Social Problems and Policy During the Puritan Revolution by Margaret James

Author:Margaret James [James, Margaret]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Europe, Great Britain, Stuart Era (1603-1714), Modern, 17th Century, General
ISBN: 9781000208405
Google: n0UHEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2020-12-16T16:01:54+00:00

(II) The City Government

The government of the City and its Companies was so closely connected, both in constitutional mechanism and in personnel, that it was natural for democratic agitation in the one to be accompanied by a parallel agitation in the other.

As in the case of the central government, the constitution of the City depended on custom rather than upon law.108 The Lord Mayor, as the chief magistrate of the City, presided over the Court of Aldermen, the Common Council and the Common Hall, and was chairman of every committee which he attended. His control over administrative matters was wide, and he possessed, says Pulling, “nearly all the powers which Mr. Justice Blackstone attributes to the crown over the rest of the kingdom.” By the time of Edward IV, it had become established that the Lord Mayor’s election should be confined to the Liveries of the various Companies. The Aldermen were chiefly important when acting in their capacity of an independent court, with legislative and executive powers, but every Alderman was ex officio a member of the Common Council, and two of them besides the Lord Mayor had to be present to make a quorum. In the seventeenth century and for some time previously, the Aldermen claimed a negative voice in the proceedings of this body, which was chosen yearly by the various wards, and exercised similar, though subordinate functions to the Court of Aldermen.109

This constitution bore a marked resemblance to that of the central government, and, while the democratic movement in the gilds was probably influenced by the extreme theories of the Sects, the agitation in the City government followed closely along the lines laid down by Parliament. Partly for this reason, it received considerable support from the Government. But, apart from altruistic motives, Parliament had a strong incentive to propitiate the dominant party in the City, for during these years political, military and financial considerations made it a powerful ally and a dangerous enemy. In 1648, when the City had successfully pressed for the control of the militia, a deputation of Lords and Commons waited on the Common Council to tell them that the House had granted their desire. In retimi for this concession, Parliament expected the City to ward off rebellions and riots, and “did now put themselves really and truly in the hands of the City”.110 This incident is typical of many occasions on which the City acted almost like an independent power in its dealings with the central Government.

The presence of a considerable democratic element in the Common Council was indicated at the famous trial of John Lilbume at the Guildhall in 1649. When a verdict of acquittal was announced, “the whole multitude in the hall, for joy of the prisoner’s acquittal, gave such a loud and unanimous shout as is believed was never heard in Guildhall, which lasted for about half an hour without intermission.” The Common Council showed their admiration of the popular hero by electing him a member of their body, but when the Mayor and Aldermen represented the case to Parliament, his election was declared void.

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