lord- 
mayor, aldermen, and reprefentati ves of the feveral wards, 
who alienable in Guildhall as often as the lord-mayor, by 
his fummons, thinks proper to convene them ; and their 
general bulinefs is to make laws for the due government 
of the city. Out of this body are chofen the various 
committees for managing all the concerns of the corpo¬ 
ration ; but it is a Itanding order of the court, that no 
commoner be eligible to ferve on more than four com¬ 
mittees. This court has the appointment of the com- 
mon-ferjeant, the town-clerk, the judges of the Iheriffs’ 
courts, the comptroller, the remembrancer, the folicitor, 
the common-crier, the bail iff of Southwark, the comptroller 
of the bridge-houle, the water-bailiff, and moft or the fub- 
ordinate officers. 
The Sheriffs’ Courts are courts of record, held at Guild¬ 
hall, every Wednefday and Friday for actions entered as 
Giltfpilr-itreet Compter ; and on Thurfdays and Satur¬ 
days for thole entered at the Poultry Compter; of which 
the Iheriffs being judges, each has his affiftant or deputy, 
who are called the judges of thole courts; before whom 
are tried actions of debt, trelpafs, covenant, &c. To eich 
of thefe courts likewife belong a fecondary, a clerk of the 
papers, a prothonotary, and four clerks litters. There 
are alio fixteen ferjeants at mace, for each of the prifons 
belonging to thefe courts.. 
Tk® 
