Sir William Ashurst, Mayor. The Queen invited to the Lord Mayor’s Banquet. CHAPTER XXXIII. The Rise of the East India Company. Sir Josiah Child and Sir Thomas Cook. The City Orphans. The City’s financial difficulties. The Foundation of the Bank of England. Death of Queen Mary. Discovery of corrupt practices. The Speaker dismissed for Bribery. Proceedings against Cook and Firebrace. Committed to the Tower. The union of the East India Companies. The first Triennial Parliament. The Barclay Conspiracy. The City and the Election Bill. The restoration of the Currency. The last of City loans. The Peace of Ryswick. The King welcomed home. Death of James II. Sir William Gore, Mayor. Death of William. CHAPTER XXXIV. Accession of Queen Anne. The Tories in power. The Queen entertained on Lord Mayor’s Day. A thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s. The Battle of Blenheim. Marlborough in the City. The City’s continued financial difficulties. The Queen again at St. Paul’s. The Tories give place to Whigs. The victory at Ramillies. The City and Prince Eugene. The Union with Scotland. The City and the Pretender. The victory at Oudenarde. Death of Prince George of Denmark. Scarcity in the City. Dr. Sacheverell and his Sermon. The fall of the Whigs. Act for building fifty new Churches. The Occasional Conformity Act. Disputed Municipal Elections. Proposed entertainment to Prince Eugene. The Treaty of Utrecht. The Queen’s illness and death. CHAPTER XIX. (M1) The proclamation announcing James VI of Scotland to be "by law, by lineal succession and undoubted right," heir to the throne of England, now that Elizabeth was dead, illustrates again the ancient right of the citizens of London to a voice in electing a successor to the crown. The document not only acknowledges the assistance received by the lords of the realm from the lord mayor, aldermen and citizens of London in determining the succession, but at the very head of the signatories to the proclamation stands the name of "Robert Lee, Maior," precedence being allowed him over the primate and other lords spiritual and temporal.(1) (M2)