A BRIEF ACCOUNT Of what Passed at the Common Council HELD IN LONDON, On Friday the 13th. day of May. 1681.  
IMmediately before the Common Council Sat, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen (as is usual) held their Court; in it was read a Letter from His Majesty, Commanding them to send to Him forthwith upon the Receipt of His Letter, those two Petitions that had been presented to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen on the 28th. of April last. His Majesty designing (it seems) to remove and take away all pretence or Colour, that might be taken by the Parties to those Petitions, to raise any Disputes or Contests in the Common Council about the subject matter of them.  
The Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen unanimously agreed to give Obedience to His Majesty's Letter, and to send two of their Members, Sir William Turner, and Sir John Moor to wait upon His Majesty, and to deliver Him those two Petitions.  
This being over, at Eleven of the Clock the Common Council sat, and having dispatched some City Business, Notice was taken of some Petitioners being at the Door, and a Motion was made that they might be called in.  
Mr. Papillon and four more brought in the Petition; It was,  
(1.) That Thanks might be given to those that had served for the City in the late House of Commons at Oxford.  
(2.) That the Petition delivered in on the 28th. of April might be taken into Consideration.  
The point of Thanks being first proposed, was carried in the Affirmative; but not without Opposition.  
The second point, where the Question, Whether the Petition presented the 28th. of April should be taken into Consideration AT THIS TIME, or not? was long Contested; at last they came to a Poll, which happened to be thus; 

11. Aldermen against taking the Petition into Consideration.  
7. Aldermen for it.  
66. Common Council-men against taking the Petition into Consideration.  
84. Common Council-men for it.    
Those that were not for taking the Petition into Consideration did plead,  
First, That the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen had already laid it aside, together with another Petition, presented the same 28th day of April, wherein the Petitioners pretended to nothing else, but that His Majesty might have their humble Thanks given Him for His late Gracious Declaration.  
2. That the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen had, but an hour or two before, resolved in Obedience to His Majesty, to send both the said Petitions of the 28th of April to His Majesty to dispose of as He should think fit; Well hoping thereby to prevent any occasion of difference that might arise thereupon.  
3. That the Petition now contended for, containing Matters of State, no way proper for the Debate of that Assembly. Those that were against it, protested, that they we e come thither to Treat and Resolve of the concerns of the City, and were ready and desirous to do their duty, in that behalf; But if any others would meddle with Matters of State (such as the said Petition seemed to contain) being altogether Foreign to their business and their Constitution, They would have no hand in it, but must withdraw, and so did all those Aldermen and most of the Common Council that were against taking said Petition into Consideration.  
The other party went on with the Consideration of the said Petition, and appointed a Committee to draw up an Address to His Majesty, which being prepared, was read once, and without more ado past, and was voted to be presented to His Majesty, by the hands of Sir Robert Clayton, and six or seven more.  
This is the Sum of what passed at the said Common Council, by which it may ●e Remarked, that notwithstanding the surprise of a great part of the Court, as to the Matter to be Debated, and notwithstanding the Change that was made in the last Election of Common Council-men, that those who carried an Address last Winter (as they pretended, with a Nemine contradicente) came short of this, in the Court of Aldermen, by four voices, and carried it but by 18 in the Common Council.   

London, Printed for Walter Davis, 1681.