approbation, by a vote of thanks to the Author of the design. (4)

In addition to these proofs of the conviction, of those immediately interested in the prevention of the Plunder of West-India Property, of the utility of the Marine Police System, may be added the general Testimony of those who have had access, to know precisely the nature of the Protection afforded to West-India Property, before and since the Establishment of this Institution.

In the Ships, during the delivery of their Cargoes, under the cognizance of the Police, none of those infamous transactions with Receivers have been suffered, whereby excessive Pillage took place in the night, by means of a previous understanding with

(t) Extract from the Minutes of a General Meeting of the West-
India Planters, held by Public Advertisement, at Wright's
Coffee-house, Soho Square, London, June 13, 1799-The
Right Hon. Lord Penrhyn in the Chair.

RESOLVED,

That Lord Penrhyn be requested to communicate the thanks of this Meeting to Mr. Colquhoun, for the zeal, ability, and perseverance with which he has endeavoured to form an effectual check to the system of Depredation, which prevailed on the River Thames.

Copy of a Note from the Right Hon. Lord Penrhyn to Patrick
Colquboun, Esq.

Lord Penrhyn presents his compliments to Mr. Colquhoun, and has the honour of transmitting him the enclosed Resolution.

Lord Penrhyn feels a very particular satisfaction, in conveying the sentiments of the Meeting, and their approbation of Mr, Colquhoun's plan.

the

the Mates and Revenue Officers; while the Lumpers, Coopers, and all others on board, were effectually prevented by the terror which the System excited, and by the vigilance of the Officers, acting under control of the Surveyors, and the risque of detection by the House-Constables on shore.

The Watermen were no longer observed hanging about Ships during their discharge, nor were the Mudlarks to be seen, as formerly, surrounding them at low water. It now ceased to be an object with both, since nothing was to be procured.

Not a few of the Journeymen Lightermen, finding no advantage could be obtained by forming connections with persons on board of West-India Ships, for the purpose of receiving and concealing Plunder in the Fore-scuttle, seldom attended until called upon to remove their Craft to the Quays; and they were equally defeated in every attempt to renew their former practices by pillaging the goods in their passage to the Quays, as a Police Constable uniformly attended and remained in, until the goods were placed under the charge of the Quay Guard.

The Scuffle-Hunters and Long-apron-Men upon the Wharfs, were equally unsuccessful in their attempts to obtain Pillage after the goods were landed, by the vigilance of the Guards upon the different Quays; while the Labourers in the Warehouses received a severe check from the vigilant eye, which was kept upon the well-known Receivers, by the Land Constables, and the detection of Offenders, in

the transit of the booty, and also by the Prosecutions and Punishments which afterwards followed.

As a further proof of the effect of the System, many of these Receivers have moved off: and the River is no longer infested by Light-Horsemen or Plunderers of West-India Ships during the night.

The Sales at the Customhouse, when compared with former years, demonstrated that the quantity of Sugar, Coffee, and other West-India Commodities, seized from Plunderers of every description upon the River, from being extensive, in former years, was greatly reduced during the period of the operation of the Preventive System: (u) and had it fortunately extended to all the Ships that arrived, little doubt can be entertained of the Depredations on West-India Property being almost completely eradi

It is believed, that upon minute inquiry, it will turn out in point of fact, that little or no Sugar or Coffee was seized, in the possession of Thieves, during the year ending in March 1799, and that the Sales were chiefly composed of private adventures seized in the Ships, and not of Plunder as on former occasions.

The

1

The Conductors of this design feeling strongly, however, the dangers which might arise from the want of that direct and immediate Protection of which the Proprietors of the Cargoes, who were to be the Sufferers, were in most instances ignorant, employed every means that could be devised for the purpose of watching these unprotected Ships, with a view to the detection of Plunderers during the night, and of searching the chief part of the Lumpers, on leaving the unprotected Ships where they were employed as Labourers; and it is believed the chief part was detected, since nearly two hundred were either imprisoned or fined for small Offences, while fourteen have been put upon their Trial for higher Crimes, of which number, it is to be lamented, that it became necessary to make some severe examples: which, when joined to the vigilance of the System, no doubt, operated powerfully as a collateral check wherever the recommendations of the Merchants could not be carried into effect, by the more immediate protection of Constables; and however much it is to be regretted, that any part of the Property of the Owners of West-India Cargoes should have been at all exposed to danger, while the means of Prevention existed; yet upon the whole, although the fact can never be accurately ascertained, there are strong grounds to believe, that the aggregate Plunder of West-India Produce on the River Thames, as it applies to the Importation from July 1798, to March

1

March 1799, (x) does not amount to One-fiftieth part of the loss that was sustained in former years, and that the Saving to the Proprietors must of course have considerably exceeded One Hundred Thousand Pounds a year in Sugar, Coffee, Cotton, Cocoa, Pimento, Ginger, and other articles, while the Revenue must have gained also a very large Sum.

(x) Importation of Sugar and Rum, from the West-India Islands, &c. to the Port of London, from the 3d of July 1798 to the 25th of March 1799:

Ships.

Casks-Sugar.

Casks-Rum.

17,959