Including city, county and borough councils, district councils and boards of guardians, about 170 authorities minister to the needs of Greater London — to what is really one community.
The Police.— The city police, confined to the city proper, is administered by the city corporation as a municipal force, and num bers about 1,161 men. The metropolitan police is not municipal. It is administered by a com missioner appointed by the Home Office. It consists of 'nearly 22,500 men, whose central offices are New Scotland Yard, a massive build ing on the Embankment near Westminster Bridge. Its area of jurisdiction extends for 15 miles from Charing Cross.
For postal purposes the authorities divide the major portion of Greater London into dis tricts designated by their initial letters, E. C., W. C., W., S. W., S. E., E., N., N. W., signify ing East Central, West Central, etc.
History.— Though, by the evidence of its name and by archmologtcal remains, London was occupied by the Celtic Britons before the arrival of the Romans, it was not till the Ro man era that it became a place of importance. There were probably two Roman Londons: the first destroyed by Boadicea and probably con sisting of the area extending from near the Tower on the east by the course of the Lang bourne (now preserved in Langbourne ward); on the north, by the course of the Walbrook on the west and the Thames on the south; the second probably coincident with the mediaeval walled city. The Roman walls were destroyed by the Danes and were restored by King Al fred. After the Romans left Britain, London assumed a certain amount of independence, and throughout the Anglo-Saxon period it appears to have supported the monarch who was ac ceptable to the rest of the kingdom. Alfred was the first king of the Anglo-Saxons who thoroughly understood the importance of its military position. It suffered by fire in 764, 798 and 801. It was sacked by the Danes, who obtained a considerable settlement in South wark and on the western boundary of the city beyond the Ludgate. At the Conquest London treated with and finally submitted to William. William's first act was to dominate the city by building his military stronghold, the beginning of the Tower of London. He then granted the city its ancient rights by a charter, which is still preserved; on the accession of Henry I a new charter was granted, and the charter grants increased considerably under the Plan tagenets, while its municipal privileges were made the standard for governing many of the municipal boroughs in the provinces. London sided with Stephen against Matilda, took part in the struggle against John for Magna Charta, was severely oppressed by Henry III, strongly supported Edward IV and the Yorkist party in the wars of the Roses, and was faithful to Richard III; it equipped and dispatched ships to the navy collected to fight the Spanish Armada, and its citizens, officered by the alder men of the city, fought for the Parliamentarian side against Charles I. Under the later Stuarts and the Georges it became more political than municipal and lost much of its ancient power. In the reign of Henry II the walls on both sides of the river are described in a contemporary account as supplied with numerous towers; London Bridge, erected instead of a wooden one, was begun in 1176 and finished in 1209. This was to a great extent the same that was taken down in 1832. In 1218 the forest of
Middlesex was cleared, and that portion of London north of the city began to be built. In the year 1328 the village of Southwark was in corporated with the city, as it had previously served as a place of refuge for malefactors. In 1349 and 1361 London was visited by the plague. In 1381 broke out the rebellion of Wat Tyler, who fell by the hands of the lord mayor, hence the dagger on the city arms. In 1416 street lamps were introduced; in the same century some of the principal streets were paved, and wooden houses began to be replaced by others of brick. In the next century im provements were continued, and Westminster was connected with the city by a row of noble men's mansions along the river, the last of which, Northumberland House, has made way T for the road leading from Trafalgar square to the Embankment. In the 17th century Spitalfields was covered with houses, and the space north of the Strand as far .as Holborn and from Temple Bar to Saint Martin's lane was extensively built on, as well as the borhoods of Charing Cross and Pall Mall. The New River was completed and many houses were supplied with water; sewers were dug; smooth pavements were laid down for passen gers and hackney coaches came into general use. But the streets were so narrow and dirty and the houses in so filthy a state that the city was scarcely ever exempt from the plague, which sometimes committed great ravages. In 1666 the great fire broke out and spread over 336 acres, destroying 13,200 houses, 90 churches and many public buildings. In rebuilding con siderable improvements were introduced, and a fire in Southwark 10 years after gave a similar opportunity of improving that district. Popula tion and trade now rapidly increased, partly from the immigration of French Protestants driven from their country by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. In the 18th century Lon don steadily advanced in extent, prosperity and splendor. In 1780 took place the Gordon Riots, when the mob was in possession of London for two days and committed frightful havoc. Since that disgraceful outbreak the peace of London has never been seriously endangered, and the troops stationed in and around the capital, together with the effective police force that now exists, seem quite adequate to insure it against any similar disturbance. The exten sion and improvements which took place during the 19th century are greater than in any former period, and further changes of great import ance are in operation. The most remarkable event of the century in the history of Lon don was the carrying into effect in 1851 of the first great truly international industrial ex hibition, which has since led to numerous ex hibitions of a similar kind both there and abroad. In 1862 took place the second great international exhibition, and since that time various exhibitions of an international charac ter and largely representing the colonies have been held in specially constructed buildings at South Kensington. The history of London contains many episodes of vast' importance to the nation as well as to London itself. As now united for government, it will have to face problems of vast moment. The largest, most populous and richest city that civilization has ever produced, the study of its history and its development must ever be of great import ance and interest.