london in 1731-第14节

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　the　city　officers　are　appointed；　viz。；　the　recorder；　four　common　pleaders；　the　comptroller　of　the　chamber；　the　two　secondaries；　the　remembrancer；　the　city　solicitor；　the　sword…bearer；　the　common　hunt；　the　water　bailiff；　four　attorneys　of　the　Lord　Mayor's　Court；　the　clerk　of　the　chamber；　three　sergeant　carvers；　three　sergeants　of　the　chamber；　the　sergeant　of　the　chanel；　the　two　marshals；　the　hall…keeper；　the　yeomen　of　the　chamber；　four　yeomen　of　the　waterside；　the　yeoman　of　the　chanel；　the　under　water…bailiff；　two　meal　weighers；　two　fruit…meters；　the　foreign　taker；　the　clerk　of　the　City　works；　six　young　men；　two　clerks　of　the　papers；　eight　attorneys　of　the　Sheriff's　Court；　eight　clerks　fitters；　two　prothonotaries；　the　clerk　of　the　Bridge　House；　the　clerk　of　the　Court　of　Requests；　the　beadle　of　the　Court　of　Requests；　thirty…six　sergeants　at　mace；　thirty…six　yeomen；　the　gauger；　the　sealers　and　searchers　of　leather；　the　keeper　of　the　Greenyard；　two　keepers　of　the　two　compters；　the　keeper　of　Newgate；　the　keeper　of　Ludgate；　the　measurer；　the　steward　of　Southwark　（but　the　bailiff　of　Southwark　is　appointed　by　the　Common　Council）　the　bailiff　of　the　hundred　of　Ossulston；　the　City　artificers；　and　rent…　gatherer；　who　hath　been　put　in　by　Mr。　Chamberlain。

In　this　court　all　leases　and　instruments　that　pass　under　the　City　Seal　are　executed；　the　assize　of　bread　is　settled　by　them；　all　differences　relating　to　water…courses；　lights；　and　party…walls；　are　determined；　and　officers　are　suspended　or　punished；　and　the　aldermen；　or　a　majority　of　them；　have　a　negative　in　whatever　is　propounded　in　the　Common　Council。

2。　　The　Court　of　Hustings　is　esteemed　the　most　ancient　tribunal　in　the　City；　and　was　established　for　the　preservation　of　the　laws；　franchises；　and　customs　of　it。　　It　is　held　at　Guildhall　before　the　Lord　Mayor　and　Sheriffs；　and　in　civil　causes　the　Recorder　sits　as　judge。　　Here　deeds　are　enrolled；　recoveries　passed；　writs　of　right；　waste；　partition；　dower；　and　replevins　determined。

3。　　The　Lord　Mayor's　Court；　a　court　of　record；　held　in　the　chamber　of　Guildhall　every　Tuesday；　where　the　Recorder　also　sits　as　judge；　and　the　Lord　Mayor　and　Aldermen　may　sit　with　him　if　they　see　fit。　Actions　of　debt；　trespass；　arising　within　the　City　and　liberties；　of　any　value；　may　be　tried　in　this　court；　and　an　action　may　be　removed　hither　from　the　Sheriff's　Court　before　the　jury　is　sworn。

The　juries　for　trying　causes　in　this　and　the　Sheriff's　Courts；　are　returned　by　the　several　wards　at　their　wardmote　inquests　at　Christmas；　when　each　ward　appoints　the　persons　to　serve　on　juries　for　every　month　in　the　year　ensuing。

This　court　is　also　a　court　of　equity；　and　gives　relief　where　judgment　is　obtained　in　the　Sheriff's　Court　for　more　than　the　just　debt。

4。　　The　Sheriff's　Courts　are　also　courts　of　record；　where　may　be　tried　actions　of　debt；　trespass；　covenant；　&c。　　They　are　held　on　Wednesdays　and　Fridays　for　actions　entered　in　Wood　Street　Compter；　and　every　Thursday　and　Saturday　for　actions　entered　in　the　Poultry　Compter。　　Here　the　testimony　of　an　absent　witness　in　writing　is　allowed　to　be　good　evidence。

5。　　The　Chamberlain's　Court　or　office　is　held　at　the　chamber　in　Guildhall。　　He　receives　and　pays　the　City　cash　and　orphans'　money；　and　keeps　the　securities　taken　by　the　Court　of　Aldermen　for　the　same；　and　annually　accounts　to　the　auditors　appointed　for　that　purpose。　　He　attends　every　morning　at　Guildhall；　to　enroll　or　turn　over　apprentices；　or　to　make　them　free；　and　hears　and　determines　differences　between　masters　and　their　apprentices。

