February 1778

produced The Subsequent draught of a Representation to the Lord High
Chancellor of Great Britain of the misbehaviour of John Gretton< no role > Esqr
one of the Justices of the Peace of the County of Middlesex and of his
abuse of his authority in various Instances was by the Chairman laid
before the Court and the same being read as follows Vizt

To the Right Honourable Henry Earl Bathurst Lord
High Chancellor of Great Britain

The Representation of his Majesty's Justices
of the Peace for the County of Middlesex assembles
in their General Session holden by adjournment
at the Guildhall in King Street Westminster on
Friday the 13th day of March 1778

Sheweth

That the said Justices having received sundry Complaints
and having also been themselves witnesses of sundry Instances of
Oppression illegal practice and other misbehaviour in certain of the acting
Magistrates keeping Public Offices in these parts of the County that are
adjacent to London and therefore the most populous, and it appearing to them
that the said Magistrates with the assistance of their Clerks and a number of
infamous persons called Runners by harrassing the Dwellers in this County
with vexatious Imformations and terrifying them with Prosecutions for
the Breach of and Disobedience to Statutes that never were enacted and
Laws that do not exist and by various other Arts and Practices equally
venal and corrupt had a considerable time past been raising a Revenue
to themselves to the great Disgrace of Justice and the oppression of the Subject
The said Justices did by an Order made in their General Session of the Peace
holden by adjournment on Thursday the fourth day of December last
refer it to a committee of their own Body to enquire into and examine
the said Complaints and the evidence on which the same were grounded

That by the Report of the said Committee It appears that said
Committee did accordingly take upon themselves the enquires directed
by the said Order of Referrence and proceeded therein to the examination
of Witnesses upon Oath and also to the inspection of such papers as were
from time to time produced to and laid before them and that in the
Course of the said Enquiry the following Instances of misbehaviour of
John Gretton< no role > one of the Magistrates complained of appeared to them