disinterestedly struggled to accomplish, he will of course experience at least that reward, which arises from a consciousness of having successfully applied his time and attention to the benefit of his country.

And should it so happen that such public benefits are not obtained in his own days, he will rest satisfied in the confidence, that by thus placing upon record matters of deep importance to society, which cannot fail to claim attention at some period or other; the gratification which may have been denied to himself, will unquestionably, in the result, be transferred to his posterity.

TREATISE

ON

THE RIVER POLICE.

CHAPTER I.

Rise and progress of the Commerce of the River Thames. -Ashort Account of the various chartered Companies for Foreign Trade. - The Ships and Veffels using the Port of London from the commencement of the present Century till the year 1798.-The progress and increase of the Navigation, and of the Shipping and Tonnage, in the Foreign and Coasting Trade, at different periods, in the course of the Century.-A general View of the present state of the Shipping, Vessels and Boats, in number 22,500, and the manner in which they are employed. -The Commerce of the River Thames at different periods. Its rapid increase since the American War. - General View and Recapitulation of the whole Commerce and Shipping of the River Thames in 1798, and of the Property remaining stationary therein. The annual amount of the whole calculated at above 75 millions sterling of Property exposed to Depredation. — General observations on the present Harbour of the Port of London. - Detail of its divisions and dimen

B

sions.

sions.-Arrangements with respect to Shipping and Craft in the various Trades. The extent and magnitude of the Coal Trade. The average number of Ships and Vessels of all kinds, including stationary Craft and Boats at all times in the River, laden and unladen, estimated at nearly 8000.-An account of the Quays and Landing Places in the Port of London. Their dimensions and the inconveniences attending them. Observations on Warehouses for the accommodation of Merchandise; their inadequacy to the object. The abuses which exist with respect to these Warehouses. - Rise and progress of the Revenue of the Port of London, from the year 1613 to the present period. The wise arrangements of Government, in giving free scope to Trade, one of the causes of its increase during the present War. -Concluding Observations on the necessity of a well-regulated Police, to counteract the evils which result from Commercial opulence, by preserving and securing the privileges of Innocence, and the general interests of Society.

THE universal interest, which must inevitably be excited by every investigation, tending to develope the rise and progress of the Commerce and Navigation of The RIVER THAMES, now arrived at that proud height, which entitles it to claim a pre-eminence over all the Commercial Ports in the known world; renders it a matter of regret, that the want of specific documents, documents, antecedent to the beginning of the 18th Century, must of necessity, limit the chief part of the following progressive view of this unparalleled source of national prosperity and aggrandizement, to a term of one hundred years.

The registers of the Customs furnish no accurate detail of the Trade, previous to the period when Sir William Davenant first systematized the public accounts; which have been recently so much improved by Thomas Irving, Esq. the present able, intelligent and indefatigable Inspector General of the Imports and Exports of Great Britain. It appears, however, that so early as the year 1558, the first of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Commerce must have made some progress; since the same extent of legal Quays was then authorized as exists at present.

Previous to this period, and even during a considerable part of that Queen's reign, a large proportion of the trade and navigation was carried on by foreigners. (a) In the year 1561, it would seem that no Englishman in London followed the sole occupation of an Importer and Exporter. Of 327 persons

(a) In a letter written to Sir William Cecil, when Secretary of State, by the principal merchants of London, complaint is made, that, although no city in christendom had equal convenience for shipping, none was so slenderly provided. That a great want of English ships was experienced to lade goods for Spain, and that none were to be had, and that even 37 Hoys employed in those days, in bringing timber from Rye, had not an English seaman among them. STOW's Hist. of London.

doubt very inconsiderable, compared with those now in the fame Trade.

The small progress made by this great Company during the seventeenth century, gave but little promise of its gigantic strides since that æra; and particularly since the middle of the eighteenth century, not only in the extension of its Commerce, but in the acquisition of territorial Revenues and Power. The future Historian, will, with astonishment, record a series of events, the success and the ultimate issue of which, are unexampled in the history of the World. Without meditating projects of dominion, a Company of Commercial Traders have adventitiously become the Sovereigns of many rich and powerful Kingdoms and that too almost within the period of the services of one of the present Directors. (b)

THE TURKEY COMPANY was established also about the latter end of the long reign of Queen Elizabeth, by temporary Charters in 1581 and 1593; and afterwards confirmed by another Charter granted in the 3d year of James I.--and by Letters Patent of 13 Car. II.-This Company is now regulated by Statute 26. Geo. II. c. 18.

During the Seventeenth Century, and previous to any authentic Records being preserved of the Trade of the Port of London, a new source of Commerce was opened by the discovery and settlement of various Colonies in America. Even as far back as

the years 1584 and 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh sent (6) Mr. Manship, who has been in the Direction 40 years.

9 Ships