Lord Mayor not a Privy Councillor (Vol. iv., pp. 9. 137.).
—L. M. says that the precedent of Mr. Harley being sworn of the Privy Council does not prove the argument advanced by C., and "for this simple reason, that the individual who held the office is not Right Honorable, but the officer is." What he means by the office (of privy councillor) is not clear; but surely he does not mean to say that it is not the rank of privy councillor which gives the courtesy style of Right Honorable? If so, can a man be a member of the Council till he is sworn at the board?
Is the Lord Mayor a member of the Board, not having been sworn? Is he ever summoned to any Council? When he attends a meeting on the occasion of the accession, is he summoned? and if so, by whom, and in what manner? The Lord Mayor is certainly not a privy councillor by reason of his courtesy style of Lord, any more than the Lord Mayor of York.
The question is, whether the style of Right Honorable was given to the Lord Mayor from the supposition that he was a privy councillor, or from the fact that formerly the Lord Mayor was considered as holding the rank of a Baron; for if he died during his mayoralty, he was buried with the rank, state, and degree of Baron.
When does it appear that the style of Right Honorable was first given to the Lord Mayor of London?
E.
Did Bishop Gibson write a life of Cromwell? (Vol. iv., p. 117.).
—In the Life of the Rev. Isaac Kimber, prefixed to his Sermons, London, 1756, 8vo., it is stated that—
"One of the first productions he gave to the world was the Life of Oliver Cromwell in 8vo., printed for Messrs. Brotherton and Cox. This piece met with a very good reception from the public, and has passed through several editions, universally esteemed for its style and its impartiality; and as the author's name was not made public, though it was always known to his friends, it was at first very confidently ascribed to Dr. Gibson, Bishop of London."—P. 10.
The Life of Kimber appears to have been written by Edward Kimber, his son, and therefore the claim of Bishop Gibson to this work may very fairly be set aside.