An Impartial Account of the Proceedings of the Common-Hall of the City of London, at Guild-Hall, June the 24th, 1682. For Electing of Sheriffs for the said City and County of Middlesex, &c.  
THere having happened several unusual Practices in the Conduct of Affairs, touching the Election of SHERIFFS for the year ensuing, it may be very expedient for General Satisfaction, due Information of the Citizens of the true State of Things, and Checking False and Uncertain Reports, to give a plain and Impartial Account of the whole Affair.  
I. AT the Bridge-House Feast, the 18th of May last, the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor was pleased to pass the compliment of DRINKING to Dudley North Esq; A Ceremony whereby the Person so drank to, has been looked upon as put in Nomination, or to be in the judgement of the Chair a very fit man to be one of the Sheriffs, if the Common-Hall shall Elect him.  
II. Soon after, Mr. North, before he was chosen by the Common-Hall, and indeed a considerable time before the day of Election, merely upon such my Lords Drinking to him, came to a Court of Alderman, and gave Bond to hold Sheriff.  
III. The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor the beginning of last week issues forth his Precept to the Respective Companies; but it ran in an unaccustomed form, as followeth:  

By the Mayor.  
THese are to require you, That on Midsummer-day next, being the day appointed as well for Confirmation of the Person WHO HATH BEEN BY ME CHOSEN, according to the Ancient Custom and Constitution of this City, To be One of the Sheriffs of this City and County of Middlesex for the year ensuing; as for the Election of the other of the said Sheriffs, and other Officers; you cause the Livery of your Company to meet together at your Common-Hall early in the Morning, and from thence to come together decently and orderly in their Gowns to Guild-Hall, there to make the said Confirmation and Election.  
Given the Nineteenth of June, 1682. JOHN MOOR.   
This occasioned much discourse, and some distraction amongst the Companies; some issuing out their Summons to their Members, To meet and choose Sheriffs, &c.( as anciently) others( after this new mode) for Confirmation and Election; and some only, for Electing City-Officers.  
IV. On Friday the 23d instant, the matter being taken into debate at the Court of Aldermen, after some time it was desired, That Mr. Recorder would deliver his Sentiment; who in a Judicious Speech gave his opinion, That the Right of Election of Both the Sheriffs, lay in the Commonalty; And that the Sheriffs pro tempore were Judges of the Poll, if any were. And the whole Court acquiesced therein. Whereupon some Companies that had sent forth Summons for Confirmation and Election, awarded new ones for Election only.  
V. On Midsummer day( the Annual appointed time for Choice,) the Livery-men Assembled in Common-Hall very numerous. And after the Lord Mayor and Aldermen were come upon the Hustings, the Common crier made Proclamation and said to this Purpose, You Gentlemen of the Livery of London attend your Confirmation. Upon which the Common Hall vigorously interrupted, and cried, No Confirmation! No Confirmation! and so continued urging their Right in that behalf near half an hour, not suffering him to go on. After which, Mr. Recorder stepped upon the Hustings and made a Speech, wherein he set forth the Excellency of Government in general, and the happiness particularly of our own, and especially of this Great and Opulent City, more immediately as to their great privilege of choosing their own Sheriffs, Citing for the same the Grant in the Charter of King John, &c.  
VI. The Lord Mayor and Aldermen then withdrew, and Mr. Common sergeant offering to speak, the Common-Hall cried— Election! Election! And the work of the day! But the Sheriffs desiring their Patience, He went on, and spake a few Words, relating in general to the business of the Day.  
VII. The Hall then proceeded in the usual ancient Method, and the Contest about Confirmation being relinquished, There were put in Nomination for Sheriffs, The before name dudley North, Thomas Papillion, John Dubois, and Ralph Box, Esquires.  
Upon view of the Hands, The Election was declared to fall upon Mr. Papillion and Mr. Dubois, they having apparently the Majority by 1000 or 1200 Hands. But however a Poll was demanded and granted for all the said four Candidates.  
VIII. Then the Hall proceeded to the Election of Chamberlain, and besides Sir Thomas Player, on Mr. W●ndal a Woollen Draper in Fleet street was put up, but Sir Thomas was( almost) unanimously Chosen, The latter not having above nine or ten Hands. After which Auditors of the Chamber and Bridge house Accounts and Bridgemasters were Chosen, As also Al●-Conners, of whom the three survivors were again Chosen, but in the Room of William Robinson, lately Deceased, there were several Pretenders, But Mr. John Farthing an old Servant in the Excise Office, lately turned out of his place as a D●ssenter, carried it by a Vast disparity of Hands.  
