THE HUMBLE PETITION OF THE LORD MAYOR, aldermans, and Commons of the City of London in Common Council Assembled, As it was Presented to HIS MAJESTY In Council at Windsor, Upon Monday the 18th of June 1683. Together with the Lord Keeper's Speech.  
Published by His Majesty's Special Command.  
LONDON: Printed by the Assigns of John Bill deceased: And by Henry Hills, and Thomas Newcomb, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, 1683.   


TO THE KING'S Most Excellent MAJESTY, The humble Petition of the Lord Mayor, aldermans, and Commons of the City of London in Common Council Assembled.  
SHOWETHS,  
THat Your Petitioners are most hearty and unfeignedly sorry for the Misgovernment of this Your City of late Years, whereby the Citizens have fallen under Your Majesty's Displeasure: Which occasioned a Quo Warranto to be brought against them; Upon which Judgement hath been Pronounced for Seizure of their Liberties and Franchises into Your Majesty's Hands.  
That Your Petitioners are deeply sensible of, and thank fully acknowledge the great Favour of this Opportunity of Application to Your Royal Grace, vouchsafed them by means of Your Majesties not Requiring Judgement to be immediately Entered thereupon.  
And now considering this our distressed condition, We humbly cast ourselves at Your Royal Feet, Imploring Your Princely Compassion and Grace to be extended to this Your Ancient City, most humbly begging Your Majesty's Pardon for all our Offences.  
And we do in the Name of ourselves, and all the Citizens, humbly tender, and Pray Your Majesty to accept the most Solemn Promises and Assurances of Constant Loyalty and Obedience to Your Majesty, Your Heirs and Successors, and of our Regular and Dutiful Administration of Your Government of this City for the future: Wherein we submit ourselves to Your Majesty's good Pleasure, and humbly beg Your Majesty's Commands and Directions: Which we will with all Humility and Thankfulness Obey.  
And Your Petitioners shall ever Pray, etc.   
After the Reading of which Petition, The Lord Mayor, aldermans, and Citizens were Commanded to withdraw; And being again called in, the Lord Keeper spoke to them as followeth.  

My Lord Mayor,  
I AM by the Kings Command to tell you, That He hath considered the humble Petition of the City of London, where so many of the present Magistrates, and other Eminent Citizens are of undoubted Loyalty, and Affection to His Service, That for their sakes His Majesty will show the City all the Favour they can reasonably desire.  
It was very long before His Majesty took Resolutions to question their Charter: It was not the Seditious Discourses of the Coffeehouses, the Treasonable Pamphlets, and Libels daily Published and Dispersed thence into all Parts of the Kingdom, the Outrageous Tumults in the Streets, nor the Aftronts to His Courts of Justice could provoke Him to it.  
His Majesty had Patience until Disorders were grown to that height, That nothing less seemed to be Designed than a Ruin to the Government both of Church and State; For the Factious Party were not content with the Practice of these Insolences, but endeavoured to have them publicly countenanced by the Magistrates, and for that end in all Elections they stickled to Choose the most disaffected into Offices of the greatest Trust in the Government, and carried themselves with that Heat and Violence, That it was a Terror to all sober and discreet Citizens; And the City was so unhappily divided into Parties, That there was no likelihood it could return to good Order, so long as the Factious retained any hopes of procuring the Election of Magistrates of their own Party, for their impunity.  
It was high time to put a Stop to this growing Evil. This made it Necessary for His Majesty to inquire into their Abuse of Franchises, that it might be in His Power to make a Regulation sufficient to Restore the City to its former good Government.  
It was not for Punishment, but merely for the Good of the City that He took this Course.  
And now the King hath obtained Judgement in a Quo Warranto, it is not His Intention to Prejudice them, either in their Properties or Customs. Nay, lest the Entering a Judgement upon Record might have Consequences Fatal to them, His Majesty was so tender of them, That He caused Mr. Attorney to forbear the same at present, that the City might have some time to consider their own Condition.  
My Lord, 
 I must needs say, The City hath not been well advised to defer their Application to His Majesty thus long, even till the Court hath Pronounced Judgement; It had been done with a much better grace, if it had been more early.  
His Majesty's Affection to the City is too great to reject their Suit for that Cause.  
But for that Reason you will have the less time to deliberate upon the Particulars the King doth require of you.  
And indeed, There will be little need of Deliberation; For His Majesty hath resolved to make the Alterations as few and as easy, as may be consistent with the good Government of the City, and Peace of the Kingdom. They are These;  
His Majesty Requires your Submission to these Regulations;  
THat no Lord Mayor, Sheriff, Recorder, Common Sergeant, Town Clerk, or Coroner of the City of London, or Steward of the Burrow of Southwark, shall be capable of, or admitted to the Exercise of their respective Offices, before His Majesty shall have Approved them under His Sign Manual.  
That if His Majesty shall Disapprove the Choice of any Person to be Lord Mayor, and signify the same under His Sign Manual to the Lord Mayor, or in default of a Lord Mayor, to the Recorder or Senior Alderman; The Citizens shall within one week proceed to a new Choice: And if His Majesty shall in like manner disapprove the second Choice, His Majesty may, if He so please, Nominate a Person to be Lord Mayor for the ensuing Year.  
If His Majesty shall in like manner disapprove the Persons chosen to be Sheriffs, or either of them, His Majesty may appoint Persons to be Sheriffs for the ensuing Year, by His Commission, if He so Please.  
Nevertheless, the Elections of these Officers may be according to the ancient Usage of the City, with these Restrictions.  
The Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen may with leave of His Majesty, displace any Alderman, Recorder, Common Sergeant, Town Glerk, Coroner of the said City, and Steward of the said Burrough.  
Upon election of any Alderman, if any of the Persons that shall be Presented to the Court of Aldermen by the Ward shall be adjudged unfit, upon such Declaration by the said Court, the Ward shall proceed to the Choice of other Persons in the room of such, or so many of them as are so disapproved: And if the said Court shall disapprove such Second Choice, they may appoint any others in their room.  
The Justices of the Peace to be by the King's Commission, which His Majesty will Grant according to the usual Method, unless upon Extraordinary Occasions, when His Majesty shall think it Necessary for His Service.  
These Matters are to be Settled in such manner as shall be Approved by His Majesty's Attorney and Solicitor General, and Council Learned in the Law.  
My Lord Mayor, 
 These Regulations being made, His Majesty will not only Pardon this Prosecution, but Confirm your Charter in such manner as may be Consistent with them.  
The City ought to Look upon this as a great Condescension on His Majesty's part; it being but in the Nature of a Reservation of a small part of what is already in His Power by the Judgement: And of those things which will Conduce as much to their own Good and Quiet as to His Service.  
If the City should Look upon it with another Eye, and neglect a speedy Compliance, yet His Majesty hath done His part, and Demonstrated His Affection to the City, by giving them this Opportunity.  
And if there shall be any heavy Consequence of this Judgement, which it will behoove you well to Consider, The fault will lie at their doors, in whose power it now is, to bring this Affair to a happy Conclusion.  
My Lord Mayor, 
 The Term draws toward an end, and Midsomer-day is at hand, when some of the Officers use to be Chosen, whereof His Majesty will Reserve the Approbation; Therefore it is His Majesty's Pleasure that you return to the City, and Consult the Common Council, that He may speedily know your Resolutions hereupon, and accordingly give His Directions.  
That you may see the King is in Earnest, and the Matter is not capable of Delay, I am Commanded to let you know, He hath given Order to His Attorney General to Enter Up Judgement on Saturday next, unless you prevent it by your Compliance in all these Particulars.  
FINIS.