Magiftrates alone; but in the PREVENTION and DETECTION of ČRIMES, and in those other functions which relate to INTERNAL REGULATIONS for the well-ordering and comfort of civil fociety." This is very far from a clear or accurate definition; but it is both more clear and more accurate than another which appears in a fubfequent part of the book, where we are told that- Police is an improved ftate of fociety," which gives" energy and effect to the laws." Here the end is evidently confounded with the means; Police being one of the means by which an improved state of fociety is produced and preserved. In fhort, the moft fimple and the best definition of Police appears to us to be this: the means by which a due obfervance and strict execution of the laws are enforced. The quotation from Jonas Hanway on the fubject of Government and Police, (in P. 350), is arrant nonfenfe. "Government, fays the benevolent Hanway," originates from the love of order. Watered by Police it grows up to maturity, and in courfe of time fpreads a luxuriant comfort and fecurity. Cut off its branches, and the mere trunk, however ftrong it may appear, can afford no shelter."

But we turn from the definition of the term to the difcuffion of the subject; on which, we find much interefting and important matter. The office of a Police Magiftrate, which the author has for fome years enjoyed, afforded him an opportunity of acquiring much ufeful information refpecting the nature and extent of the depredations committed on individuals and on the public; as well as on a subject, of much greater importance, intimately connected therewith, the growth of vice and immorality in the Metropolis. Whenever he reasons from his perfonal knowledge he appears to much greater advantage than when he argues on general principles, or indulges himself in theoretical fpeculations. Hence it is, that his two chapters "on the Syftem of Punishments" and on "Female Proftitution" are the moft objectionable in his book.

The remarks, in the third chapter, refpecting the numerous receivers of stolen goods in the Metropolis, moft of whom keep shops for the purchase of rags, old iron, and other metals, or old clothes, are certainly just, and the remedy proposed, of compelling all perfons who keep fuch fhops to take out a licence is fo unobjectionable that we cannot but express our furprise that it has not been already adopted. Such licences fhould be fubjected to the fame regulations as the licences of publicans, only liable to be annulled, by two Juftices of the Peace, on proof of the perfon keeping a fhop of this description having received ftolen goods; or on a fecond conviction under the statute for having in his poffefion old iron, or other

metals

metals, without being able to give a proper account of them. The facility with which ftolen goods are difpofed of, by means of thefe fhops, gives encouragement to theft, and increases the number of thieves, particularly among boys, to a degree that almoft exceeds credibility. The additions to this chapter, from Mr. Middleton's publication, had better been omitted.

In the fourth chapter the author affigns the reafons of the greater frequency of burglary and highway robbery in England than on the Continent. He afcribes it not to feverer punishments but to a more correct and energetic fyftem of Police, joined to an early and general attention to the employment, education, and morals of the lower orders of the people, and their consequent habits of induftry and fobriety. These, no doubt, are adequate reafons; but it is clear alfo that the punifhments for fuch offences were more fevere, and, which is ftill more efficacious for the purpose of prevention, were infinitely more certain. It is a notorious fact that, in this country, thieves regularly calculate the chances of escape, from the various quibbles of the law and the profpect of pardon; the mode of examining evidence, in criminal profecutions, is fuch as would really induce a foreigner to believe, that it was intended not for the promotion, but the evafion, of justice. The author apprehends great evils from the discharge of culprits from prifon, and from the return of convicts from the hulks, and he confiders the want of fome place of reception at which they might be provided with work, as one proof of the imperfect ftate of the Police. But we conceive, that the inability of fuch men to find employment is by no means fo great as he supposes it to be, and that their return to their former dishonest practices is more frequently imputable to a rooted depravity of mind than to the difficulty of obtaining a fubfiftence by honeft means. We know of no fuch place of reception in any part of Europe, nor did we ever before hear the want of it made a fubject of complaint; there can be no doubt, however, that an inftitution of this nature would be desirable, but the practicability of establishing it is a matter of very great doubt. The manner in which the different claffes of thieves carry on their depredations is well explained in this chapter, and the obfervations refpecting the infufficiency of watchmen for the nightly protection of the Metropolis, are highly deferving of attention. Thefe men are worfe than ufelefs; they are mostly the hired patrons of ftreet-walkers; and too often the accomplices of thieves.

The fifth chapter is devoted to cheats and fwindlers, all the various claffes of which are accurately defcribed. Among

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thefe is noticed "a fpecies of Female Bankers" but little known.

"Thefe accommodate barrow-women and others, who fell fifh, fruit, vegetables, &c. in the ftreets, with five fhillings a day; (the ufual diurnal ftock in trade in fuch cafes ;) for the ufe of which, for twelve hours, they obtain a premium of fix-pence, when the money is returned in the evening, receiving thereby at this rate, about even pounds ten fillings a year for every five fhillings they lend out!

"The Author, in the courfe of his Magifterial duty, having dif covered this extraordinary fpecies of fraud, attempted to explain to a barrow-woman on whom it was practiced, that by faving up a fingle five fillings, and not laying any part of it out in gin, but keeping the whole, she would fave 71. 10s. a year, which feemed to aftonish her, and to ftagger her belief. It is to be feared, however, that it had no effect upon her future conduct, fince it is evident that this improvident and diffolute class of females have no other idea than that of making the day and the way alike long. Their profits (which are often confiderably augmented by dealing in bafe money, as well as fruit, vegetables, &c.) feldom laft over the day, for they never fail to have a luxurious dinner and a hot fupper, with abundance of gin and porter looking, in general, no farther than to keep whole the original ftock, with the fix-pence intereft, which is paid over to the female banker in the evening; and new loan obtained on the following morning, of the fame number of fhillings again to go to market. "In contemplating this curious fyftem of banking, (trifling as it feems to be) it is impoffible not to be forcibly ftruck with the immenfe profits that arife from it. It is only neceffary for one of these female fharpers to poffefs a capital of seventy fillings, or three pounds ten fhillings, with fourteen feady and regular customers, in order to realize an income of one hundred guineas a year!"

