The New Sheriffs And The Lord Mayor Elect.

THE NEW SHERIFFS AND THE LORD MAYOR ELECT .

Both Monday and Tuesday in the current week have been important days in the City of London , the event of the former having been the inauguration of Bros . Aldermen Evans and T . Clarke as Sheriffs of London and

Middlesex , that of the latter the election of Bro . Alderman Staples to the Lord Mayoralty of London in succession to Bro . Alderman Sir R . N . Fowler , Bart ., M . P ., whose second term of office will close on the Sth November prox . These events are in no sense Masonic , but we make no apology for giving a fuller account than usual , as the new

functionaries in the one case , and the functionary-elect in the other , are , by a happy coincidence , all members of our ancient fraternity , and it is not unnatural that our readers should feel exceptionally gratified " that three of their brethren have been deemed worthy of having conferred upon them such high and honourable civic distinction . We are j rightly proud of our grand old corporation of London ,

which during the centuries of its existence has done so much to promote the welfare of this country , and that feeling of pride is necessarily enlarged when it is found that very many among the most influential of its citizens have sought and obtained admission into our Order . There is indeed something especially noteworthy in this very frequent conjunction of civic and Masonic eminence in the same personages , and the next time any body of men seem

inclined to condemn our Society , it may be as well perhaps if they bethink themselves that a fraternity cannot be so very terrible which year after year includes among its members the guardians of law and order in the municipality of London .

But we need not waste time in demonstrating the very obvious proposition that Eng lish Freemasons are lawabiding and law-enforcing members of the community . Our present business is to describe the events which occurred in London during the early days of this week , and we take first , as coming first in the order of time ,

THE INAUGURATION OF THE NEW S HERIFFS , Bros . Alderman Evans and Thomas Clarke , on whom during the ensuing 12 months will devolve the weighty cares and responsibilities attaching to the Shrievalty of

The New Sheriffs And The Lord Mayor Elect.

London and Middlesex . The ceremony , like most Civic ceremonies of its kind , was an imposing one . There was a strong muster of the officers of the different Guilds of which Bros . Evans and Clarke are members , a brave display of banners , the drum and fife and brass bands of the 4 th Battalion Royal Fusiliers ( City of London Militia ) , and the band of the Honourable Artillery Company , and , to crown all , the brilliant state equipages of the Sheriffs elect .

As the weather was bright and genial , there was a numerous gathering of spectators along the line of route—from the Albion Tavern , Aldersgate-street , via St . Martin's-le-Grand , the East side of St . Paul's , Cannon-street , Queenstreet , and King-street , to the Guildhall—the hearty cheering of the assemblage bearing unequivocal testimony tothe respect entertained for Bros . Evans and Clarke . Meanwhile , Bro . the Lord Mayor , attended hy Bro . Alderman and

Sheriff Whitehead and Sheriff Phillips had gone in state from the Mansion House to Guildhall , and the principal personages having assembled in the Aldermen's room , a procession was formed to the hustings , on either side of which were assembled the friends of the Sheriffs elect . Bro . the Lord Mayor tool ; his seat , and the Common Crier having called for silence , first Bro . Alderman Evans and then Bro . T . Clarke advanced , and successively took the oaths of office , as administered by the Town Clerk , Bro .

Sir J . B . Monckton , the ceremony concluding with the investiture of the new officers by their predecessors . The Under-Sheriffs , Messrs . Rose-Innes and Wynne Baxter , having also subscribed the oaths prescribed for them , the ceremony concluded , and the procession having been reformed , made its way , vift Jewin-street , back to the Albion , where breakfast was served in the large hall to considerably over 200 guests , the duty of presiding being jointly

undertaken by the newly-installed officers . The usual toasts followed , those of the Sheriffs and their predecessors being especially honoured . Among the company assembled on the occasion were Bros . Aldermen Sir J . W . Ellis , Bart ., M . P ., P . G . W . ; Staples , Sir R . Hanson , P . G . Stwd . ; De Keyser , Waterlow , Whitehead , Isaacs , and Cowan ; Bro . Admiral Bedford Pirn , Bros . H . H . Crawford ( City Solicitor ) , E . Dresser Rogers , G . Shaw , Lieut .-Col . T . Davies

Sewell , F . P . Alliston , Deputy East , T . Beard , Sir J . B . Monckton , P . G . W ., J . Cox , and others . We have spoken of the investiture of the new Sheriffs as the culminating point in the whole ceremony , Ex-Sheriffs Bros . Alderman Whitehead and Phillips having for the purpose divested themselves of their gowns and placed the new chains of office on their succeisors . These chains , which , with the badges attached , are of massive gold

The New Sheriffs And The Lord Mayor Elect.

and very handsomely wrought , were manufactured by Bro . George Kenning , of Aldersgate-street , and as we are in a position to give our readers some idea of their character , it will not be out of place to supplement our illustrations with the following brief description : Bro . Alderman Evans's badge is renaissance in style , and comprises his arms and crest in the centre , flanked en the right and left vvith the arms of the Broderers and Gold and

