clause empowering the corporation to supply vacancies occasioned by death, &c. When James II. made a progress through this part of his dominions, the corporation resolved to expend £200 in entertaining and making a present to the king. They despatched two gentlemen to Gloucester and Worcester for the purpose of ascertaining the manner in which the royal traveller was entertained in those cities. They resolved that the conduits should run with wine on the day of his majesty’s entrance, and that the corporated companies should appear with their drums, colours, flags, and streamers. The king arrived on the 24th of August, and took up his abode at the Council House, where the corporation presented him with a purse of gold containing one hundred guineas. On the following morning, he exercised the gift of healing, by touching several persons for the king’s evil. The king issued a proclamation on the 17th of October for restoring corporations to their ancient charters and franchises, and orders were the same day made in council for removing all corporate officers, who had been put in by the crown since 1679. Richard Mickleston was at this time mayor of Shrewsbury; under the new charter of 1685 he was discharged from his office, and John Hill, Esq., elected in his room, under the charter of 1638. The various “compositions” which the burgesses of Shrewsbury appear to have entered into amongst themselves for the government of this borough, clearly indicate that a large share of power was exercised by “the commons” in its municipal institutions. The liberties and customs of the burgesses or commons were confirmed by the charter of Henry II., and by various others granted before and after the date of the compositions alluded to. But the constitution of the borough was materially altered by a charter of the 14th of Charles I., transferring to a select body the functions previously exercised by the commons. This charter continued to be the governing one till the passing of the new municipal act, in 1835. The corporation by it was appointed to consist of a mayor, twenty-four aldermen, and forty-eight assistants, with an indefinite number of burgesses or freemen, under the style of the “mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of the town of Shrewsbury, in the county of Salop,” instead of the “bailiffs and burgesses,” as in the old charter. The ministerial officers named in the charter were, the recorder and his deputy, the steward, town clerk, two coroners, four auditors, two chamberlains, a sword bearer, three serjeants-at-mace, and three serjeants-yeomen. Exclusive jurisdiction in the borough was granted, the magistrates being the mayor and ex-mayor, the bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, the chancellor of the diocese, the recorder, steward, and three senior aldermen. Few of them, however, continued to act. Petty sessions were authorised to be held weekly, quarter sessions for all criminal actions