The comments on gaming, which occupy the fixth chapter, are alike pertinent and ftrong. The rapid progrefs of this deftructive vice calls loudly for the interpofition of the legiflature. In vain has the virtuous Chief-Juftice of the King's Bench expreffed his abhorrence of the practice, and his determination to exert every effort for its fuppreffion; its votaries treat his menaces with contempt, and men of rank and fashion blush not to combine for the fcandalous purpose of braving the laws of their country. It is much to be wished that all the Members of either Houfe of Parliament, who are employed in the formation of laws, and whofe peculiar duty, of course, it is to fet an example of obedience to others, were invariably fubjected to a double penalty for every violation of them.

"When fuch infamous practices are encouraged and fanctioned by high-founding names, when fharpers and black-legs find an eafy in

troduction

troduction into the houses of perfons of fashion, who affemble in multitudes together, for the purpose of playing at thofe moft odious and deteftable games of hazard, which the legislature has ftigmatized with fuch marks of reprobation, it is time for the Civil Magiftrate to ftep forward it is time for him to feel, that, in doing that duty which the laws of his country impofe on him, he is perhaps faving hundreds of families from ruin and deftruction; and preferving to the infants of thoughtless and deluded parents that property which is their birthright; but which, for want of an energetic Police in enforcing the laws made for their protection, is now too frequently fquandered; and the mind is tortured with the fad reflection, that, with the lofs of fortune, all opportunities (in confequence of idle habits) are also loft, of fitting the unfortunate fufferer for any reputable purfuit in life, by which an honeft livelihood could be obtained."

Moft certainly it is time for the Civil Magiftrate to step forward, and the Magiftrate who neglects this very effential part of his duty, is unworthy of the ftation which he holds. If the laws already in exiftence do not veft him with powers sufficient for the fuppreffion of this abominable vice and the punishment of its abandoned votaries, let a new law be made to meet the exigency; but if he be already vefted with adequate powers, let them be exerted with energy and effect; let the haunts of the high and the opulent be the objects of his first and most rigorous fearch; and if their proud frequenters will not hold out an example of virtue to their inferiors, let them be made to give a falutary leffon to the public by the punishment inflicted on them. The impunity allowed to gamefters in this Metropolis is a difgrace to the country! With a laudable view to check the evils arifing from that peculiar (pecies of gaming, the lottery, two new plans are fuggefted, the adoption of which, it is conceived, would put a stop to infurance, "a confummation devoutly to be wifhed" but certainly not to be accomplished by either of the means here propofed.

In the feventh chapter, the whole iniquitous fyftem of coining counterfeit money, in all its various ftages, is unfolded, and fome new laws are fuggefted which, in the author's opinion, would fuffice to check, if not to eradicate, an evil, which, unhappily, prevails to an enormous extent. The following fact should be generally known.

"It is a curious fact, that although the number of pence which have been fupplied by that admirable artift, Mr. Boulton, of Birmingham, and which have been actually circulated, amounts to forty million of pieces, making 166,6661. 12s. 4d. fterling, and which is equal to four-pence for every inhabitant in this ifland, according to the largest computation; yet the quantity of halfpence (chiefly counterfeits) which are found in actual circulation, are at least in the propor

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tion of forty to one. This must ever be the cafe until fome expedient, fuch as is hereafter recommended, fhall be adopted for calling them in, and fubftituting in their place a new coinage of the full standard weight for it is evident that the dealers and tradesmen at present hoard up the penny pieces, and only circulate the counterfeit halfpence which they receive; the nuifance therefore remains, and the coiners are thus encouraged to continue their nefarious practices.”

The eighth chapter is exclufively appropriated to the author's most favourite topic, the depredations committed on the ive, and the proper means for fuppreffing them; but as we fhall have occafion hereafter to notice the volume which Mr. Colquhoun has fince publifhed on the Marine Police, we shall make no remarks on the subject at prefent. The two following chapters, one on plunder in the dock-yards, the other on the receivers of ftolen goods, bring the explanation of public offences to a conclufion. Of the remaining chapters, ten in number, three are on the origin of criminal offences, here imputed to defective laws, female proftitution, and the state of the poor; two on the profecution and detection of offenders; two on the criminal Police of the Metropolis; one on its municipal Police; and the laft contains a fummary view of the moft' prominent evils explained in the preceding pages, and of the principal remedies fuggefted by the author.

Amidst fuch a variety of matter there is, as might naturally be expected, much that is ufeful and inftructive, and much that is fuperficial and delufive. In his remarks on the state of the poor, a fubject on which fo many volumes have been written, the author does not fufficiently difcriminate between cause and effect; indigence being as often the child as the parent of crime. This is a moft important fubject, but the difcuffion of it requires a greater portion of talents and leisure than most men have to beftow on it. An increase, however, of the number of houfes of work or induftry, under proper regulations, would certainly be a moft falutary measure; as it would tend to augment the number of useful, and to diminish that of uselefs or worse than ufelefs, members of the community. But Mr. C. has neither inveftigated the causes of crimes, and the nature of punishments, with fufficient accuracy and judgment to justify the affumption of a decifive tone of fpeaking; nor has he indicated the moft effectual remedy for the prevalent corruption of mind and depravity of manners, among the lower claffes of people; although he has ably traced the progrefs and marked the effects of their vicious habits and pursuits. Τρ explain the nature of the remedy to which we allude, would require more time and occupy more pages, than it would be proper to devote to fuch explanation in a critical work.

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