[35] The expence of entertainments at a Gaming-House of the highest class, during eight months, has been said to exceed Six Thousand Guineas! What must the profits be to afford such a profusion?

[36] The latter part of the Affidavit, already mentioned, also illustrates these assertions, and proves that they are but too well founded: It states—"That Gaming-Houses have increased to such a degree, that there were lately not less than six in one street near the Hay-Market, at all which persons stood at the door to entice passengers to play—That the generality of persons keeping these houses are prize-fighters, and persons of a desperate description, who threaten assassination to any person who will molest them."

[37] The same Affidavit further states—"That the principal Gaming Houses at the West end of the Town have stated days on which they have luxurious dinners, (Sunday being the chief day,) to which they contrive to get invited merchants' and bankers' clerks, and other persons intrusted with money; and that it has been calculated, (and the calculation was believed not to be over-rated,) that the expences attendant on such houses, amounted to £.150,000 yearly, and that the keepers of such houses, by means of their enormous wealth, bid defiance to all prosecutions, some of them having acquired from 50 to £.100,000 each; considerable estates have been frequently won by them in the course of one sitting."

[38] The longer the Lottery continues, the greater the evil. A Lottery of 60,000 Tickets is therefore a much greater evil than one of 50,000: and that in a ratio more than proportionate to the numbers in each.

[39] The Gambling and Lottery transactions of one individual in this great Metropolis, are said to be productive of from ten to fifteen suicides annually.

[40] The following is the substance of the most striking parts of the Evidence of John Shepherd, in the action alluded to.

"The witness saw Hazard played at the Gaming-House of the defendant, in Leicester-street.—Every person who was three times successful, paid the defendant a Silver Medal, which he purchased from him on entering the house, at eight for a guinea, and he received six or seven of these in the course of an hour for the Box Hands, as it was called. The people who frequented this house always played for a considerable sum. Sometimes £.20 or £.30 depended on a single throw of the Dice. The witness remembered being once at the defendant's Gaming-House about three or four o'clock in the morning, when a gentleman came in very much in liquor.—He seemed to have a great deal of money about him.—The defendant said he had not intended to play, but now he would set to with this fellow.—He then scraped a little wax with his finger off one of the candles and put the Dice together, so that they came seven every way. After doing this, he dropped them into the box and threw them out, and afterwards drew all the money away, saying he had won it.—Seven was the main, and he could not throw any thing but seven. The young gentleman said he had not given him time to bar.—A dispute arose between the defendant and him. It was referred to two or three persons who were round the table, and they gave it in favour of the defendant. The gentleman said he had lost upwards of £.70. The defendant said, we have cleared him. The witness has seen a man pawn his watch and ring in several instances; and once he saw a man pawn his coat and go away without it.

"After the Gaming Table was broken by the Bow-street Officers, the defendant said it was too good a thing to be given up, and instantly got another Table, large enough for twenty or thirty people. The frequenters of this house used to play till day-light: and on one or two occasions, they played all the next day. This is what the defendant called, sticking to it rarely. The guests were furnished with wine and suppers gratis, from the funds of the partnership, in abundance. Sunday was a grand day. The witness has seen more than forty people there at a time. The table not being sufficient for the whole, half-a-crown used on such occasions to be given for a seat, and those behind looked over the back of the others and betted."

The person above-mentioned (whose name was Smith) who pawned his coat, corroborated the above evidence; and added, that he had seen a person after he had lost all his money, throw off his coat and go away, losing it also.

[41] In consequence of a very accurate inquiry which has been made, and of information derived from different sources, it appears that fraudulent Lottery Insurances have not diminished. The Offices are numerous all over the Metropolis, and are supposed to exceed four hundred of all descriptions; to many of which there are persons attached, called Morocco Men, who go about from house to house among their former customers, and attend in the back parlours of Public Houses, where they are met by customers who make insurances. It is calculated that at these offices (exclusive of what is done at the licensed offices) premiums for insurance are received to the amount of eight hundred thousand pounds, during the Irish Lottery, and above one million during the English; upon which it is calculated that they make from 15 to 25 per cent. profit.—This infamous confederacy was estimated, during the English Lottery of the year 1796, to support about 2000 agents and clerks, and nearly 7500 Morocco Men, including a considerable number of hired armed Ruffians and Bludgeon Men: these were paid by a general association of the Principal Proprietors of these fraudulent Establishments; who regularly met in Committee, in a well-known public house in Oxford Market, twice or thrice a week, during the drawing of the Lottery; for the purpose of concerting measures to defeat the exertions of the Magistrates, by alarming and terrifying, and even forcibly resisting, the Officers of Justice in all instances where they could not be bribed by pecuniary gratuities;—to effect which last purpose, neither money nor pains were spared; and the wretched agents of these unprincipled miscreants were, in many cases, prepared to commit murder, had attempts been made to execute the Warrants of Magistrates; as can be proved by incontestable evidence. It is greatly to be feared that too much success attended these corrupt and fraudulent proceedings, in violation and defiance of the Laws of the Kingdom.

