ft the court. The Common Sergeant--the notorious
George Jeffreys--refusing to follow the example set by the Common Sergeant
in 1649, remained behind, and went so far as to put a question to the
court of which the mayor and aldermen had previously disapproved. For this
he was shortly afterwards called to account. His defence was that he only
obeyed the wishes of the majority; but this being deemed unsatisfactory,
the Court of Aldermen ordered him to be suspended from office.(1406)

(M710) (M711)

He afterwards (23 March) offered an apology to the Court of Aldermen for
his conduct, confessing "that the question by him put at the last Common
Council after the lord mayor was out of the chair was altogether
irregular," and asked pardon. His apology, so far as it went, was accepted
in good part by the court, but upon some explanation being asked of him as
to his not refusing to put a question when commanded to refuse, and his
offering to put another question at the request of some members of the
council, he desired to be allowed time before he made answer.(1407)
Meanwhile the dispute between the Aldermen and Common Council had been
brought to the notice of the king,(1408) who, with his brother the Duke of
York, had recently received the freedom of the City.(1409)

(M712) (M713)

A week later (30 March) the Recorder, John Howell, reported to the Court
of Aldermen(1410) that he and the Common Sergeant had by command appeared
before his majesty the previous day touching the unhappy difference
existing between the Aldermen and the Common Council; that the Common
Sergeant being asked to whom it devolved to put the question on a debate
in council, had in the Recorder's hearing replied to the effect "that the
question had always been used to be put by the lord mayor or by his
lordship's appointment and not otherwise, so far as he had observed," and
he had never known the matter disputed; that he had then likewise declared
to his majesty that he was "sorry for his deportment at the last Common
Council, saying that what he did was a sudden act and rashly done without
any intention to make any disturbance, and that he would freely
acknowledge the same wheresoever his majesty should command him"; that
therefore his majesty had commanded the Recorder to acquaint the court
that the best expedient he could suggest, as the case stood, for a
settlement of the difficulty, was that the old order of things should be
re-established, that (amo