THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE Common- Hall OF LONDON The 24th of June, 1681.  
At the Choice of SHERIFFS, and other Officers: AS ALSO The Proceedings there the 27th Instant, at the Declaring of the Sheriffs. &c.  
THE Livery-men being met in the Guild-Hall between Ten and Eleven of the Clock, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen came upon the Hustings, and immediately the Common crier Declared the Hall: After which the Recorder made a most excellent Speech, showing by what Authority they there met: And the Officers they were to choose, especially the Sheriffs, in whom they put a very great Trust; therefore they had need to choose Men of good Principles, &c. Then the Lord Mayor, &c. withdrew; and the Common sergeant having made a Speech, the Hall proceeded to Election, and began with the Sheriffs; the persons put up to be Elected, were Thomas Pilkington, Alderman, Samuel Shute, Esq; Ralph Box, Esq; Sir William russel, Sir William Dodson, humphrey Nicholson, Esq; They agreed Alderman Pilkington to be put up first; but some Dispute was in the Hall, whether Mr. Shute, or Mr. Box should be the next; the mayor part of the Hall appeared for Shute; but the Common sergeant said, It was in his Power to put up whom he pleased first; upon which a Member of the Hall said, It was not in his Power to put up whom he pleased first, but it was in the Power of the Hall to put up and choose a Common sergeant, which they would do presently, if he did not behave himself better. At length it was agreed Mr. Shute should be put up before Mr. Box; which being done, they proceeded to Election: The Candidates being put up singly, it appeared very plain, by the Number of Hands, that the Election fell upon Alderman Pilkington and Mr. Shute; but persons Demanding a Poll for Mr. Box and Mr. Nicholson, the present Sheriffs granted it. The Hall then went to the Choice of Chamberlain, Sir Thomas Player, the present Chamberlain, and Deputy Daniel being the persons put up, there did not appear Twenty Hands, according to view, for Deputy Daniel; so the Election was clear for that Worthy Citizen and True English-man, Sir Thomas Player; whose Carriage hath been such, as will make him Honourable in future Ages to all good Protestants.  
The Hall then choose the Auditors of the Bridg-House Accounts; Many were put up, but the Election was clear for Mr. Thomas Shepherd, and Mr. Michael Godfrey, Merchants, two Worthy Citizens.  
Then the Hall proceeded to the Choice of Bridg-Masters; the persons in Nomination were Deputy Sexton, Mr. Shepherd, the present Bridg-Masters, and Captain Brackley; by the view of Hands it was judged to fall upon Deputy Sexton and Mr. Shepherd: but a Poll was demanded for Captain Brackley, which was granted.  
The Hall then choose the Aleconners, which was all the same as was last year. The Sheriffs then declared they would go up and acquaint the Lord Mayor of the Proceedings of the Hall, and then go presently to Polling, and make an end this night, which they accordingly immediately came back; Alderman Pilkington declared he would not hold, if he was not Chosen by Poll, for that he would take no notice of the Common-Halls confirming the Lord Mayor's drinking to him. Then the Sheriffs went to Polling in the Guild-Hall-Yard, under the Piazza's, where the Worthy Sheriffs( as they are Famous for the rest of their True English Actions, this may be Recorded amongst the rest) had prepared Eleven Writers to take the Poll, and several Worthy Citizens viewed the taking of the same; and between seven and eight of the Clock in the evening the Sheriffs went upon the Hustings in the Guild-Hall, and had Proclamation made, That if any person that had a Right to Poll, could give any reason why the Poll should not be shut up, they were desired to speak; upon which there was not a Man spoken.  
Thus those Worthy Sheriffs finished that in five or six hours, that some in their places formerly were six or seven days about, to the great ease and content of the Citizens.  
Upon the 27th Instant a Common-Hall was called to declare the Election; and upon view of die Poll, Alderman Pilkington had 3144, Mr. Sh●te 2244, Mr. Box 1266, Mr. Nicholson 84; so that Alderman Pilkington and Mr. Shute were declared duly Elected.  
The Election( upon the Poll) for Bridg-Masters fell upon Deputy Sexton and Captain Brackley. Which Elections being declared to the Common-Hall by the Recorder, an Address to the Lord Mayor, and another Address to the Two present Sheriffs was presented, and carried Unanimously, with loud Acclamations: And when the word PARLIAMENT was red in the Address to the Lord Mayor, the whole Hall gave a very great shout.  
The Addresses are as followeth:  

To the Right Honourable Sir Patience Ward, Knight, Lord Mayor of the City of London: The Humble Petition of the Commons of the City of London in Common-Hall Assembled, 
 Sheweth,  
THAT we do with all thankfulness acknowledge the great and wonderful mercy of Almighty God, in that notwithstanding the daily Plots and wicked Contrivances of the Papists and their complices, we do still enjoy our ancient and undoubted Right and Freedom of assembling ourselves together for the choice of some principal Officers of this City for the year ensuing.  
And whilst we attend upon this Duty, we cannot but with all Gratitude remember the great care and faithful endeavours of your Lordship, the Aldermen and Commons in Common-Council lately assembled in ordering an Humble Address to be presented to His Majesty, wherein was expressed your Lordships and their due sense of the continued danger of His Majesties Life( which God long preserve) and of the Protestant Religion, and of all our Lives, Liberties, and Estates, by the Designs and Conspiracies so long projected by the Councils of Rome and its Adherents. In the pursuit whereof they are chiest, animated by the continual hopes of a Popish Successor, and also your and their just apprehensions, that no effectual means can be provided against the impending evils therein mentioned, but by the wisdom and advice of his Majesties great Council the Parliament.  
And whereas, it hath come to our knowledge, that reports( by mistake or prejudice) have been raised that the said Address did contain only the sense and desires of a few persons, and not of the Generality of this great City: We do therefore most humbly pray your Lordship that you will( in such manner as shall seem best to your Lordships discretion) humbly represent to his Majesty, that the subject matter of the said Address is also the true sense, and doth contain the humble desires and resolutions of his true and loyal Subjects the Citizens of his City of London in this their Common-Hall now assembled, and that his Majesty would be graciously pleased to esteem it as such.  
And we having likewise taken notice that the same Common-Council did at the time of their Voting the said Address render their thanks to our late worthy members of the last Parliament for their faithful endeavours to serve this City according to the desires and instructions to them giver, and made by us at the time of their Election, we do think it our duty at this time to testify our full concurrence therein.  
And your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.   

To the Honoured Slingsby Bethel and Henry Cornish, Esquires, Sheriffs of this City of London, and County of Middlesex.  
WE( the Citizens of the said City in Common-Hall Assembled, being sensible of, and greatly satisfied with your Faithful Endeavours, to discharge those Offices of Trust which we( not long since) called you too: And considering your wise and prudent conduct, and managery of our affairs within this City, particularly in your maintaining and asserting our undoubted Rights and privileges( as Citizens), and continual provision of faithful and able Juries, especially in such a time as this, when Innocency itself is not shrouded from the imputation of the blackest crimes, and the best and most Loyal Protestants are exposed to the utmost hazards, by the Perjuries, Subornations and villainies of the Popish party, and their Adherents; and we cannot at this time omit the mentioning your fair Proceedings in our present Election of Sheriffs for the year ensuing, and dispatch of an unnecessary Poll, without putting us off by Adjournments to a troublesone and weary attendance) do offer mid return to you our most hearty Thanks( as the only compensation we can( at present) make) being; confidently assured that you will steadfastly persist in those your most faithful Endeavours, as long as you shall continue Officers in this Honourable City.    

London, Printed for Richard Janeway, in Queens-head-Alley in Pater-noster-Row. 1681.