but that the Vagabonds were conveyed, and the Passes delivered prior to the
making out such Orders, and the Committee considering the large
Temptation (the least of the Orders being ten Shillings) are of Opinion that
such Practices may subject this County to most gross Impositions; for by a
Collusion between the Constable who delivers, and him that receives Vagrants
the Expence to the County may be carried to dangerous Lengths, as the Passes
themselves are the only Check to Impositions. That they are obliged to
observe, that some of the Orders which have been produced before them
are sd defective in Form, that your Committee are not able to judge whether
the Sums upon such Orders are what ought to be charged upon the County
as they do not mention the Places such Vagabonds were conveyed from
others for paying the Reward to the Apprehenders of Vagabonds are not
under Hand and Seal, as by the Statute directed, neither has that part
of the Act of Parliament which requires that Duplicates of the Passes and
Examinations be returned to Sessions, been in general observed and complied
with That they find 711 Orders for passing Vagabonds less the last then the
proceeding year which they apprehend may justly be ascribed to the sd Order
of Sessions having put an effectual Stop to the granting Vagrant Passes for
Casual Poor, where one Act of Vagrancy had been committed, That upon inspecting
the Orders for Rewards to the Apprehenders of Vagabonds they find large Sums of
the County Money paid to Beadles on that county That they are of Opinion
that the apprehending Beggars, being the imediate Duty and Business of the
Beadles of the several Parishes for which they are paid Salaries raised upon the
Public, therefore the County Money ought not to be disposed of to such Beadles on
Account of their apprehending Beggars, as it seems very unreasonable that the
Public should be twice charged on that Account. The Difference between the
Orders for paying Rewards for apprehending Vagabonds for the years proceeding
the said order of Sessions, and the year the said order took place, is in Favour of
the last year £178..2s..6d which they think may also be justly ascribed to the
Cautions given in this Respect in the said order of Sessions; and this saving
as hath been observed would have been more considerable had every Magistrates
paid that Deference to those Cautions which the Justices of the County, and
Decency to the Sessions demanded; And they are of Opinion, that if any
Magistrate will take Advantage of the Power given him by the Statute of the
17th. of the King to the Injury of the County, it ought to be demanded of him to
show that such Vagabonds were death with as the said Statute directs; And
that Duplicates of the Passes ad Examinations of such Vagabonds on whose
Account such orders are issued, are regularly returned to Sessions, as proper
Vouchers for such Money. By which Means also in corrigible Rogars and
be more easily consr [..] ; because when such Duplicates are regularly returned