"The aldermen thus elected have divers capacities; for,
first, they are justices of the peace for the term, and in
consequence of their election. Secondly, they are presidents of
the wardmote and governors each of that ward whereby he was
elected. And last of all, these magistrates being assembled
together, constitute the Senate of the city, otherwise called the
court of aldermen; but no man is capable of this election that is
not worth ?10,000. This court upon every new election makes
choice of nine censors out of their own number.
"The deputies in like manner being assembled together,
constitute the prerogative tribe of the city, otherwise called
the common council, by which means the Senate and the people of
the city were comprehended, as it were, by the motion of the
national government, into the same wheel of annual, triennial,
and perpetual revolution.
"But the liveries, over and above the right of these
elections by their divisions mentioned, being assembled all
together at the guild of the city, constitute another assembly
called the common hall.
"The common hall has the right of two other elections; the
one of the lord mayor, and the other of the two sheriffs, being
annual magistrates. The lord mayor can be elected out of no other
than one of the twelve companies of the first ranks; and the
common hall agrees by the plurality of suffrages upon two names,
which, being presented to the lord mayor for the time being, and
the court of the aldermen, they elect one by their scrutiny.
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