man, or even the ftriking of a fingle blow, and thus releafed himself from captivity. The fubfequent part of this Work contains many curious particulars relative to the affairs of India at this

period; the character of General Mathews; and the further difficulties Mr. Campbell encountered in conveying the Difpatches from BIDANORE to MADRASS.

FROM the account we gave of this elaborate Treatife in our last Review, it is imagined not a doubt can remain upon the minds of our readers, refpecting the neceffity of applying speedy and effectual remedies to increafing evils of fuch magnitude. It is evident that no time ought to be loft, and perbaps a more favourable opportunity could not prefent itfelf than that of the approaching ft Seffion of a new Parkament, for recommending to Adminiftration, to the venerable Judges, and to the Legislature, the adoption of fuch meafures for the prevention of crimes, by the improvement of our prefent fyftem of Police, as the actual circumfances of the nation will permit.

We are fenfible that they cannot be To general and extenfive in a time of war, as in the happy days of peace, when a portion of the public revenue can be better fpared for the valuable purpofe of diminishing the number of robberies, burglaries, fmall thefts and frauds, which are now daily increafing to a moft alarming degree; but ftill the moft practicable and beneficial of thofe regulations which do not require any confiderable pecuniary aid from Government, might be propofed to their Reprefentatives, newly chofen, by the numerous body of Electors of the cities of London and Weftminster, the Borough of Southwark, and the four furrounding counties, in which depredations on the public are committed in a much greater proportion than in any wher parts of the kingdom. The union of authority and influence must be exerted to procure fome relief, and there is fufficient time before the meeting of Parliament for refpe&table housekeepers to confult together on the proper means of fecuring their property, and the tranquillity of their families, in a better manner than by the prefent defective fyftem of police.

In the purfuit of this laudable enterprize, they cannot have a better guide Voi, XXX. JULY 1796,

than our Author's work. from which we shall now select such regulations as appear to be founded in found policy, and not liable to any material objection from temporary circumftances; but, on the contrary, may be eafily adopted and carried into execution in the course of the following winter.

The firft, and indeed one of the most important improvements fuggefted by this intelligent Magifirate is, that of changing the punishment of death to imprifonment and hard labour for life, except where the offences are fo atrocious, that it is become abfolutely neceffary, in the prefent ftate of fociety, to let them remain fubject to the forfei-" ture of life, without a hope of pardon; but thefe are only few out of the very great number of offences which, as the law now ftands, are conftituted capital crimes, though not deferving fo fevere

a doom. 66

Sanguinary punishments, when confined to a few very atrocious crimes, and carried into execution im. mediately after conviction, may be use ful as a means of prevention, for then the example would be awful and ftriking, and thofe criminal and depraved people, who have given themselves up to acts of violence and depredation, would even be made to tremble at the juft feverity of the law; which in its operation would not only prove an a of humanity to the public, but also to a majority of thefe unfortunate and depraved fellow-mortals, who would, under fuch circumstances, where no liopes of mercy could be expected, and where immediate execution would fol." low conviction, think seriously before they hazarded a repetition at least of the more atrocious offences, fubjecting them to certain and immediate death.

"The great number of criminals who commit flighter offences, now punishable with death, would be confiderably' diminished if they had not the many. chances they now rely upon of being either acquitted, or pardoned after conG

viction;

viction; and if they were certain that conviction would be followed by a fentence of imprisonment and hard labour, or transportation for life to the colony of New South Wales." According to this idea, our author proposes four modes of punishment.

7. To felect the moft docile and the leaft depraved convicts, who have either been receptly led astray, or have been convicted of crimes committed in the country, and who do not at all belong to any gang or criminal affeciation in the metropolis, to be employed either in the dock-yards, or their fervices made over to perfons engaged in public works, who would agree to feed and cloath them, and to make them certain allowances for the fupport of their families from the produce of their labour, and this without any expence to the public.

2. To felect thofe very atrocious offenders who are able to labour, but too far advanced in life to answer the expence of fending them to New South Wales, and to confine them for life in the hulks, to labour in raising ballaft in the river Thames, or to perform fervile work in the public arfenals, under cir, cumftances where every attention fhould be paid to their health and religious intruction.

3. To felect the most depraved and hardened convicts, in the vigour of life, who belong to gangs of rogues, and have extenfive criminal connections in the metropolis, who have been long upon the town as profeffed thieves and burglars, and tranfport them to New South Wales for life.

4. To felect the aged, infirm, lame, ruptured, and epileptic convicts, who would have been liable to the fentence of death, and confine them for life in penitentiary houfes, allowing them, as an encouragement to labour as far as they are able, one moiety of the net profits of their earnings after all expences are paid.

