۱ becomes extremely prominent, as a wise measure of Government, highly interesting wherever Commerce is carried on, since it appears that the contagion of Pillage is not confined to the River Thanes alone; but has infected every Port in the Kingdom, more or less, in proportion to the increase of opulence, and the extent of Commercial Property in circulation. (a) Nor is this view of the too general corruption of morals among Aquatic Labourers, carried even to the extent which truth and a knowledge of facts fully warrant. Evil examples are of rapid growth; and where no pruning hand exists, they speedily extend their poison far and wide. It appears, in fact, that the immense Property which floats upon navigable Rivers and Canals in all quarters, is become subject to Waste and Depredation in a very great degree. (b) Strongly evincing (a) Since the establishment of the Marine Police, an application has been made to the Superintending Magistrate, by the Secretary of the West-India Merchants trading to the Port of Liverpool, representing that even there, notwithstanding the conveniency of the Docks and Warehouses, excessive pillage takes place, particularly in the article of Coffee, which is conveyed to Manchester in great quantities:-and requesting information respecting the plan pursued on the Thames for suppressing this evil. Every information and assistance was of course afforded. (b) A Letter recently received by the Magistrates of the Marine Police, from a respectable House in Stourport in Worcestershire, contains the following statement: -" We are Proprietors of Trows " and Barges in the River Severn, employed in the conveyance of "the most valuable Manufactures of this Country, between this " place and the Port of Bristol every Spring-tide. Our Vessels, " called evincing that the science of Police as it has been applied to the River Thanes, has become a great National " called Trows, are all open. The Goods are protected from " damage by tarpaulins only. They will carry 120 Tons or more, " and are navigated by seven or eight men, but never proceed "higher up the River than from Bristol to Gloucester. After"wards, the Cargo is put into Barges, and the Crew distributed amongst them; and these with occasional assistance bring their "Cargo home. On the downward voyage, the Goods are put on " board of from three to ten or more Barges, which convey them to "Gloucester; a part of the men proceed from thence in the Trow "to Bristol with the Goods, while the others return home to be " ready for the ensuing springs. It is during the transit of these " upward and downward Cargoes of the most valuable Merchan. "dise, that the most daring, systematic, and enormous Plunder is " carried on, which would stagger credibility, and which affects " us as common Carriers so seriously, that not knowing how or in "what manner to procced, we have made free to solicit the favour " of your assistance. At an extravagant expence and infinite "trouble, we employ people to weigh the various packages of " Manufactures of Sheffield, Birmingham, and Manchester, on " receipt and delivery, when it not unfrequently turns out, that a " package weighing alike at each place, shall contain a quantity of "Bricks and Stones as a substitute for other valuables. The "common men receive 13s. or 14s a-week besides provisions, " notwithstanding not a Cargo arrives without depredations being "committed, There are four other concerns of this sort, of " which ours is one, whose losses are grievous. It is supposed "there are Receiving-houses for the reception of the articles which " are stolen, in the neighbourhood of Newnham; and a respectable " Inhabitant of that place states, that it will be attended with no " small degree of danger, to attempt to detect and punish them. "We are persuaded there cannot come a cask of Liquors without "adulteration, and no Gentleman will trust a pipe of Wine in "their hands. The Masters of Vessels are equally ignorant as " their Crews, and are supposed to league with them. This, added " to the extreme difficulty of bringing home the charge, and the " slight : National object; and that the application of remedies similar to those adopted in the Port of London, is requisite wherever Commercial Property passes in transit. To the Country at large therefore, this successful experiment becomes highly interesting, inasmuch as an antidote to a growing evil has been thus discovered by the general application of which Property is to be preserved from Waste and Pillage; the Public Revenue is to be secured; and the morals of a great and useful body of people amended and improved. To these general advantages which must result to the Country, by extending the regulations of political economy, which have been experimentally proved to be so salutary and correct with respect to the security of Commercial Property on the River Thames, are to be added the specific benefits which are derived by the State, not only from the increase of Revenue obtained on many valuable articles which were plundered and smuggled; but also from the prevention of a considerable proportion of the illicit Trade which formerly prevailed by the dread of detection by the Police Officers, and the obloquy attached to men who are thus subjected to a public inquiry on suspicion of being Criminals. " slight punishment inflicted, emboldens to more flagrant and con"tinued robbery. -1.1000 value of Salt was stolen last year."After you have considered this, may we be permitted to hope " for your reply. Stourport, August 13, 1799." But But these are not the only benefits which the State has derived from the effect of the Marine Police, His Majesty's Naval, Victualing, and Military Stores, have experienced a security heretofore unknown. Many extensive depredations have been prevented merely from the terror which the system excited, and from the detections which held forth to Delinquents, the danger to which they were exposed from the vigour and energy of the design. The records of the Institution and the frequent communications with the Navy and Victualing Boards, in consequence of the pillage and embezzlements of Public Stores which were discovered and detected, sufficiently prove that the influence of this branch of Police, crippled as it has been for want of apposite Laws, (c) was not confined in the benefits (c) The deficiency of the Laws as they particularly apply to minor offences in purloining and embezzling His Majesty's Stores, have been so prominent in the view of the Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy, by the recent acquittal of several Offenders, that they have formed the laudable resolution of applying to Parliament for more apposite Legislative Regulations, calculated to reach the various cases of pillage which now frequently occur, where the Culprits escape without any punishment at all, to the great injury of the Public, inasmuch as crimes of a peculiar description are generated and increased from the security experienced by Delinquents. As a proof of the favourable sentiments entertained of the Police System by the Commissioners, and of their patriotic intention to use every means for the purpose of checking this extensive and growing evil, the following Letter has been addressed by their Solicitor to the Author of this Work, who is now anxiously employed in devising a plan of Police adapted to the prevention of Frauds, : benefits it conferre 1, to Commercial Property alone; but that it extended collateraly to the protection of every species of Government Stores in transit upon the River Thames. The effect of the System operating thus beneficially to the State, is proved not only by the number of persons who have been detected and punished, (d) Frauds, Plunder, and Embezzlements, in His Majesty's Arsenals, Dock-yards, and Ships of War and Transports, &c. SIR, Norfolk-Street, May 16, 1799. The Commissioners of the Navy, having an intention of applying to Parliament, to extend and amend the Laws for preventing the embezzlement and stealing of His Majesty's Naval Stores, and having directed me in preparing the intended Bill, to attend to the suggestions and recommendations on the subject in your excellent and valuable Publication, I shall consider myself as obliged to you, as I am sure the Commissioners will, if you will at your leisure have the goodness to furnish me with any hints upon the subject, which may have occurred to you since the publication of your Treatise, and which you think may be worthy the attention of the Legislature. I am Sir, with great respect, To P. Colquhoun, Esq. Your most obedient humble Servant, (d) Besides the detection of three Masters of Transports and eleven other persons, (Seamen and others), having Naval Stores unlawfully in their possession, a most extensive pillage and embezzlement in the numerous Victualing Hoys, conveying Liquors, Provisions, and other Stores, to the Russian Men-of-War, and His Majesty's Ships in the Rivers Thames and Medway, have been discovered. The Receivers residing in the Towns and Villages adjoining the River, have been prosecuted, or exposed, and several of the Masters of the Hoys and others who were concerned in the Conspiracy, have been dismissed and punished; and the evil has, by means of the exertions of the Police, and the laudable examples made by the Commissioners of Victualing, been in a great measure prevented. but |