No. III. REPORT from the Committee of West-India Merchants to the Merchants and Owners of Ships, trading from the WestIndies to the Port of London. THE Committee of West-India Merchants, finding every. Regulation which they have suggested, and every Expedient which they have adopted, ineffectual to check the enormous Depredations to which the homeward-bound Cargoes of WestIndia Ships are annually subject in the River Thames, and those Depredations having of late increased in a very alarming degree, not only affecting the interest of the Planter and the Merchant, but also that of the Ship-Owner and the Revenue, have submitted to his Majesty's Ministers a Plan of Police peculiarly adapted to the Port of London, in which the energy of Executive Justice in the punishment of Offenders, is combined with regulations having an immediate tendency to prevent the offence:-And this Plan, comprehending in its structure not only a Marine Police-Office for Judicial Proceedings, but also an Establishment of Boats, and a general Register of Lumpers, having been sanctioned by Government, who have farther conferred on it all the stability and importance of a PUBLIC INSTITUTION, by a determination to defray the expense of the Judicial Department. It becomes necessary to explain to those most essentially concerned the outlines of this New Establishment, and the security which it holds out to Property by means of the Civil Force, which will be attached to the Police Department : -By the speedy and regular Discharge of Ships, by Men properly selected and registered :And by a System of Superintendance under Regulations properly methodized, and calculated to give energy and effect to the general design of the Establishment, With this particular view it has been determined, that a Marine Police Office shall be forthwith established at No. 259, Wapping New-Stairs, being as near as possible the CentrePoint where the Ships usually discharge, and that there shall be two distinct Departments comprehended within the Institution, namely, Ist. A Police Department where Magistrates shall preside for the purpose only of taking cognizance of Offences committed on the River and its vicinity, and to which shall be attached a superintending Magistrate, a resident Justice, a Clerk, a Chief Constable, and Fifty Petty Constables, to be increased to a Hundred if occasion require. 2nd. A Department for Lumpers, to which will be attached a Superintendant of Lumpers, a Cashier to receive the Lumping-dues from the Owners of each Ship, and pay Wages, Collecting-Clerk, and perhaps a Book-Keeper. 3rd. That the resident Magistrate shall sit every Day, Morning and Evening, (Sundays excepted,) and shall particularly direct his attention to the means of detecting and punishing Delinquents and preventing Crimes, 4th. That the Constables, besides the ordinary duty attached to their situation, shall act as Watchmen, properly armed, on board each Ship under Discharge. They shall be selected from the best men that can be found; and, to prevent any corrupt practices, will be occasionally changed from Ship to Ship. The duty of these Constables will be to search all Lumpers when they go on Shore in the Evening, and to apprehend and bring to Justice every person discovered conveying any Article clandestinely out of the Ship or Vessel committed to their charge. That they shall be visited Morning and Evening by the Chief Constable, who shall see that each Petty Constable executes the duty assigned him; and, if not, to report his conduct to the superintending or resident Magistrate, that that he may be reprimanded or dismissed, according to the nature of the offence. 5th. That, as an additional means of prevention will arise from a general Register of Lumpers at the Marine PoliceOffice, under proper regulations; --the Institution will thus embrace two objects, Detection and Punishment, under the Police-Department: and Prevention, under the DischargingDepartment. This last is of great importance in perfecting the System, and without which, the Port of London can never be completely rescued from that imputation of habitual and disgraceful Depredations upon Commercial Property, which has arisen out of the present mode of dicharging Vessels. It is therefore proposed to abolish the old System, as ruinous and destructive to the Port of London, and to discharge West-India Ships by means of Lumpers, who shall be attached to the Marine-Police Establishment, and who will be employed in rotation, and victualled by the Owners on board the Ship, under a reputable person in the character of a Foreman, who shall be answerable for the quick and regular dispatch of Ships. But, great as the advantages are, which may unquestionably be expected to result from this System, its success will depend on the support and union of the ShipOwners as well as the Merchants, in attaching themselves closely to this new Institution; and in forming resolutions to conform to the Rules established for the Protection of Property in the River; and to discharge their Vessels by no other Lumpers than those who are registered and furnished by the Establishment. It is with peculiar satisfaction that the Committee find themselves enabled to state, from every estimate they have hitherto been able to form, that the expense of Lumping out a Ship under the new System, will probably not exceed the averageamount hitherto paid for Lumpers and Watchmen;-the whole of the Freight on the quantity of Produce usually plundered, dered, will therefore be a clear profit to the Ship; and, estimating this Depredation at the very low rate of a Cwt. of Sugar per Hogshead, it is obvious, that the saving to ShipOwners, in the Port of London only, will, in One Year, amount to upwards of £.10,00o, on the single Article of Sugar imported, exclusive of other Merchandise. The Merchants and Ship-Owners, interested in the prosperity of the West-India Trade and the Port of London, are therefore invited to afford their utmost assistance in giving effect to this new and useful Establishment, by entering into a Resolution to discharge their Ships only by means of Lumpers registered at the Marine Police-Office. It is therefore earnestly requested, that all Merchants, Ship-Owners, in the West-India Trade, or Agents for Ship-Owners, who approve of this Institution, and who are desirous of giving it effect, will be pleased to apply to the superintending Magistrate at the Marine Police-Office, No. 259, Wapping NewStairs, by Letter or personally, as soon as possible, that it may be precisely known who are to be considered as disposed to attach themselves to the Institution, and to avail themselves of the benefits which it holds out. Committee-Room, Marine-Society's No. No. IV. MINUTES of a Meeting of the Committee of West-India Merchants, held at the Marine-Society's Office, in BishopsgateStreet, on Friday the 22d of June, 1799: containing Explanatory Observations, relative to the Effect of the Marine Police System, and Propositions for discharging Vessels, and protecting the Cargoes and the Tackle, Apparel, and Stores, of West-India Ships, upon a Plan advantageous and satisfactory to all concerned. Ат a Meeting of the Committee of West-India Merchants, held at the Marine-Society's Office, in Bishopsgate-Street, on Friday the 28th of June, 1799. Mr. COLQUHOUN, superintending Magistrate of the Marine Police Office, laid before the Meeting a Report, containing specific Details, relative to the Organization, Management, and Effect of the Marine Police Institution, during the last Twelve Months; together with various other Documents, explanatory of the System which has been pursued for the protection of West-India Property, against the excessive Plunder and Depredations which formerly prevailed; and the Committee being anxiously solicitous, that the benefits, which were derived, wherever Ships and Lighters were placed immediately under the Charge of the Institution, should hereafter be extended generally to the whole of the West-India Trade, " RESOLVED, "That, with a View to remove those prejudices and misconceptions, which have hitherto tended to impede the full efficacy of the Design, the following Statement, accompanied by propositions for the delivery of Ships' Cargoes by the |