And For Crimes Within The Benefit Of The
Clergy, The Offender Is Burnt In The Hand Or Transported, At The
Discretion Of The Court.
And for petty larceny, i.e., where the
offender is found guilty of theft under the value of twelve pence,
he is sentenced to be whipped.
But a report being made to His
Majesty by the Recorder, of the circumstances with which the several
capital offences were attended, and what may be urged either in
aggravation or mitigation of them, the respective criminals are
either pardoned or executed according to His Majesty's pleasure.
But I should have remembered, that the sentence against a woman,
either for high or petty treason, is to be burnt alive. I shall now
give some account of the election of the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, &c.,
who are chosen by a majority of the liverymen.
The Lord Mayor is elected on Michaelmas Day (from among the
aldermen, by the liverymen of the City, who return two aldermen that
have served sheriffs to the Court of Aldermen for their acceptance,
who generally declare the first upon the liverymen's roll to be
Lord-Mayor) sworn at Guildhall on Simon and Jude, and before the
barons of the Exchequer at Westminster the day following.
The Lord Mayor appears abroad in very great state at all times,
being clothed in scarlet robes, or purple richly furred, according
to the season of the year, with a hood of black velvet, and a golden
chain or collar of S.S. about his neck, and a rich jewel pendant
thereon, his officers walking before and on both sides, his train
held up, and the City sword and mace borne before him. He keeps
open house during his mayoralty, and the sword-bearer is allowed
1,000 pounds for his table. The Lord Mayor usually goes to St.
Paul's, attended by the aldermen in their gowns, and his officers,
every Sunday morning; but especially the first Sunday in term-time,
where he meets the twelve judges and invites them to dinner after
divine service is ended.
The sheriffs are chosen into their office on Midsummer day annually
by the liverymen also; to which end the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and
sheriffs meet in the council-chamber at Guildhall, about eight in
the morning, and coming down afterwards into the Court of Hustings,
the recorder declares to the livery men assembled in the hall that
this is the day prescribed for the election of these magistrates for
the year ensuing: then the Court of Aldermen go up to the Lord
Mayor's Court till the sheriffs are chosen; the old sheriffs, the
chamberlain, common serjeant, town clerk, and other City officers
remaining in the Court of Hustings, to attend the election. After
the sheriffs are chosen, the commons proceed to elect a chamberlain,
bridge-masters, auditors of the city and bridge-house accounts, and
the surveyors of beer and ale, according to custom. The old
sheriffs are judges of these elections, and declare by the common
serjeant who are duly chosen.
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