active Discharge of Duty in the subordinate Officers their utmost Efforts will be
defeated, they therefore recommend that in the printed Resolutions the Constables
and other Peace Officers may be strictly charged to do their Duty in this respect
by the Promise of Protection and Reward for the faithfull and active Discharge
of it and Consure and punishment upon their Neglect. And as the common
People have not a proper Idea of the Offence of begging and have in many
Instances by their Obstruction rendered it very dangerous for the Peace
Officers to whip sturdy Beggars, your Committee recommend the printing in
their Resolutions that Clause of the Vagrant Act which inflicts the Penalty
of Five Pounds upon any Person hindering the Execution of the said Act and at
to enjoin all Persons being thereunto required in his Majesty's Name to aid
and assist the Peace officers in the Discharge of their Duty in apprehending and
executing lawfull Punishment upon such Vagrants; and that the Churchwardens
Overseers of the Poor and the Parish Officers be also required to search for in
their respective Parishes and Divisions and return to the several Magistrates
proper Informations of the Name and Place of Abode of such Persons who
shall for the future presume to lodge and harbour Beggars and Vagrants in
their Houses or Out buildings of any kind in order that the Penalty prescribe
by the said Statute may be levied upon such Offenders.

And your Committee are of Opinion that the indiscriminate passing of every
Vagrant Beggar brings more Charge upon the County than is necessary and as
the Law leaves a discretionary Power to pass or not pass such Vagrants, after
inflicting the Punishment, your Committee think that the severe Whipping of
sturdy Beggars would be sufficient to drive them out of this County without
the Expence of a Pass and if only Objects of real Distress were passed and
that from Bridewell it would produce a considerable Saving; and as the
Neglect of returning the Duplicates of the Passes and Examinations takes
out the Sting of the Sentence and Punishment upon incorrigible Rogues, a
Resolution of this Court should be conveyed to the acting Magistrates, that for
the future it will be required of them to transmit to Sessions such Duplicates
not only to serve as Records as the Law requires but as proper Vouchers for
the Expence the County is put to by their Orders and Certificates.

Your Committee are of Opinion that for want of some Method to detect such
Vagrants as should presume to return after having been passed as the Law
prescribes this County has been put to repeated Expences and considering the
Extent of the Town and the Number of the Magistrates acting at least in
Parochial Affairs, the Imposition is easy and the Detection very difficult; To