By adjournment on Thursday the twenty first day of April 1757 .

Order desiring Hammond
Crosse Esqr . to provide twelve
Blocks & twelve Beatles for
the House of Correction at
Clerkenwell .

It is Ordered by this Court that Hammond Crosse< no role > Esqr . one of his Majestys
Justices of the Peace for this County be and he is hereby desired to provide
Twelve Blocks and Twelve Beatles for the Use of the House of Correction
at Clerkenwell in this County and to report the Charge and Expence of the
same to the Court of the next General Session of the Peace to be holden for
the said County on the County day of the same Session

By adjournment on Thursday the twenty first day of April 1757.

Order concerning the locking
up the Doors of the Great
Room at Hicks Hall on
every County day and
delivering the Keys to this
Chairman .

Whereas it formerly having been the Custom on the County day of every General
Quarter and General Sessions of the Peace holden for this County during the time that
the County Business was transacting in the Great Room at Hicks Hall the Doors of the
said Room used to be locked as seen as Dinner was over and the Servants and [..] all discharged and the Keys thereof delivered to the Chairman of this Court
to be by him kept to the intent that no Justice of the Peace should be permitted to
depart before such Business was ended and finished unless upon special Motion first
made for that purpose This Court approving of the said Custom doth Order that the
like Custom be observed for the future.

Report of the Committee
concerning the Expence
arising to the County of
Middx from the apprehending
and passing Vagrants Etc.

Complaint being made to this Court of the growing Expence arising to this
County from the Apprehending and passing Vagrants and the Frauds committed
by the Officers conveying such Vagrants Etc

A Committee was appointed to consider from what Causes such extraordinary
Expence arises and Frauds are committed and also to consider of some
Method to ease the County and to Prevent such Impositions for the future
and to report their Opinion upon the said premisess

Your Committee are of Opinion that the great Expence complained of and the Frauds
committed have their rise from the following Causes.

1st.

That one Cause of this Expence is the great Relaxation in the executing the Statute
of the 17th. of his present Majesty called the Vagrant Act which is evidently
proved from the Swarms of Beggars infesting the Streets, some Produced by real
Distress, and others who by artfull Disguises of Wretchedness, contrive to support
themselves and Familys in Idleness and intail a Race of Rogues and Vagabonds
upon posterity.

2d.

That when Vagabonds are apprehended and brought before the Magistrates, the
Punishment prescribed by the said Act has been in too many Instances dispensed
with and this We apprehend is not only a great Incouragement to Beggars but
also renders the Passes in themselves illegal and such Magistrates private Fortunes
liable to all the Charge incurred from such Passes

3d.

That the Magistrates in general not returning the Duplicates of the Vagrant
Passes and Examinations to the next Sessions as directed by the said Act there to be
kept as Records renders the Clause of the said Act for the punishment of