[42] The regulation proposed, is this—that every member belonging to a Friendly Society, should be excluded or expelled, and deprived of all future benefits from the funds of that Society, on proof of his having insured in any Lottery whatsoever, contrary to law;—and that this rule should be general, wherever the Acts of Parliament, relative to Friendly Societies, have taken effect.

[43] The circulation of stamped Spanish Dollars, in 1797, gave rise to a very extensive coinage of counterfeit money of the same species, which was generally executed in a very masterly manner, and before the fraud was discovered vast quantities were in the hands of many innocent members of the community. Several detections, however, having checked the circulation, and silver bullion having fallen greatly in price, those who were in the habit of dealing in base money availing themselves of this circumstance, purchased Dollars in great quantities at about 4s.. 2d. which they instantly stamped and circulated at 4s. 9d. and by which species of villainy large sums of money were suddenly amassed.—One dealer in particular is said to have made above £.5000 in six weeks. The Laws attaching no punishment to this unforeseen offence, and the Author representing the circumstances of the case to the Bank Directors, the whole were called in, leaving, however, in the hands of the dealers a large surplus of actual counterfeits,—which appears to have suggested to them the expedient of finding a market in the British American Colonies and the United States, where, in general, frauds are less likely to be detected from the payments being made (particularly in the West India islands) in dollars put up in bags containing a certain value in each. However, they were fortunately defeated in this object by the timely notice given, by the Author of this Treatise, to his Majesty's Secretary of State, and the American Minister, and through these respectable mediums commercial people were put upon their guard before the intended fraud could be carried into effect.

[44] A Liquid Test has been discovered by Mr. Alston, an eminent Manufacturer, in Birmingham, of great worth and respectability, which cannot fail to be of the greatest use in detecting every species of counterfeit Gold and Silver money, whether plated or washed. This discovery is mentioned with pleasure by the Author, as it is likely to be productive of much benefit to the Public, in protecting the fair dealers against the frauds daily practised upon them, in the circulation of base money.—The discovery is instantaneous by a single touch, and the expence of the Liquid and Apparatus is trifling.

[45] A species of counterfeit halfpence made wholly of lead, has been circulated in considerable quantities, coloured in such a manner as even to deceive the best judges. They are generally of the Reign of George II. and have the exact appearance of old Mint halfpence.

[46] It is a curious fact, that although the number of Pence which have been supplied by that admirable Artist, Mr. Boulton, of Birmingham, and which have been actually circulated amounts to Forty Million of Pieces, making £.166,666. 12s. 4d. sterling, and which is equal to 4d. for every inhabitant in this Island, according to the largest computation: yet the quantity of halfpence (chiefly counterfeits) which are found in actual circulation, are at least in the proportion of forty to one. This must ever be the case until some expedient, such as is hereafter recommended, shall be adopted for calling them in, and substituting in their place a new Coinage of the full standard weight: For it is evident that the Dealers and Tradesmen at present hoard up the penny pieces, and only circulate the counterfeit halfpence which they receive; the nuisance therefore remains, and the coiners are thus encouraged to continue their nefarious practices.

[47] A few years ago sheet-copper was as low as 11½d. a pound, and will probably be again at the same price on the return of Peace. Indeed it has been even lower, although it has recently very much advanced in price.

[48] This observation does not apply to Mr. Boulton's New Copper Coinage; for although some feeble attempts have been made to counterfeit it, these can never go to a great extent, from its not being a sufficient object of profit; besides the fraud is easily detected, since each penny weighs an exact ounce: of course the halfpence should weigh half an ounce, and the farthings one quarter of an ounce, when these last two denominations are brought into circulation; as it is expected they will be.

[49] See ante, p. 17, 18.

[50] Journal, House of Commons, Vol. xviii. p. 178.

[51] It was suggested in a former edition of this work, that a coinage of seven shilling pieces of gold would be of great utility.—The expedient was adopted by Government at the end of the year 1797.

[52] For a specific Estimate of the plunder on all branches of trade carried on to and from the port of London, see "A Treatise on the Commerce and Police of the River Thames: with a summary View of the Laws of Shipping and Navigation:" (now in the press) by the Author of this Work.

