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Foreign and Domestic Intelligence.

the Grafton was launched exactly ten iminutes after three. The concourfe of people was innumerable, and the river was covered with boats, which, together with the fineness of the day formed one of the most beautiful fights

ever seen.

Advice is received from Lisbon, that councils are daily held there, to which the French and Spanish ambassadors are admitted; as foon as the councils break up, the ambaffadors difpatch couriers to their refpective courts, which makes it conjectured that there is fomething of great importance upon the carpet the account further fays, that by the vaft preparations making in every fea-port in the kingdom, and alfo recruiting and difciplining the army, plainly fhews, that we are juft upon the eve of a war: It alfo fays, that the English merchants are treated with great disrespect.

Yesterday a boat, in which were eight paffengers befides the waterman, was overfet off the upper water-gate at Deptford, and the waterman, together with feven of the company, were drowned in the fight of many other perfons. This accident happened just as the man of war went off the ftocks, and was occafioned by the prodigious number of boats which were over crouded with paffengers.

Yesterday was married Mr. Rowles, Merchant, in Goodmans-fields, to Mifs Eacles, of Peckham; at the fame time was married Mr. Eacles, brother to the above lady, to Mifs Rowles, fifter to the above gentleman.

A few days ago a man of a genteel appearance went to Upholsterer's in this city, and ordered him to furnish a houfe that he had just taken: Which was complied with, but when the latter went to demand his money, the purchafer was not to be feen, but he found fome other perfons in poffeffion of the goods. Yefterday the faid Upholsterer Tent fome people to fetch the faid furniture away, when they were affaulted and beaten by three men' employed in packing them up, in order to carry them off the premises. The Upholsterer's men, however, at length fecured the above perfons, and carried them to the Manfion-houfe; from whence they were fent to the Poultry Compter for examination. They pretended to have a bill of fale of the goods; but on the paper being produced, it was only an order for removing them to another place.

It is faid Count de Guignes, the
French Ambassador, is not to return to
England, but Count Breteuil will be
appointed to fucceed him as Ambassador
to this court.

Great Seal for appointing a number of
A Commiffion is preparing to país the
Commiffioners for the further proroga-
tion of the Parliament, which will meet
for that purpose on Tuesday next.

Saturday, Sept. 28. This day came
on, pursuant to annual custom, at Guild-
hall, the election of a Lord-Mayor for
The cryer having
the year enfuing.
proclaimed filence, all the aldermen be-
low the chair, who had ferved the offica
of fheriff, were feverally put up in no-
mination; but the friends of the refpec-
tive parties having thought proper to
join them in the following manner, viz.
Crosby and Sawbridge, Nafh and Halli-
fax, Townsend and Sawbridge, the show
of hands appeared in favour of Brafs
Crosby, Efq; and John Sawbridge, Efq;
but a poll being demanded in favour of
Sir Henry Banks, William Nafh, Tho-
mas Halifax, William Shakespeare, and
James Townsend, Efqrs. the fame was,
agreed to, which accordingly began this
day at half past three, and closed at half
paft four.

The agents of the miniftry were very
bufy yesterday and this morning in the
city, in canvaffing for the court candi-
dates.

It is confidently reported, that a French fleet has actually been seen off feveral harbours in our poffeffion, though its deftination cannot be afcertained.

Laft week a journeyman bricklayer at Greenwich, fold his wife to a farmer at Deptford for five guineas, but the purchafer being defirous to have her properly fecured to him by marriage, came to town with the husband in order to take out a license, after which the latter was to act as father, and give her away.

Last week a young woman, fervant to a clergyman at Bath, was taken into cuftody on fufpicion of murdering her baftard child; fhe had frequently been charged with being with child, but always denied it, and was afterwards delivered by herfelf, when it is thought the cut the infant's throat, and fewed it up in fome rags which' fhe hid between the bed and facking.

1

1

The Oxford Magazine;

For OCTOBER, 1771.

For the OXFORD MAGAZINE.

THE POLICE.

