parishes and pleaces and Examinations of the said Constables
that such Collections are not Competent to answer the
Charge of setting a more Sufficient and, able watch than is
at present, Thereby (in some measure) to prevent the
frequent Robberies Etc that are Committed, And the
rather because it appears that great deficiencys usually
attend such Collections which must be chiefly attributed
to the want of a Legal Authority whereby to compell the
Inhabitants to pay the same, there being in that
Division one half at least who peremptorily refuse
paying towards the watch.

And your Committee find by another Report from the
Justices acting in the large parish of St. Giles's in the
Fields , that with respect to the Greatness thereof the
watch is very defective and insufficient in number
and (what is yet more inconvenient) very backward
and unwilling to comply with the directions of the
Justices of the peace as to the Hours of watching,
complaining of the small pay they receive from the
Constables as no ways equal to their pains and labour
Especially now they are obliged to watch two hours
longer than usual without any increase in their pay
not with standing the Great sums of mony Annually
Collected by the Constables under pretence of providing
a sufficient watch, which there is reason to believe
amounts to near and third more than they pay to them
but as the Constables Constantly refuse to give any
account thereof and there not appearing any Law to
oblige them thereunto no certain or particular Account
can be had what the sinplus sunk by the Constables
amounts to,

And the Justices of that Division further observe that,
from the Constables placing Displacing and paying
their Readles and watchmen and often choosing
Victualters and other improper persons for those
Employments. There has arisen upon many private
searches lately made Just cause to suspect that some
of their Readles and watchmen do conceal and protect
several night houses and other disorderly houses for
their own private lune, mony of them having been
found very backward and unwilling to give Evidence
against them the upon their Oaths and strongly press of