IX. After which there was an Address Presented, returning the Thanks of the Common-Hall to Alderman Pilkington, and Mr. Shute, the two present Sheriffs, for their Faithful and Upright discharge of their Trust and Office in this time of Difficulty and Danger, As also to the Common Council and Committee for managing the Defence of the Charter against the late Quo Warramo, Which was red very Audibly by Mr. Common sergeant, and cheerfully assented to and acknowledged by the Common-Hall. And then the Sheriffs made their Report of the whole tour to the Court of Aldermen.  
X. Between two and three a Clock the Poll began, Eight or nine Books and Writers being prepared in Guild-Hall Yard, and Persons appointed to Inspect them on either side. It was desired by some that a distinct column might be for such as were for Confirmation, but that being before Resolved in the Negative, and the only Dispute now not being for or against Confirmation, but which two of the four Gentlemen should be Chosen by the Common-Hall for Sheriffs, the same was refused as Impracticable and Impertinent; But all left at Liberty to Poll for which of the four Competitors they pleased. Yet some few Factious and troublesone men only to create occasion for Cavil, demanded to be Polled for Confirmation( as they called it) yet refused to declare who they would Confirm, or Name any that they would Poll for, and yet Complained to the Court of Aldermen, and some of them( as particularly Mr. Masters in St. Pauls Church Yard) offered to make Oath that they were denied or refused to be Polled.  
It was to be taken Notice of, That there were Fluttering up and down the Hall, a great many Sword-men and Hectoring Persons( no Citizens) who insolently Affronted People, As some of them did Mr. Recorder; and others, some of the Aldermen and Citizens; giving unreasonable and almost insufferable Provocations, especially in the Afternoon. On purpose( as tis reasonably believed) to cause some Disturbance. But the Moderation of the Citizens was such, as scorned to take Notice of these foolish Extravagants, further than modestly to reprove their want of respect to Authority, and their Incivility.  
XI. It appearing that the Suffrages were likely to fall upon Papillion and Dubois, several that were for North and Box applied themselves to my Lord Mayor, suggesting as if they were denied to Poll, and that many of their party were absent, and the like Complaints, which occasioned his Lordships coming to the Hall,( some People following very rudely with Huzza's and unusal Clamour.) His Honour sending for the Sheriffs into the Council Chamber, they Excused themselves for the present, being busy in the Work of the Day, but promised to wait on his Lordship, or soon as the Poll Concluded. His Lordship came to the Polling place, and seemed to forbid the further proceeding in the Poll, but the Sheriffs offered several Reasons why they ought to go on, being in the Legal discharge of their Office, and so proceeded.  
XII. About seven a Clock in the Evening the Mayor and some few Aldermen came to the Hustings( the Sheriffs being still Polling in the Yard) where the Common crier by Direction from his Lordship spake to the promiscuous Company in the the Hall, to this effect; All you that were Summoned to appear here this day, are required to depart, and to give your attendance on Tuesday at nine a Clock in the Morning. But omitting to mention the Occasion, some of the People— asked for what? But the generalty called a Poll, a Poll. However his Lordship being gone, the Sheriffs continued the Poll as before, intending for the ease of their Fellow Citizens to have dispatched it that Night, but it growing near nine a Clock at Night, and there being present some small number of Persons, who then unseasonably demanded to be polled, The Sheriffs thought fit to Adjourn into the Hall for half an Hour. In which time there were Assembled in the Great Hall, Three or four Thousand People, Calling out a Hall! a Hall! a Hall! Until the Sheriffs came upon the Hustings, and then Mr. Sheriff Shute spake to this Effect. Gentlemen we have had a Poll to day, and we the Sheriffs, as we are the Kings Ministers, so we have done and will Act therein with all Fairness and Honesty, as becomes us. My Lord Mayor hath taken upon him to Adjourn this Court. But we do now tell you, That we do Adjourn this Court until Tuesday Morning nine a Clock, then to declare the Poll, or to Poll any such as have Right to Poll, and have not yet polled already.  
Then the Sheriffs went home attended with great Multitudes of Citizens, following them with Loud and Grateful Acclamations, of, God Bless the Protestant Sheriffs, God bless Papillion and Dubois, &c. And so the Affair rests until Tuesday morning; At which time tis believed as well most of those who have already polled, as such others as have Right and are yet to Poll, will appear; it so importantly Concerning all Citizens to stand by their Just Rights and privileges, and not to suffer the same to be Invaded or Infringed in any kind.   

London, Printed for Langley Curtis, 1682.