he portrait of
William set up in the Guildhall had been maliciously mutilated. The crown
and sceptre had been cut out of the picture by some Jacobite, and the
reward of L500 offered (21 Nov.) by the Court of Aldermen failed to
discover the perpetrator.(1685)

(M860)

On the 30th October (1689) a parliamentary committee was appointed to
prepare a Bill for "restoring and confirming of corporations." A Bill was
accordingly brought in, read for the second time and committed.(1686) The
Bill was mainly concerned with those corporations that had _surrendered_
their charters, and a great struggle took place upon the committee's
report (2 Jan., 1690) over an attempt to introduce a clause providing that
every municipal officer who had in any way been a party to the surrender
of a borough's franchises should be incapable of holding any office in
that borough for a period of seven years.(1687) The city of London had not
surrendered its charters. It preferred, as we have seen, on the advice of
its Recorder, to let judgment be entered up against it, and allow its
privileges and franchises to be confiscated by process of law rather than
voluntarily surrender them. London was therefore excepted out of this
Bill, saving a clause touching the not taking or subscribing the oath and
declaration.(1688)

(M861)

On the 6th February, 1690, the Convention Parliament was dissolved. Its
greatest achievement had been the passing of the Bill of Rights, the third
Great Charter (as it has been called) of English liberties. The Bill of
Rights embodied the provisions of the Declaration of Rights, and strictly
regulated the succession to the crown. It constituted the title-deed by
which the king was thenceforth to hold his throne, and the people to enjoy
their liberties. The late parliament had been none too liberal to William
in the matter of supply. Money was much needed for carrying on war with
France and for reducing Ireland. Extraordinary aids were voted from time
to time, but the money came in so slowly that the king was fain to seek
advances from the City.(1689) A new parliament was summoned to meet on the
20th March.(1690)

(M862)

The election of members to serve the City in the coming parliament took
place on the 19th February, and was hotly contested. There appears to be
no record extant among the City's archives of what took place, but from a
petition laid before the new House (2 April) by Pilkington (the lord
mayor) and three other