T is a general obfervation, that though the major part of the fubjects of this kingdom are more or lefs concerned in commercial and trading connections, very little attention is paid to the enforcing the laws in being, for the protection and encouragement of the fair, regular trader; or to the devifing and contriving new acts for the maintenance of good order, and the integrity of the commercial claffes of the inhabitants. Various are the complaints of artizans, manufacturers, and fhop-keepers, on the deficiency of the Police, with respect to their interefts; and nothing more clearly proves what the author of these papers has all along afferted, "That we cannot ⚫lay claim to a well-regulated Police in England," than the lift of grievances (for fome of which there are no remedies provided) he has received from time to time, in letters from his correfpondents on this head. Where it was in the power of the civil magiftrate to officiate, and to do the parties justice, he has anfwered their letters, by recommending them privately to fuch honeft, able, and diligent juftices of the peace, as he knew would take pains to procure them redrefs; for it has constantly been his method, not to expose any of the defects of our Police to public view, unless no other avenue was left open to juftice, but by an appeal to the public at large. For initance, when a grievance in trade fubfifts, and no law is provided to remove it, it then becomes an effential duty in VOL. VII.

NUMBER XII.

a writer, who devotes his pen to the fervice of his fellow-citizens, to place the evil before the tribunal of a fenfible, free people, to admonish them, that it is high time to take fome meafures to oppofe it, and with great deference, to recommend fuch as appear to him the most likely to answer the end.

It is with this view that he has engaged to give his fentiments on the great increase of Auctioneers; and on the confequences of giving fuch ge neral encouragement to the prefent reigning mode of felling all forts of goods by public auction. No lefs than forty letters, from different artizans and fhop-keepers, have been received by the publisher, ftating the great detriment they fuffer from this prevailing custom;" ́and as the feafon is now approaching, when our idle ladies of quality, and gentry, ufually spend three or four hours, almost every day in the week, at the public fale-rooms, inflead of encouraging the induftrious, honest fhop-keeper; it is to be hoped an early, deliberate attention to the folly, deceit, and impropriety of this fashion, may be a means of discountenancing it, in the courfe of the enfuing winter.

When by the primitive confent of mankind, living in a wild, unfociable ftate of nature, the outlines of civil lociety were formed; the first object that prefented itself as neceffary for its establishment, was the diftribution of the people into different ranks and claffes, all of which were to contribute,

in

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The

POLICE.

in regular gradations, to the profperity and fecurity of the commonwealth. Afterwards, when modes of government were adopted, and laws eftablished under pains and penalties, to infure ftability to the conftitutions of ftates, the diftribution of the different claffes, or orders of the inhabitants, became fo effential a part of the eftablishment of every kingdom, city, town, and even village, that there was no fettling them upon any beneficial footing, without taking great care, fo to proportion the numbers of every order of men, that none fhould be fuperfluous, and prove oppreffive, or burthenfome to the community; and as each was intended to have a regular connection with, and dependance on, the other; for the neceffaries and comforts of life, the chain of fociety was fo formed, that the breaking one link difordered the whole, and produced in fome degree a revolution, or return to that barbarous fate of nature, the evils of which, civil fociety was intended to remedy. To preferve, therefore, the union and harmony of every member of the body politic, its legiflators were obliged to frame fuch laws, as would prefcribe the limits or bounds of each clafs of citizens, and prevent them from infringing on the rights and privileges of each other. This was the origin of all the orders of men in the foundation of states and empires; of monarchies and republics; and wherever the laws are beft calcul ted to fecure this general union and harmony between all the members of the commonwealth, and to preferve the limitations and restrictions of each clafs of its inhabitants, against all encroachments of another-there we may fay, that a well-regulated Police fubfifts, and that the profperity of fuch a state is likely to laft for a long fucceffion of ages.

I wish I could fay that England prefented this perfect picture of civil fociety; but perhaps, at prefent, there is no country on earth pretending to civilization, where the harmony already mentioned is to often destroyed, or the beautiful gradation between all the elafles of its inhabitants broke through with fuch impunity,

Vague notions of civil liberty, and of unbounded commerce, have given birth to this diforder, which has generated many other evils, of which, contending parties forming different and oppofite opinions of public affairs, is not the leaft. But I fhall not enter into the labyrinths of politics: the bufinefs of this paper being to point out the many inconveniences, frauds, and hardships refulting from the practice of fuffering any profeffion, art, or trade, to ufurp the juft rights and privileges of another, and to admonish the fuperior ranks (on whom the feveral claffes of mechanics and tradefmen are dependent) of the cruelty and injuftice they are guilty of, in giving encouragement to unprincipled impoftors, to invade with impunity, the birth-right and inheritance of their neighbours.

