bation of Government thus obtained, the WestIndia Merchants, at a Meeting held on the 8th of June following, resolved to carry the plan of the Marine Police Institution into immediate effect, at the same time soliciting the assistance of its Author, in superintending the execution of the design. This request was followed by another from his Majesty's Principal Secretary of State, (u) confirming the approbation

of the expence of the Marine Police Establishment, which appeared to me ought to be borne by Government; and I have the honour to acquaint your Lordship, that he intirely agrees with me in opinion; and your Lordship will therefore have the goodness to inform the Gentlemen, you are to meet this morning, that the Articles numbered 2, 4, 8, 9 and 10, in the plan, which was put into my hand, will be defrayed by Government; and that I shall be ready to give every assistance and facility in my power, to the accomplishment of this measure.

To the Right Hon.
Lord Penrhyn.

(4) SIR,

I have the honour to be,
MY LORD,

Your Lordship's most obedient Servant,
PORTLAND.

Whitehall, June 11, 1798.

As the Planters and Merchants interested in the West-India Trade, have solicited the sanction of Government to the establishment of a Marine Police, conformably to a plan which you have given them of such an Institution; and as I am of opinion, that very considerable advantages will arise to the Public, from your superintending its being carried into effect, I second with great pleasure their wishes for your assistance, which have been expressed to me by that very respectable Body, and very heartily join in the request they have made to you to that effect. As I am fully sensible, by your acceding to this proposal, that a certain portion of the time you so usefully devote to the duties of your present station, must be dispensed with; and as I am aware, that that circumstance must operate upon you in such a way as to induce you to decline

approbation of Government, and seconding in very handsome terms, the wishes which had been expressed by the West-India Body.

On the 15th of June, the Committee acting for the Planters and Merchants, in the affairs of the Marine Police, recommended JOHN HARRIOTT, Esq. to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State, as a gentleman well qualified to execute the functions of resident Magistrate; and soon after the KING's pleasure was signified, that his name should be inserted in the Commissions of the Peace, for the Counties of Middlesex, Surry, and Kent, (x) and he was appointed

to

this offer, I think it necessary to inform you, that in case of your assenting to the above proposals, I have secured you a proper substitute, who will take upon him your duty at Queen's Square, at the time at which you must be necessarily absent from it, and that I have taken care that a proper provision shall be made for the remuneration of the Gentleman during that period.

To Patrick Colquhoun, Esq. Public-Office, Queen-square,

Westminster.

I am with great regard,
SIR,

Your most obedient,

Humble Servant,

PORTLAND.

(x) Mr. HARRIOTT had for several years, acted as a Magistrate for the County of Essex, where his talents, integrity, and public spirit had justly procured him one of the most handsome public testimonies of intrinsic worth, that ever fell to the lot of any individual to receive. His indefatigable attention to the public interest, since he has presided at the Marine Police Office-His zeal for the public good-His prudence, discretion, and humanity, in the execution of the Laws, and the important trust committed to his charge, joined to the extensive local and nautical knowledge which he possesses, and which he employs, with the assistance of an acate and discriminating mind, in carrying systematically into effect the plan of

!

to second the exertions of the superintending Magistrate, in carrying into effect this important design; which was preceded by the publication of a Report of the West-India Merchants (y) explanatory of the System, which ultimately commenced on the 2d of July 1798, at a commodious Office, conveniently situated close to that part of the River which forms the centre of the discharging births, or places, where the Ships deliver their Cargoes, at No. 259, Wapping New Stairs.

Preparatory however, to the adoption of specific arrangements for carrying into effect this arduous undertaking, it became a measure of necessary prudence, to acquire as accurate a knowledge, as the nature of the case would admit, of the actual state of the delinquency, which was to be combated in all the forms it assumed, and under the various sub-divisions into classes, which, from the want of a regular system of preventive Police, had been suffered to be matured into the hydra which had, at length, become so noxious and formidable.

The iniquitous devices of this criminal phalanx, and the consequent injuries which have arisen to different branches of Commerce, having been already developed, and exposed in the two preceding Chap

Police which has been adopted, for the protection of Commercial Property, is best explained by the success which has attended this important design, in diminishing in so great a degree (without resorting to acts of severity) the delinquency which had so long afflicted the Trade of the River Thames.

(y) See Appendix, No. III.

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ters,

ters, the numbers which compose this horde of offenders, fall now to be considered in a collected point of view, for the purpose of preparing the mind, by an apposite elucidation, for the arrangements of Police which were found necessary to be adopted.

In forming estimates however, of this nature, it would be vain and presumptuous to aim at accuracy, where, in the nature of things, so much must depend upon conjecture:-It is only necessary to state, that in the following subdivisions, which form the scale of aquatic delinquency, infinite pains have been bestowed in procuring information and data to assist the calculations, so as to bring them as near the truth, as the nature and circumstances of the case would admit.

ESTIMATE of the number of Delinquents, who have been discovered to belong to the general mass of offenders, in embezzling and stealing Commercial Property, and the Tackle, Apparel, and Stores, of Ships and Vessels in the River Thames.

I. MATES OF SHIPS AND VESSELS LADING AND DISCHARGING IN THE RIVER. (z)

It is to be lamented, that among this class there should have been so many implicated in offences of this nature, especially the principal Officer on board in the absence of the Ship-master, in whom an important trust is reposed: but it is a melancholy

(z) In this description, Mates of East-India Ships are excepted. fact,

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fact, that the numbers who have thus been seduced and betrayed into these practices, could not easily obtain credit, except with those whose peculiar situations afford opportunities of investigations of this nature. Holding a certain rank in Society, with emoluments (a) very unequal to the wants of a family, they resort generally to illicit Trade, as a means of bettering their condition. The facilities which become necessary to carry on these clandestine practices, generate connections and intimacies with the lower classes of the Revenue Officers, which too often terminate in conspiracies to rob the Cargo. The transition from one offence to another is easy; and small beginnings (b) generally terminate in greater

(a) It would be an act of great policy and justice, and an im. provement in nautical æconomy likely to produce incalculable advan. tages, to pass a Law regulating the wages of Ship-masters, Mates, and inferior Officers; placing those who are in responsible situations, by a competent pecuniary allowance, above the temptation of resorting to criminal actions to make up deficiencies. Put such an arrangement would not be effectual, unless the selection be purified by rendering every Master and Mate incapable of acting in either or these important trusts, until after producing certificates of moral character, and undergoing an examination before a competent Board, they are certified to possess sufficient nautical Science, and are in every respect fit for the stations they are destined to fill; a precaution of this kind would preserve purity of morals, would compel men of this description to educate themselves better, and would preserve in many instances, both the lives of his Majesty's subjects and the property of Underwriters. The adoption of this system in the East-India service, has rendered the Commanders and chief Officers the best Navigators in the World.

(b) A case recently occurred, where the Mate of an outwardbound