6。　　The　Court　of　City　Orphans　is　held　by　the　Lord　Mayor　and　Aldermen　as　often　as　occasion　requires；　the　Common　Sergeant　being　entrusted　by　them　to　take　all　inventories　and　accounts　of　freeman's　estates；　and　the　youngest　attorney　in　the　Mayor's　Court　is　clerk　of　the　orphans；　and　appointed　to　take　security　for　their　portions；　for　when　any　freeman　dies；　leaving　children　under　the　age　of　twenty…one　years；　the　clerks　of　the　respective　parishes　give　in　their　names　to　the　common　crier；　who　thereupon　summons　the　widow　or　executor　to　appear　before　the　Court　of　Aldermen；　to　bring　in　an　inventory；　and　give　security　for　the　testator's　estate；　for　which　they　commonly　allow　two　months'　time；　and　in　case　of　non…appearance；　or　refusal　of　security；　the　Lord　Mayor　may　commit　the　executor　to　Newgate。

7。　　The　Court　of　Conscience　was　established　for　recovering　small　debts　under　forty　shillings　at　an　easy　expense；　the　creditor's　oath　of　the　debt　being　sufficient　without　further　testimony　to　ascertain　the　debt。　　This　court　sits　at　the　hustings　in　Guildhall　every　Wednesday　and　Saturday；　where　the　Common　Council　of　each　ward　are　judges　in　their　turns。　　They　proceed　first　by　summons；　which　costs　but　sixpence；　and　if　the　defendant　appears　there　is　no　further　charge；　the　debt　is　ordered　to　be　paid　at　such　times　and　in　such　proportion　as　the　court　in　their　consciences　think　the　debtor　able　to　discharge　it；　but　if　the　defendant　neglect　to　appear；　or　obey　the　order　of　the　court；　an　attachment　or　execution　follows　with　as　much　expedition　and　as　small　an　expense　as　can　be　supposed。　　All　persons　within　the　freedom　of　the　City；　whether　freemen　or　not；　may　prosecute　and　be　prosecuted　in　this　court；　and　freemen　may　be　summoned　who　live　out　of　the　liberty。

8。　　The　courts　of　wardmote　are　held　by　the　aldermen　of　each　ward；　for　choosing　ward…officers；　and　settling　the　affairs　of　the　ward；　the　Lord　Mayor　annually　issuing　his　precept　to　the　aldermen　to　hold　his　wardmote　on　St。　Thomas's　Day　for　the　election　of　common　councilmen　and　other　officers；　they　also　present　such　offences　and　nuisances　at　certain　times　to　the　Lord　Mayor　and　common　councilmen　as　require　redress。

9。　　Small　offences　are　punished　by　the　justices　in　or　out　of　sessions；　by　whom　the　offender　is　sentenced　to　be　whipped；　imprisoned；　or　kept　to　hard　labour；　but　for　the　trial　of　capital　offences；　a　commission　of　Oyer　and　Terminer　and　jail　delivery　issues　eight　times　every　year；　i。e。；　before　and　after　every　term；　directed　to　the　Lord　Mayor；　Recorder；　some　of　the　twelve　judges；　and　others　whom　the　Crown　is　pleased　to　assign。　　These　commissioners　sit　at　Justice　Hall　in　the　Old　Bailey；　and　bills　of　indictment　having　been　found　by　the　grand　juries　of　London　or　Middlesex；　containing　the　prisoner's　accusation；　a　petty　jury；　consisting　of　twelve　substantial　citizens　is　empanelled　for　the　trial　of　each　of　them；　for；　as　to　the　grand　jury；　they　only　consider　whether　there　is　such　a　probability　of　the　prisoner's　guilt　as　to　put　him　upon　making　his　defence；　and　this　is　determined　by　a　majority　of　the　grand　jury：　but　the　petty　jury；　who　pass　upon　the　prisoner's　life　and　death；　must　all　agree　in　their　verdict；　or　he　cannot　be　convicted。　　But　though　the　petty　jury　judge　of　the　fact；　i。e。；　what　the　crime　is；　or　whether　it　was　committed　by　the　prisoner　or　not；　the　commissioners　or　judges　declare　what　are　the　punishments　appropriated　to　the　several　species　of　crimes；　and　pronounce　judgment　accordingly　on　the　offender。　　In　high　treason　they　sentence　the　criminal　to　be　drawn　upon　a　hurdle　to　the　place　of　execution；　there　to　be　hanged　and　quartered。　　In　murder；　robbery；　and　other　felonies；　which　are　excluded　the　benefit　of　the　clergy；　the　criminal　is　sentenced　to　be　hanged　till　he　is　dead。　　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　sheriff