It was formerly a queftion warmly debated. Whether trade in general fhould not be free from all restraints and limitations whatever? To give an impartial, ample difcuffion of this knotty point, would require a volume; we muit therefore content ourselves, upon the whole, with obferving, that the laws refpecting trade, in most countries where it flourishes, have determined the queftion in the negative; and in England there can be no doubt that this was the fenfe of its greatest legiflators-for its extenfive commerce is carried on under the limitations and restrictions of charters, corporations, and companies; all of which have their bye-laws-their particular rights and privileges-which it is prefumed no perfons dare to invade. But they are thanefully invaded every hour, and here lies the mifchief complained of by the fair trader.

If you admit the neceffity of fub. jecting trade in general to any rules and regulations of a reftrictive nature, they ought to be duly obferved, and laws fhould be enacted to enfore pofitive obedience to them; otherwife, the inan of ftrict honour and integrity will fuffer by his good qualities, while the knave and the fharper enrich themfelves from the profits, which should be bis recomgence for a life of industry,

and

The POLICE.

and a conformity to the established rules of his art or trade.

The bye-laws of all public trading companies, and of all corporations, are calculated to preferve the franchifes of the refpective members of each community; and thefe franchises are fuch as have been judged proper to excite industry and emulation, by motives of intereft and honour. In order to attain to wealth and dignities, as a citizen, it is enacted by parliament, and it is likewife a law of all corporations, that no perfon fhall fettle in any art, trade, or myliery, who has not ferved an apprenticeship of seven years faithfully, to a mafter freeman of that corporation. This fervitude is a fpecies of flavery very incompatible with our modern notions of liberty; and if the intereft of fo great a majority of the people was not deeply concerned in it, we fhould certainly hear it exclaimed against with much warmth. Yet premiums are given to purchase this temporary favery, which is to enfure a fubfequent freedom, accompanied with very extenfive rights and privileges. Now, fe long as thefe immunities are actually enjoyed by, and fecured to, the perfons who pay large fums to be apprentices to particular arts and trades for feven years, with a view of being mafters on more advantageous terms than aliens (by which I mean all who have not gone through this fervitude, and paid valuable confiderations) the equity of fuch laws, and the utility of fuch corporations, is felf-evident. But if an alien, no matter whether from Scotland, or Yorkshire, or Germany, is to be allowed to practice the art or mystery as a mafter, without going through this fervitude, or paying one fhilling to be taught then all corporations, whether fubfifting by prefcription, letters patent, or acts of parliament, are partial, pernicious limitations and reftraints on trade, and their bye-laws iniquitous impofitions, which extort money, and enjoin obedience from one part of the community, while they permit others to rob them of purchafed privileges. Nor fhall I make any fcruple to declare, that corporations or companies, acting

123

in this unfair manner, ought to have their charters fufpended, till they adminifter equal justice; "for every corporation is created upon a trust, and if that truft is not duly executed, it may even be diffolved.".

The rights and privileges of the citizens of London are very confiderable, and are purchased at a very high rate; two or three hundred pounds being given with an apprentice; yet, when he is out of his time, if he has not a capital to fettle as a mafter, he will have no encouragement as a journeyman, proportionate to the fun he gave as an apprentice, because fome hungry Scotch, or Yorkshire lad, who has been hired as a fhopman, is taken behind the counter, or into the accompting-houfe, and can afford to ferve tor lefs wages. Inftances of this kind happen every day, which makes fo many young people, who have given very large fums apprentice, take to bad courfes, through vexation and despair. Yet none of our patriotic aldermen take any pains to enforce the city-laws, and purge the corporation of aliens, or non-freemen, who are to be found in almost every fhop in London. My correfpondents, on this fubject, are defired to carry their informations to the Chamberlain's office, whofe bufiness I apprehend it is, to profecute the delinquents complained of; as to the expofing the names of the parties in this paper, it would anfwer no valuable purpose.

