street also extends from Blackfriars-bridge into the country, and others are projecting which in time will confer more importance on this part of the metropolis.

PRESENT GOVERNMENT OF THE METROPOLIS.

In tracing the outline of the present government of this metropolis, to the whole of which we shall, from this time, give the common name of London, it will be convenient to divide the metropolis into three principal parts, the city of London, with its dependencies; the cities and liberties of Westminster; and the suburbs out of the jurisdiction of the cities of London and Westminster.

Civil Government of the City of London.

The entire civil government of the city of Lon don is vested by charters or grants from the kings of England, in its own corporation or body of citi zens. The city is divided into 26 principal districts, called wards; and the corporation consists of-1. The Lord Mayor; 2. The ALDERMEN; 3. The COMMON COUNCIL.

The Corporation.

I. The Lord Mayor is chosen annually, in the fol. lowing manner:-On the 29th of September the livery, in Guildhall or common assembly, chuse two aldermen, by shew of hands, who are presented to a court called the court of lord mayor and aldermen, by whom one of the aldermen so chosen, (generally the first in seniority) is declared lord mayor elect; and on the 9th of November following he enters upon his office.

The civil powers exercised by the corporation, or its officers, are very complete within its juris diction. The laws for the internal government of the city are wholly framed by its own legislature, called the court of common council, consisting of the lord mayor, aldermen, and common council

men.

The administration is entirely in the hands

of the city, of which the lord mayor is the chief magistrate.

II. The aldermen are ehosen for life, by the householders of the several wards, being free, one for each ward, except Bridge ward without, on a vacancy for which, the senior alderman, or, as he is commonly called the father of the city, is removed to this ward, and a new alderman is elected for the ward which he vacates..

111. The common council consists of the mayor, 26 aldermen, and 236 members; these latter are chosen annually, by the householders, being free, in their several wards, the number for each ward be. ing regulated by ancient custom, the body corpo. rate having a power to extend the number.

The aldermen are the principal magistrates in their several wards. There are various courts in the city for trying the civil causes of its inhabitants, by judges, members, or officers, of the corporation. The lord mayor, the recorder, the common serjeant, (the principal law officer of the city) and the aldermen, are judges of Oyer and Terminer, that is, they are the king's judges to try capital offences and misdemeanors for the city of London and county of Middlesex; and the aldermen are perpetual justices of the peace for the city. The two SHERIFFS (who are strictly offi cers of the king, for many important purposes of his executive government) are chosen annually, by the livery, not only for the city, but for the county of Middlesex, the same persons being sheriff's for London and jointly forming one sheriff for the county. In a word, the administration in all its branches within the jurisdiction of the corporation, in all cases embracing the city and the borough of Southwark, and in some cases extending beyond, is exercised by members of the corporation or its officers.

The borough of Southwark, as was before observed, was formerly independent of the city of

London, till the reign of Edward III. A part hás since been incorporated with the city under the appellation of Bridge-ward without: and has its officers appointed by the court of aldermen and common council, viz. a justice of the Bridge-ward, high bailiff, steward, &c.

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The Livery

Is a numerous, respectable, and important elective body with them reside the election of the lord mayor, sheriffs, members of parliament, chamberlain, bridge-masters, ale-conners, and auditors of the chamberlain's accounts, all of whom are chosen by their respective guilds or companies from among the freemen.

Military Government of the City of London.

The military government of the city of London was considerably changed by an act of parliament passed in 1794 under which two regiments of militia are raised in the city, by ballot, amounting together to 2,200 men. The officers are appointed by the commissioners of the king's lieutenancy for the city of London; and one regiment may, in certain cases, be placed by the king under any of his general officers, and marched to any part not exceeding twelve miles from the capital, or the nearest encampment; the other, at all such times, to remain in the city of London. This is a species of regular force; for the old establishment has fallen away to a mere, yet inconvenient, form.

General civil Government of the Parts of the
Metropolis.

It remains to speak of the general civil government of the metropolis, not included in the seveval jurisdictions already mentioned. The suburbs in Middlesex are under the jurisdiction of the jus tices of the peace for the county, as part of the

county. The county hall for Middlesex is on Clerkenwell-green: and in sessions held there quarterly, great part of the civil government of the suburbs in Middlesex is exercised. In Bowstreet, Covent-garden, is an, office of police under the direction of certain justices of the peace for Middlesex, who dedicate their time chiefly to that office, which, in fact, embraces the most important cases of police for the suburbs in Middlesex.

Particular Police of the Metropolis, with Cautions relative to Swindlers, &c.

As it is of the highest importance to strangers to be able to obtain redress from the police, in case of injury, a list is subjoined of the offices in Lon don, in which magistrates sit every day. The Mansion-house,

Guildhall,

Bow-street,

Queen's-square, Westminster,

Great Marlbro'-street,

Hatton-gården,

Worship-street,

Lambeth-street, Whitechapel,

High-street, Shadwell,

Union-street, Southwark,

Wapping New-stairs, for offences connected with the shipping and port of London.

The magistrates of these offices are appointed to hear and determine, in a summary way; particularly in cases relative to the customs-excise-and stamps-the game laws-hawkers and pedlars-pawnbrokers-friendly societies-highways -hackney coaches, carts, and other carriagesQuakers, and others refusing to pay tythes-ap-. peals of defaulters in parochial rates-misdemeanors committed by persons unlawfully pawning property not their own-bakers for short weight, &c. journeymen leaving their services in different

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trades-laborers not complying with their agreements-disorderly apprentices-ale-house keepers keeping disorderly houses-nuisances against dif ferent acts of parliament-acts of vagrancy by fraudulent lottery insurers-fortune-tellers; or persons of ill fame found in avenues to public places, with an intent to rob-watching over the conduct of publicans-swearing in, charging and instructing parochial constables and headboroughs from year to year, with regard to their duty-issuing warrants for privy-searches; and in considering the cases of persons charged with being disorderly persons, or rogues and vagabonds, liable to be punished under the act of the 17th George II. cap. 5. and subsequent acts of parliament-in making orders to parish officers, beadles, and constables, in a variety of cases-in parish removals-in billeting soldiers -in considering the cases of poor persons applying for assistance, or admission to work-houses-in granting certificates and orders to the wives of persons serving in the militia, and also in attesting recruits for the army-and for examining persons accused of treason, murder, coinage, and uttering base money, arson, manslaughter, forgery, burglary, larceny, sedition, felonies of various descrip. tions, conspiracies, frands, riots, assaults, and misdemeanors of different kinds.

A book of great popularity, written by a very celebrated magistrate, has spread an opinion among foreigners, among Englishmen residing in remote parts of the country, and even among many of the inhabitants of this city, of extreme depravity and dishonesty in the two large classes of poor shopkeepers and laborers. This gentleman and his book remind us of the accurate satire of Museus; who, in writing a work to ridicule the abuse of the science of physiognomy, has introduced a magistrate, a physiognomist that sees a villain in every face, having himself had little commerce but with rogues.