Oldal 115 [115]
THE CITY GOVERNMENT 9 3
the Clerk and the Remembrancer. There are also legal officers, such
as the Solicitor, the Recorder, the Serjeant, and others. Besides all
these, the great body
of the citizens is
represented by the
Common Council ;
and with it there is
a rival body, the
Livery, or members
of the companies.
We must examine
all these names and
find out the curious
light they throw on
the origin of the city
government. _
As I mentioned
in the first chapter,
some writers have
taken great pains to
prove that this muni¬
cipality grew out of
institutions planted
in London by the
Romans. We have
seen how short a
time such a place as Roman London existed, namely, at most from
about 360 A.D. to 410 A.D., or about half a century. The advocates
of a Roman origin for the municipality have to make the most of the
Roman period: and we have all seen books written by antiquaries