On the 13th November a joint Committee of Aldermen and Commoners was appointed by the Common Council to search the city’s Records as to "the respective privileges of the lord mayor and aldermen and of the commons in Common Council assembled, and of the most ancient and decent method in making laws within this citty," and to report thereon.(1404) Four days later (17 Nov.) the Court of Aldermen instructed their committee to make further search on the question.(1405) (M708) (M709) Matters were brought to a crisis on the 12th March, 1675, when the mayor and aldermen, dissatisfied with the proceedings of the court of Common Council, got up and left the court. The Common Sergeant—the notorious George Jeffreys—refusing to follow the example set by the Common Sergeant in 1649, remained behind, and went so far as to put a question to the court of which the mayor and aldermen had previously disapproved. For this he was shortly afterwards called to account. His defence was that he only obeyed the wishes of the majority; but this being deemed unsatisfactory, the Court of Aldermen ordered him to be suspended from office.(1406) (M710) (M711) He afterwards (23 March) offered an apology to the Court of Aldermen for his conduct, confessing "that the question by him put at the last Common Council after the lord mayor was out of the chair was altogether irregular," and asked pardon. His apology, so far as it went, was accepted in good part by the court, but upon some explanation being asked of him as to his not refusing to put a question when commanded to refuse, and his offering to put another question at the request of some members of the council, he desired to be allowed time before he made answer.(1407) Meanwhile the dispute between the Aldermen and Common Council had been brought to the notice of the king,(1408) who, with his brother the Duke of York, had recently received the freedom of the City.(1409) (M712) (M713)