[Illustration: Lord Mayor Elect Knill and the Livery Goose.]
The good common sense of the Common Councilman and Liverymen of the
City,--Liverymen not to be led astray by any false lights,--coupled
with their truly English love of fairplay, prevailed, and the City
Fathers on Goose Day were prevented from following in the goose-steps
of that Uncommon Councilman who, bearing the honoured names of BEAUFOY
(a fine old Norman-Baron title!) and of MOORE (shade of Sir THOMAS!),
made so extraordinary a display of bigotry and ignorance as, it is to
be hoped, is rare, and becoming rarer every day, among our worthy JOHN
GILPINS of credit and renown East of the Griffin.
But in spite of this nonsensical hot-gospelling rant, Alderman and
Sheriff STUART KNILL was elected Lord Mayor, while BEAUFOY MOORE
was, so to speak, no MOORE, and, in fact, very much against his will
and wish, was reduced to NIL. WILLY-KNILLY he had to cave in. _Mr.
Punch_ congratulates the Lord Mayor Elect, but still more does he
congratulate the City Fathers on rising above paltry sectarianism, so
utterly unworthy of time, place, and persons, and for standing up,
in true English fashion, for freedom of worship coupled with absolute
Liberty of Conscience.
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