Silver Wyre Drawers' Companies . Above these are the arms of the Haberdashers' Company . At the base are the arms of the City and of Middlesex , between which is the Welsh leek . The badge i . s also ornamented with the Cit y sword and mace . Bro . Sheriff-elect Clarke ' s chain is a very massive one of iS-carat gold , composed of lozengeshaped links coupled with oval rings , each alternate link bearing Bro . Clarke's crest , while the dividing links are

ornamented with an embossed device . Conspicuous among the attractions of the civic procession , vvas the state chariot of Bro . Thomas Clarke , which has been supplied by Messrs . Offord and Sons . This elegant vehicle embodies all the recent improvements introduced by the firm , and has been finished with great taste to the choice of the Sheriff . The colours , which were suggested by the family arms of Bro . Clarke ,

are a rich claret , relieved with gold and vermilion , with trimmings and hammercloth to match . The panels are emblazoned with the City arms and those of the Spectacle Makers , Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers , and Loriners ' Companies , of which Bro . Clarke is a member . Owing to the introduction of steel , in place of the heavy iron and woodwork formerly employed in the underworks , the vehicle has an unusually light and airy appearance , which is

heightened by the large amount of gold used in the painting and mountings . The chariot of Bro . Sheriff Evans , also supplied by Messrs . Offord , is of the same light and unique construction . It is painted a dark blue , with yellow relief , and has the arms of the Haberdashers , Broderers , and Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers' Companies , in addition to those of the City , on ' the panels . These two equipages formed quite a feature in the pageant , and we consider Messrs . Offord are to be congratulated on the success of

their effort to introduce lighter carriages , a success which is evident from the fact that we noticed four out of the five state carriages in use were supplied by this firm . We think if some of those persons who are continually crying out about the decline of British industries were to pay a visit to the show rooms of Messrs . Offord , and compare the works of art therein displayed with the carriages of other nations , they would return reassured that British coachbuilding at least has little to fear from foreign competition for many years to come .

THE ELECTION OF LORD MAYOR . Tuesday being Michaelmas-day , our civic fathers met in Common Hall , at the Guildhall , for the purpose of electing a successor to Bro . Alderman Sir R . N . Fowler , Bart , M . P ., as Lord Mayor of London . His lordship , accompanied by the Sheriffs , having arrived in state from the Mansion House , and having been received by the Aldermen and officers of the Corporation , a procession vvas formed

to the adjoining church of St . Lawrence Jewry , where , in accordance with the custom proper to these occasions , Divine service was held , an appropriate sermon being preached by the Lord Mayor ' s Chaplain , the Rev . Dr . Forrest . The Benediction having been given , the civic party returned to the Guildhall , where the Livery assembled in considerable numbers , and Bro . the Lord Mayor having taken his seat as President , a Common Hall was opened ,

and the Common Crier having proclaimed silence , and the minutes of the last meeting having been read , the Recorder explained to the assemblage the purpose for which they had gathered together . Bro . the Lord Mayor and his brother Aldermen having retired , those only of the latter remaining who had not passed the chair , the usual questions were put and responded to by Bro . Alderman Staples , and the replies being deemed satisfactory , the Livery

returned Bros . Aldermen Staples and Sir R . Hanson . The Sheriffs communicated the result to the Aldermen , and in a short time it was announced that the choice of the latter had fallen upon Bro . Alderman Staples , citizen and leatherseller , an announcement which was greeted on all sides with , ! the heartiest applause . Bro . Lord Mayor-elect Staples , having had the chain of office placed about his neck , and having expressed his thanks for the honour

conferred upon him , a resolution of thanks to Bro . Lord Mayor Fowler for his valuable services to the City , and of congratulation to him on his elevation to a baronetcy , vvas passed unanimously and acknowledged appropriately . A vote of thanks was also accorded to and acknowledged by the late Sheriffs for their services , after which the Common Hall was closed with the usual formalities , and the meeting dispersed . Among those present , were Bros .

Aldermen Sir F . W . Truscott , Sir J . W . Ellis , Bart , M . P ., Sir H . E . Knight , De Keyser , Isaacs , and Cowan ; Bros . Major Campbell ( City Marshal ); H . H . Crawford ( City Solicitor ); G . P . Goldney ( City Remembrancer ); Sir j . B . Monckton ( Town Clerk ); and the Sheriffs Alderman Evans and T . Clarke ; and Bros . F . P . Alliston , S .

da Costa Andrade , T . Beard , Sir J . Bennett , T . R . Bone , A . Brookman , Deputy East , J . W . Goodinge , N . B . Headon , H . A . Joseph , W . H . Pannell , H . B . Marshall , P . G . T . ; R . E . Pixley , and G . Shaw . In the evening Bro . the Lord Mayor-elect and a large party of guests dined at the Mansion House vvith Bro . Lord Mayor Fowler .

THE LORD MAYOR ELECT AS A MASON . Bro . Alderman Staples has been for some few years past _ member of our Society , having been initiated in Grand Masters' Lodge , No . 1 , in the year 1 SS 1 , but he does not seem to have taken a leading part in the doings of the Craft till towards the close of the year 1 S 83 , when he had a share in founding the St . Botolph ' s Lodge , No . 2020 , and _ arly in January , 1 SS 4 , was installed by the Grand

Secretary as its first W . M . In January of the current year , he was for the second time installed Master , and having in tfie interval been exalted to the R . A . Degree in the Aldersgate Chapter , is now its M . E . Z . Our respected brother is also a Life-Governor of the Boys' School and Benevolent Institution , for each of which he has served as Festival Steward ,

ind we daresay it will not be long before Bro . Hedges finds in opportunity of enlisting his support and services in the : ause of the Girls' School . Such a career , though brief , is ¦ nost creditable , and the Craft cannot be otherwise than 'ratified that the office of Lord Mayor of London will , for : he fifth consecutive year , be occupied by one among its nost respected members .