The Lord Mayor, in rising to offer an explanation on a subject to which the attention of the House had been called by the hon. member for Aberdeen, regretted that the hon. member was not present to hear his justification. He could assure the House that nothing had been farther from his mind than to call in the military for the purpose of overawing the livery or his fellow-citizens. His sole object in taking the precaution for which he had been blamed by some persons, was to preserve and protect the citizens of London; and for this purpose the military had been placed in the neighbourhood of the city—not within it, as had been erroneously stated. He had thought it prudent, on this occasion, to post soldiers in places contiguous to the city, lest any evil-disposed spirits should think fit to renew such outrages as had been committed in the mayoralty of alderman Wood, when shops were broken open, arms were stolen, and acts of violence and bloodshed were committed. With this example before him, he had 304 felt it his paramount duty to take every possible precaution for the preservation of the tranquillity of the city, especially at a time like the present, when speeches of an extraordinary kind were delivered, and when placards of a most inflammatory and atrocious nature were exhibited in every part of the town. He hoped, therefore, the House would give him credit for having done what his duty prescribed; and while he had the honour of being chief magistrate of London, he assured the House it was his determination to take every possible measure to preserve the public peace, and to afford protection to his fellow-citizens.