[53] No rule being established, whereby the British Coasting trade can be valued, the Estimate here given is grounded on the supposition, that the value of each cargo must amount to a certain moderate sum.—The aggregate of the whole is believed to exceed the estimate considerably.

[54] While every thing connected with the present state of Europe, and the whole Commercial world, appears favourable for the accomplishment of the aggrandisement of the port of London, by the establishment of Docks (already in part adopted by the Legislature) and by a general Warehousing System, there is no opinion more erroneous and delusive than that which supposes that arrangements of this kind will supersede the necessity of a Police for the protection of the trade, and for the preservation of the public peace within these extensive repositories.

In what manner are from two to three thousand labourers, who must be frequently employed at the same time within these Docks, (and those too of a class that have been accustomed to plunder, and are not restrained by any sense of the turpitude of the action) to be over-awed and controlled, if no Police shall be conceived necessary?

The risk would be immense to commercial property; and pillage, in spite of the gates, and every precaution which could be taken, would probably be as extensive as it has been from the Warehouses, or from his Majesty's Dock Yards, where the want of an appropriate Police has been the cause of many abuses.

Police as recently exemplified, is quite a new science in political œconomy, not yet perfectly understood; it operates as a restraint of the most powerful kind upon all delinquents who would be restrained by nothing else. To the system of vigilance which pervades the criminal actions of labourers upon the River, joined to the imminent danger of detection, is to be attributed the general success of the Marine Police, in preventing depredations.

Wherever a proper Police attaches, good order and security will prevail; where it does not, confusion, irregularity, outrages, and crimes must be expected; wherever great bodies of aquatic labourers are collected together, risk of danger from turbulent behaviour, will be greater in proportion to the number of depraved characters, who, from being collected in one spot, may hatch mischief, and carry it into effect much easier in Docks than on the River. A Police only can counteract this; and to the same preventive system will the commerce of the Port be indebted for securing both the Docks and the Pool against Conflagration. In fine, under every circumstance where Property is exposed, a preventive Police must be resorted to, in order to be secure.

[55] It is not here meant to criminate all the Mates of ships in this trade; for a large proportion are known to be men worthy of the trust reposed in them.

[56] In the throng season of the year at least 900 inferior Customhouse officers, and about 300 Excisemen, are stationed on board of ships in the Port of London, besides 82 Customhouse watermen and 36 superior Officers who do duty on the River Thames. The fair allowance of the established Tide Officers may be from 50l. to 55l. a year. The preferable Officers having 3s. 6d. a day only when employed, are supposed to receive wages for 2-3ds. of the year; while the extra Officers, who have only 3s. a day, are not supposed to be employed above half the year: and the Glutmen not more than two months in the throngest part of the season.

Men in such situations having a trust committed to them of great magnitude and importance, in the protection of a Revenue amounting to more than Seven Millions, and receiving wages inferior to common labourers, with pecuniary pressures upon them, arising from the wants in many instances of large families, assailed on all hands by temptations to connive at evil practices, as they relate both to the Revenue and the Individual—What can be expected from them?—Humanity, policy, and even justice pleads for an increase of salary, as the best means of preserving their morals and increasing the Revenue. Other Regulations through the medium of the Police System might be established, whereby their purity might be secured, and the Revenue eased of a considerable expence, by reducing the number employed at present, often in promoting mischievous instead of useful purposes.

[57] Sugar and Rum imported into the Port of London, from the 25th of March 1798 to the 25th of March 1799:—

[58] Independent of the excessive pillage by the labourers in the Warehouses, which has been rendered but too evident from the detections of Offenders since the establishment of the Marine Police, the samples alone, which on an average are said to amount to 12lb. per hhd. (instead of 1½lb. per hhd. in conformity to the Regulations of the West India Merchants, of the 12th of June 1789,) make a net aggregate of 1,470,000 pounds of sugar, which at 10d. per pound amounts to 61,250l. a year!

[59] See the "Treatise on the Commerce and Police of the River Thames," for a particular account of these classes.

[60] For the purpose of defraying the expence of prosecutions for criminal offences upon the River Thames, and to raise a fund for suborning evidence, and employing counsel for higher crimes, and of paying the penalties under the Act of the 2d Geo. III. cap. 28. commonly called the Bumboat Act; there existed a club composed of River Plunderers, and Lumpers, Coopers, Watermen, and Receivers, (denominated Light-Horsemen, Heavy-Horsemen, and Copes,) from the funds of which the Law expences and the penalties incurred by members of the fraternity were paid. By these iniquitous means not a few notorious offenders escaped justice, while those who were convicted of penalties for misdemeanors escaped the punishment of imprisonment, and being thus screened from justice the culprits (previous to the establishment of the Marine Police System) returned to their evil practices without the least apprehension of any other inconvenience than the payment of a fine of 40s. defrayed by the Club. The New System, however, affording means of detection in the ships where the offences were committed: what were formerly misdemeanors are now treated as larcenies, which has operated most powerfully in breaking up this atrocious confederacy, and in defeating all the nefarious designs of the criminal delinquents of which it was formed, some of whom, although apparently common labourers, resided in handsome houses furnished in a very superior style for the rank in life of the occupiers.

