ed. You can believe what you
like and advocate what you like, so long as it is not against Divine Law
or the Law of the Land. Thus, if one were to preach the duty of Murder
he would be very properly stopped. Therefore, when you buy a daily
paper: whenever you enter a church or chapel: whenever you hear an
address or a lecture remember that you are enjoying the freedom won for
you by the obstinacy and the tenacity of your ancestors.

We have spoken of the City Companies. They still exist and though their
former powers are gone and they no longer control the trades after which
they are named, their power is still very great on account of the
revenues which they possess and their administration of charities,
institutions, &c., under their care. There were 109 in all, but many
have been dissolved. There are still, however, 76. About half of these
possess Halls which are now the Great Houses of the City. The number of
livery men, i.e. members of the Companies, is 8,765. The Companies vary
greatly in numbers: there are 448 Haberdashers, for instance: 380
Fishmongers: and 356 Spectacle Makers: while there are only 16
Fletchers, i.e. makers of arrows. Many of the trades are now extinct,
such as the Fletchers above named, the Bowyers, the Girdlers, the
Bowstring Makers and the Armourers.

Some of these Companies are now very rich. One of them possesses an
income, including Trust money, of 83,000_l._ a year. It must be
acknowledged that the Companies carry on a great deal of good work with
their money. Many of them, however, have little or nothing: the Basket
Makers have only 102_l._ a year: the Glass Sellers only 21_l._ a year:
the Tinplate Workers 7_l._ 7_s._ a year. If, therefore, you hear of the
great riches of the City Companies remember (1) that 25 of them have
less than 500_l._ a year each: and (2) that the rich Companies support
Technical Colleges and Schools, grant scholarships, encourage trade,
hold exhibitions, maintain almshouses, and make large grants to objects
worthy of support. It is not likely that the privilege of electing the
Lord Mayor will long continue to be in the hands of the Companies. It is
not, indeed, worthy of a great City that its Chief Magistrate should be
elected by so small a minority as 8,765 out of the hundreds of thousands
who have their offices and transact their business in the City: but
while this privilege will cease, the Companies may remain and continue
to exercise a central influence, a