Another abuse of the truft vested in corporations, is, the fale of freedoms for fums far inadequate to the immu nities thereby acquired; a proceeding highly inequitable, with respect to thofe who have ferved regular apprenticefhips, and paid befides, near ten times the fums for which freedoms are fold. A letter is now before me, complaining of a perfon, who has purchafed his freedom for thirty pounds, who occupies one of the belt fhops in a capital treet, and by the dmt of effrontery and underfelling, engroffes the trade of the neighbourhood; yet this man has not been fix years in London, and never ferved any ap prenticeship to the trade, to which it is customary to pay two hundred gui

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124:

The POLICE.

neas with an apprentice. I would only ask the question: If this man breaks two or three tradefinen around him, who will be to blame, the corporation, or the unfortunate fufferers?

But thefe are hardships of a trifling nature, compared to the fufferings of fair traders from Hawkers, Pedlars, Sham-Brokers, and Auctioneers, all of whom ought to be put under fuch regulations, as to prevent them from injuring the bufinefs of regular artizans and fhop-keepers.

The inland trade of a kingdom, which confifts in a general circulation of all forts of commodities, for the confumption of the inhabitants, requires no other claffes of men but the following, to carry on all the operations in a regular progreffion, from the beginning to the end.Husbandmen or Farmers, Mechanic Artifs, Manufacturers, wholefale and retail Shopkeepers. Foreign trade, or commerce, demands other affiftants, such as Merchants, Factors, Agents, and Brakers. Every one of thefe, in their feveral departments, should receive the protection and encouragement of the state, and of the particular corporations to which they belong; but as foreign trade is more open and extenfive, and not liable to the fame encroachments as the internal trade of a nation, I fhall confine myself to the confideration of the latter; and, upon reviewing the short lift of characters properly concerned in conducting domestic trade, I cannot find either Hawkers, or Pedlars, or Auctioneers, I therefore conclude, that these are Interlopers, perfons (according to L'Efrange's definition of the term) "who run into bufinefs, to which they have no right.”

The proof of this will arife from enquiring, if they are properly entitled, in the regular courfe of trade, to thefe occupations? To begin with Hawkers: Thefe, in our old books of commerce and law, are called, " deceitful fellows, who go about from place to place, buying and felling divers cominodities which ought to be brought to an open market, or fold in fhops: The appellation feemeth to arife from their uncertainty, like thofe that with Hawks feck their game where they can

find it."-See the Stat. 25 Henry VIII. c. 6. and 33 Henry VIII. c. 4. but, at prefent, we ufe the term in a more confined fenfe, filing only fuch perfons Hawkers, as carry the news-papers, ballads, and pamphlets about the streets, which is an encroachment on one par ticular branch of business, (the bookfellers) and from the finall value of the articles they vend, are hardly worth our notice.

Pedlars are another fet of interlopers of the first magnitude; this extensive fcene of impofition on the fair trader, and on the confumer, has been for many years chiefly carried on by low Jews and Scotchmen, very fit travelling companions, their meannefs and cunning being pretty much upon a par. In England and France, the occupation of a Pedlar is utterly defpifed, as a mean fhift to get a living. Their establishment with us, was owing to the funding fyftem introduced in the reign of William III. when the nation got fo deep in debt, and borrowed money on fuch difadvantageous terms, that they were obliged to invent all sorts of taxes and excifes to pay the annual intereft; and as our public revenue has always been fo managed, that no branch of it could ever be fpared, but, on the contrary, every tax which has been found productive, has been made perpetual; these intruders are now licensed yearly, in direct oppofition to the true interefts of trade, and to the great detriment of retail fhop-keepers, who pay very high taxes to the ftate, and ought to be maintained in their just rights and privileges, by the fuppreffion of these itinerant traders. In every little town throughout England, there are regular fhop-keepers, who have ferved feven years to their business, and when they fettle for themselves, and have fami lies to maintain, from the profits of their induftry and application, it is very hard, that their bufinefs fhould be leffened, and their gains diminished, by thefe interlopers; and in every village there is a fmall shop or two, which fell almost every article of the neceffaries of life, by which poor families are fupported, who muft otherwife come upon the parish; but it is a great drawback

upon

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