"Peers Spiritual and Temporal of the Realm, _assisted_ by those of the late Privy Council, with numbers of _others_, Gentlemen of Quality, with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of London." The proclamation is that of the _Peers_ alone, but _assisted_ by the _others_. The cause of this form is, that the demise of the crown dissolves the Privy Council, and used (till modern times) to dissolve parliaments, and abrogate the commissions of the Judges, and all other public officers; so that the Lords Spiritual and Temporal were the only subsisting authority. Hence _they_, of necessity, undertook the duty of proclaiming the new king, but they fortified themselves "_with the assistance of_ the principal gentlemen of quality, and of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens." This paper is first signed by the Peers, and then by all who happen to be present, promiscuously. At the accession of William IV., there were about 180 names, of which "J. Crowder, Mayor," stands the 106th. At the accession of Queen Victoria, there were about 160 names, of which "Thomas Kelly, Mayor," is the 111th. And in both cases we find the names of the Aldermen, Sheriffs, Town Clerk, City Remembrancer, and several others,--private citizens, and many altogether private persons, who happened to come to the palace at that time. It is obvious that all this has nothing to do with the Privy Council, for, in fact, at that moment, no Privy Council exists. But while these things are going on in an outward room of the palace, where everybody is admitted, the new sovereign commands the attendance of the late Privy Council in the council chamber, where the old Privy Councillors are generally (I suppose always) re-sworn of the new council; and _then_ and _there_ are prepared and promulgated several acts of the new sovereign, to which are prefixed the names of the Privy Councillors present. Now, to this _council_ chamber the Lord Mayor is no more admitted than the Town Clerk would be, and to these acts of the council _his name has never appeared_. All these facts appear in the _London Gazettes_ for the 27th June, 1830, and the 30th June, 1837; and similar proceedings took place in Dublin; though since the Union the practice is at least superfluous. This establishes the _rationale_ of the case, but there is a precedent that concludes it:-- "On the 27th May, 1768, Mr. Thomas Harley, then Lord Mayor of London, was sworn of his Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council!" --an honour never since conferred on any Mayor or Alderman, and which could not have been conferred on him if he had already been of that body. C. DR. ELRINGTON'S EDITIONS OF USSHER'S WORKS. (Vol. iii., p. 496.)