As a proof, among many others, of the enormous extent of the River Plunder, the convictions for misdemeanors under the Act of the 2d Geo. III. cap. 28. from August 1792 to August 1799, exceeded two thousand two hundred; of which number about 2000 culprits paid the penalty; partly from their own resources, but chiefly, it is believed, from the funds of the club, amounting in all to about 4000l. in the course of seven years.

[61] A Shipmaster in the trade a few months since was compelled to pay 40l. for deficient sugars plundered by Lumpers and others, who assisted in lading his vessel, notwithstanding his utmost personal vigilance and attention while the sugars were taking on board. A single Marine Police Officer would have prevented this. The effect of their power in overawing delinquents, from the nature of the system and the discipline peculiar to the institution, is not to be conceived.

[62] For a particular account of this Institution, see the "Treatise on the Commerce and Police of the River Thames," already alluded to.

[63] With respect to the advantages which have resulted in the aggregate, to the West India Planters and Merchants, from this New Institution, it is impossible to form any decided opinion; but estimating the savings, on an average, at 28lbs. of sugar per hhd. (which is only one half of what the Committee of West India Merchants, in their Report to a General Meeting in 1798, supposed the plunderage might have been formerly) it appears, upon this data, that the gain to the Planters, Merchants, and the Revenue, on a very reduced estimate as to the actual importation may be thus stated.—

If credit is to be given to the general and specific proofs of the depredations which took place before the establishment of the Marine Police, and to the numerous documents which demonstrate the saving of property, which has been the effect of this system of prevention, the above estimate will not appear to be over-rated. In an importation amounting to above £.8,000,000 sterling a year, it is not too much to say that 1½ per cent. on this sum may have been saved under a system of such extreme vigilance, where every class of depredators were defeated in their iniquitous designs, and deprived in a great measure of the powers they formerly possessed, of doing mischief. The probability is, that it has amounted to more, though the fact never can be accurately ascertained.

[64] At a meeting of the Committee of the West India Merchants appointed to manage the general concerns of the Trade, held on the 4th of January 1799, It was

[65] For the specific provisions of the Marine Police Bill, see the "Treatise on the Commerce Navigation Police of the River Thames."—The object of this Bill is rather to prevent Crimes than to punish; and where punishments on conviction are to be inflicted, they are of a nature which, it is to be hoped, will operate sufficiently as an example to diminish the evil, without the exercise of any great degree of severity.

[66] John Harriott, Esq. the Resident Magistrate.

[67] So powerful was the effect of the preventive System, wherever it was permitted to be applied, that no instance has occurred in the course of more than fifteen months, since the Marine Police was established, of sufficient grounds for a criminal prosecution having taken place by the commission of any Larceny or Felony in ships or craft under the immediate protection of the Institution.

[68] As a proof of the approbation of the whole body of the West India Planters at the General Meeting, not only of the System of the Marine Police, but also of the Bill which has been prepared to extend its influence to the general Trade of the River Thames, the following extracts are inserted:

[69] Since the publication of the last edition of this work, the Select Committee on Finance in the House of Commons, who have derived immortal honour from their various and useful Reports, have recommended the abolition of fees; and the Lords of the Admiralty, and the Commissioners of the subordinate Boards, are entitled to the thanks of their country, from the exertions they are using to carry this measure into effect.

[70] It is by no means to be inferred from what is here stated, that there are not, both among the furnishers and contractors for Public Stores, as well as the Officers and Clerks employed in the departments here alluded to, many individuals of great honour and integrity.—It is to be hoped, the fraudulent are the smallest in point of number, or that they will soon be so.

[71] See a plan for disposing of old stores with a view to remedy the evil, in a subsequent part of this chapter.

[72] It seems evident, that the abolition of the perquisite of Chips would be a great improvement, and prove the means of correcting many gross abuses which at present prevail. In this suggestion the Author is supported by the very able and decided evidence of Brigadier-General Bentham, before the Select Committee of the House of Commons on Finance, in 1798. [See the 31st Report of that Committee.] On a supposition that 3000 shipwrights are employed in the several Dock-yards at the wages of 2s. 1d. with the privilege of one bundle of chips each day, which, though not worth more than 6d. to each shipwright, actually costs Government 1s. 6d. because good and valuable timber is often cut down to make these chips.—The following estimate will elucidate what has been stated: and shew the benefits which Government would probably derive from the abolition of this perquisite, even if the wages should be raised, which are perhaps too low at present.