Having thus difpofed 'of thefe criminals fo as to prevent their return upon fociety within any given time, to pursue their former or worfe depredations, and recommended not only feveral ufeful improvements refpecting the hulks, and other means of employing convicts in Jaborious occupations, fuch as digging canals, removing earth for embank ments, quarrying ftones of different kinds both for building and pavements, working on the highways, at allum works, &c. he makes it apparent that

their labour would be fufficient to cover every expence attending their manage. ment and fafe cuftody, and to allow the induftrious a part of their earnings.

The next falutary regulation proposed, is the appointment of deputy profecutors for the Crown, acting under the At torney General for the time being, An eftablishment of this fort, even at a very fmall falary, would be confidered as an honourable entré to many young Coun fel, and would be productive of the moft beneficial effects; for profecutors, convinced that it is the intereft of the public that no guilty offender fhould efcape punishment, and no longer dreading to punith by death, except for mur. der and a few other atrocious crimes, would come forward, when aided by fuch an institution, for the purpose of promoting the ends of public justice; and it would prevent, in a great meafure, the poffibility of compounding felonies, or of fuborning witneffes, It would terrify the hordes of mifcreants in a greater degree than any one mea fure that could poffibly be adopted. It would be the means of deftroying thofe hopes and chances which encourage cria minal people to perfevere in their depredations upon the public. It would alfo be the means of counteracting the various tricks and devices of old thieves. It would do more-it would protect real innocence; for in fuch cafes, the public profecutor would never fail to act as the friend of the prifoner, by re quefting the Jury to find a verdict of not guilty.

The humanity and mildness of our laws require that the Judge fhould act in fome degree as Counsel for the pri foner; of courfe, without a prosecutor for the Crown, every trifling inaccuracy in the indictment becomes fatal to the conviction, and thofe circumstances which would throw great light upon the charges are not brought under the res view of the Jury, and thus it is that public juftice is defeated

Upon an average, the Magiftrates of the metropolis generally commit annually from about 2500 to 3000 perfons, male and female, for trial, at the feven different Courts of Justice in and near the metropolis, charged with a variety` of felonies, mifdemeanors, and other petty offences; and after fully convin cing their own minds, that from a careful, and in many inftances a moft laborious investigation, the parties are guilty, they are obliged, from experi

ence,

ence, to prepare themfelves for the mortifying circumftance of seeing their labour and exertions in a great measure loft to the community, from the major part being again vomited back upon fociety, without any effectual fteps being adopted for their reformation, or any means used for the prevention of a repetition of thofe crimes, for which a confiderable proportion may have fuffered perhaps a flight punishment, producing no effect that is not ultimately m:fchievous to the community, by initiating them in a greater degree in the knowledge and means of committing new acts of fraud and villainy.

Convinced, as every candid perfon must be, of the utility of appointing the public profecutors as recommended by our author, we shall only fuggeft that this is a measure which may be adopted without much delay; an A&t of Parfiament may oblige every county to be at the expence of the inftitution; and it will be fo trifling in comparison with the benefits that will accrue from it to perions of property, that it cannot fail of general approbation.

On the fubject of granting pardons to capital convicts, little more need be added to what was advanced on that head in our laft Review; the impropriety of releafing fo great a number as 1902 in the course of one year, is too friking not to require an alteration: but the remedy will be found in the reduction of the fanguinary code; for pardons will not be applied for in the manner they have hitherto been folicited, when the criminal is no longer to be deprived of life, but is to be usefully employed for the benefit of that public whom he has injured.

With respect to the dealers in old iron and other articles, who are the general receivers of ftolen goods, and confequently the encouragers of fmall thefts, the remedies pointed out would be effectual, and might be cafily carried into execution: It is propofed to fubje&t them to a licence, and to oblige them to regifter their shops in the public police offices of the diftricts in which they live, and this regulation to be extended to all founders of metal, to prevent metals from being melted by reteivers of ftolen goods, and other perfons keeping crucibles and fmelting veffels, by which means the moft infathous frauds are committed in eluding juftice, by immediately melting plate, pewter pots, and every kind of metal

that can be identified. A lift of nineteen different claffes of dealers is given, who ought to be comprised in this regulation, most of whom make immenfe profits, and could well afford to pay moderate licence duty, which would raise a sum of money equal to all the expences of completing the improved fyftem of police according to the author's extenfive plan.

