LONDON 323

Government for this huge district dates back only to the last
century.

THE CITY.

The City is divided into twenty-six wards, each, of which
returns, according to its size, a number of Councillors to the
Court of Common Council. Persons with a property qualification
in the City are entitled to vote. In addition to the two hundred
and six Councillors, who are elected annually, the Court of
Common Council contains twenty-six Aldermen, elected directly
by the citizens, and holding their office for life. These, together
with the Lord Mayor, form a separate Court of Aldermen.
Another body, the Court of Common Hall, is composed of the
members of the Court of Aldermen, and the Liverymen of the
City Companies. These Companies are the descendants of the
Mediaeval Gilds of Craftsmen and Merchants. To-day, they
have none of the old duties of regulating the conditions under
which work was carried on, nor do the members of a Company
all pursue the same occupation; they are associations of wealthy
men, partly for social purposes, and largely to manage charities.
Each Company fills the vacancies in its ranks by electing new
Liverymen in accordance with its own rules. Thus composed,
the Court of Common Hall has the annual duties of electing the
Sheriffs, and of selecting two Aldermen from whom the Court
of Aldermen will make a final choice of Lord Mayor; the general
rule is for this office to pass by seniority among the Aldermen.

The Court of Common Council is, therefore, the real governing
body of the city. It has all the powers which will be shown to
belong to the Metropolitan Boroughs, though some of them it
does not need to exercise. In addition, it has its own Police Force,
Civil Courts, and Criminal Courts of Summary Jurisdiction.
The latter are held at the Mansion House, the official residence
of the Lord Mayor, and at the City's Guildhall, and are presided
over by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, all of whom are ex officio
J.P.s. The Council looks after the bridges in the City, and owns