[73] When it is recollected, that 9176 coasting vessels, and also 4268 traders to foreign parts, enter and clear in the Custom-house of London, in the course of a year, independent of small craft in the River; an inexhaustible resource for the sale of cheap cordage, sail-cloth, and every other material, must be obvious at first view.

[74] Much to the honour of the present Commissioners, both of the Navy and Victualing, a most laudable zeal has been manifested to suppress the frauds, embezzlements and pillage, which have so long afflicted these departments of the public service. The following copy of a letter from the Solicitor to the Navy Board to the Author of this Work, is a strong proof, not only of the sense they entertain of the evils which are felt to exist, but of the necessity of a speedy and effectual remedy being applied.—

[75] An instance of this kind occurred about two years ago in one of the principal yards, where a large quantity of new and valuable Cordage was found concealed within the coils of a large unserviceable Cable; which composed one of the lots in the Catalogue of the Sale.—And thus a connection was discovered between the Criminal Purchaser and the Labourers employed in making up the Lots.

[76] Vide Page 9.

[77] It was held in the trial of Moses Pike, at the Old Bailey, in May, 1784, that to steal from a Barge aground in Limehouse-Dock, was not within the meaning of the Act of 24th of George the Second, cap. 45, which makes it felony to steal from any vessel or craft upon a Navigable River, &c.

[78] Mr. Serjeant Adair, then Recorder of London.

[79] The general rule of the ancient Law is this;—that Accessaries shall suffer the same punishment as Principals. If one be liable to death, the other is also liable. Blackstone.

In France, (before the Revolution) the offence of receiving stolen goods was punished with death.

[80] Vide Act 30 Geo. II. cap. 24.

[81] An Officer of Police who was watching the house of a noted Receiver, in St. James's parish, being taken for a Thief by the watchmen, the latter entered into conversation with him, and naming the Receiver, he told the Officer that he being very liberal and kind to them, they did not disturb any person going to his house; and if he had any thing to carry there, he would step out of sight, so as to be able to say he had seen nothing.

[82] Vide Act 30 Geo. II. cap. 24.

[83] It is even a practice with not a few of the labouring families in the Eastern part of the Town, to take lodgings in Ale-houses.

[84] Such is the thoughtless improvidence of this class of the labouring people, that they are generally the first who indulge themselves by eating Oysters, Lobsters, and Pickled Salmon, &c. when first in Season, and long before these luxuries are considered as accessible to the middle ranks of the Community; whose manners are generally as virtuous as the others are depraved.

[85] It is not to be inferred from this statement, that there are not to be found even among the lower classes of the labouring People in the Metropolis, many instances of honest and virtuous Poor, whose distresses are to be attributed to the calamity of a failure of employment, bad health, death of Parents or Children, and other causes which human prudence cannot prevent; and particularly where the want of opulent Inhabitants in several of the Eastern Parishes, renders it necessary to assess Indigence for the support of Poverty.—To these Parishes and Hamlets the Poor resort, both from the nature of their employments, and the impossibility of finding habitations any where else.—They have perhaps no legal settlement where they reside, or the funds of the Parish can afford but a very scanty and inadequate relief. Depressed with sickness, and broke down and dispirited by extreme poverty, the little furniture and apparel of Man, Woman, and Child, is carried to the Pawn-broker's to obtain a scanty pittance for the immediate support of life, until at length there does not remain what is sufficient to cover nakedness.—In these miserable mansions the Author has himself frequently witnessed scenes of distress, which would rend the heart of the most unfeeling of the human species.—A temporary and partial expedient has through the benevolence of the Publick, been administered in the excellent institutions of Soup-houses: but until the funds of the different Parishes can be made one Common Purse, and an intelligent management substituted in the place of an ignorant and incompetent superintendance, the evil will not diminish.—To the opulent part of the Community the burden would never be felt.—At present, where the most indigent are assessed, the rates are double and treble those in the rich Parishes.—It is principally to this cause, that Poverty is no where to be found in so great a degree, cloathed in the garb of the extremest misery and wretchedness, as in the Metropolis.—And it is to this cause also, joined to various others explained in this Chapter, that above Twenty Thousand miserable Individuals of various classes, rise up every morning without knowing how, or by what means they are to be supported, during the passing day; or where, in many instances, they are to lodge on the succeeding night.