The proper regulation of public houfes forms a very confiderable part of this plan, "for on this depends the prefervation of the morals of the people; in a greater degree than any one mea fure which has been propofed in the courfe of this work." After ftating at large the great evil of the prefent practice of licenfing inadvertently fuch unlimited numbers of these houses, that there are feldom lefs than 1000 which change mafters every year in the me tropolis alone, and many of them three or four times over, by which means worthlefs and profligate characters get poffeffion of them, it is propofed that the number of public houfes affigned to each licenfing divifion fhall be limited by law, and that no new houses be licenfed uniefs there shall be an increase of inhabitants, by means of an acceffion of buildings or manufactories in the neighbourhood, equal to 150 indivi duals, including thofe employed in public works.

Inftead of the prefent mockery of fecurity, by permitting one publican to be bound for another in the fmall penalty of ten pounds, for the perform. ance of duties the most important and facred which are known to exist in civil fociety, fince a breach of them faps the foundation of all morals, it is propofed that no perfon fhall be licensed until be can produce a refponfible housekeeper, not being a publican, who will enter into a recognizance along with him, for his good behaviour, in the fum of fifty pounds, which fhall be forfeited if he permits gaming, drunkenness, or any other irregularities, which shall be fpecified in the recognizances.

A register of lodging-houfes and lodgers in every parith, liberty, hama let, and precinct, where the rent does not exceed ten fhillings weekly, would alfo prove a great means of embarrassment to thieves and criminal people of every clafs, and of courfe would tend to the prevention of crimes.

Night hackney-coaches promote, in an eminent degree, the perpetration of G 2 burglaries.

burglaries. After flating by what means, it is fuggefted," that the coach-hire for night fervice be advanced, on condition that all coachmen going upon the stands after twelve o'clock, fhould be licenfed by the Magiftrates of the divifion, upon a certificate of good character, and to enter into recognizance, themfelves and one furety, under a penalty of fifty pounds, for good behaviour." This regulation feems to be very defective, for thieves and receivers of stolen goods might hire and retain day coaches, and keep them out the whole night, and it would certainly be too great a restraint upon the public not to permit hackney coaches to take fares after midnight, though this is likewife fuggefted. Proper authority given to watchmen and patroles to examine hackney-coaches ftanding before houfes, or drawn up in freets at unfeasonable hours in the night, would answer the purpofe; after a most important regulation has taken place refpecting thofe guardians of the peace, propofed in another part of the work, which is, to raise a fund for the purpose of giving fuch falaries and rewards for this arduous, fatiguing, and hazardous duty, as may enable the Magiftrates, or the managers of the parish affairs, to employ only hearty robust men, in the prime of life, and of known good character, in this fervice.

The appointment of watchmen and patroles of this defcription ought to be the earliest regulation recommended to the confideration of Government; for it is next to impoffible, that fome of the notorious burgiaries lately committed in public streets could have been effected, if infirm, negligent, or corrupt watch men were not the fole inadequate guardians of the night.

Magiftrates thould be empowered to reward conftables, watchmen, patroles, and all other perfons who shall apprehend delinquents, or be inftrumental in fo doing, by ufeful information.

The jurifdiction of the City Magiftrates should be extended over the four adjacent counties of Middlefex, Surry, Kent, and Effex; and that of the Police Magiftrates over the City, fo far only as regards. the detection of offenders.

The national Penitentiary Houfes

fhould be completed, pursuant to the Acts of the 19th and 34th of Geo. III. For the detail of the regulations contained in these Acts, part of which only have been carried into execution, we must refer thofe who are defirous of promoting improvements in our police to the work itfelf, as they are too extenfive to be brought within the com. pifs of a limited review. And for the fame reafon we recommend the Chapter which explains the prefent state of the police of the metropolis, under its various jurifdictions, in which the utility of the new fyftem of police established in 1792 is examined with great judg ment and candour, and reafons are affigned why this fyftem has not tended in a greater degree to the fuppreffion and prevention of atrocious crimes. The principal deficiency, however, we must notice, which is the want of funds, by which Magiftrates are crippled in their exertions with regard to the detection and punishment of offenders. In the prefent circumstances of the nation, this is a deficiency which must be supplied by perfons of property, through the me dium of voluntary public fubfcriptions; and we are fully convinced that no man who has any property to lofe, will refufe to contribute after reading this useful Treatife, and obferving what risks he runs daily of having a large portion of that property taken from him by fraud or violence, for want of thofe regulations which would fecure the whole, and perhaps likewife his life, but which cannot be carried into execution without pecuniary aid.

From the vaft mafs of information and regulation contained in this volume, we could only lay before our Readers the most obvious and practicable; and as there remains on the fubject of common cheats, gamblers, fharpers, and fwindlers, the most ample and useful details, proper to be known and confidered by ali perfons interested in the welfare of the community, it is to be hoped the circulation of this Treatife will be proportionate to its public utility, and that every afliftance will be given to the Author towards completing fuch parts of his new fyftem of police, as merit the earliest attention of the Legislature.

Ellays