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London Lives 1690 to 1800
Crime, Poverty and Social Policy in the Metropolis
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Historical Background
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London Lives Book
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Here it is proper to mention, that by a Charter of I
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HEN, IV. that King grants to the Citizens of
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London
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,
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the Keeping as well of the Gates of
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Newgate
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and Ludgate,
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as of all other Gates and Posterns of the Said City; when
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this Grant has been urged as a Proof, that the Gates,
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and Newgate in particular, belong to the City, the An-
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swer has been, That under this Grant they claim nothing
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more than the bare Custody of the Gates, and yet the City
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>
have taken upon them to pull down all the City Gates but
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</
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>
this of
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Newgate
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; and, besides selling the Materials, they
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have converted their respective Scites into Freehold Estates,
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</
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which they have lett upon Leases, reserving to the City
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large Fines and Ground-Rents; and, doubtless, they
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would have acted in the same Manner by Newgate, it
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they had not had something farther in View.
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<
p
n
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The unhappy Situation of the
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County of Middlesex
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is
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such as almost to environ the
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City of London
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<
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type
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, and one of
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</
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>
the Consequences of this Situation is that the numerous
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>
Poor, which from the most remote Parts of the Kingdom,
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</
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>
are attracted to the Metropolis, though the City have the
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>
Benefit of their Labour as having their Residence mostly
<
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</
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>
in the circumjacent Parishes, become legally settled there,
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</
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and so become a Burthen on the County. Hence the Dif-
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</
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>
ference between the Poor's Rate, in the City and Suburb
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</
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>
Parishes. And in all the Improvements which of late
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>
Years have been made of the City Estates by building, the
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>
Citizens, have constantly had an Eye to the Accommo-
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</
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>
dation of Merchants and other principal Traders, and
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>
seem to have forgot that as well the Poor as the Rich
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</
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>
need Houses to dwell in,
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"169"
>
Thus far then it is evident that there is not the least
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Colour of a Reason for Imposing on the County any Part
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</
lb
>
of the Burchen of rebuilding the Goal of
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Newgate
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rs
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<
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: it
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lb
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lb
>
remains now to shew how little the City are intituled, in
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</
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>
this Respect, to the Aid of the Public.}
</
p
>
<
p
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=
"170"
>
By the Several Sums above Shewn to have been received
<
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</
lb
>
by the Citizens, it appears that they have been possessed
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</
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>
of at Least two Funds, amounting to near a Million, Sterling,
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</
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>
<
obscured
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</
obscured
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out or which, if they
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obscured
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</
obscured
>
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</
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>
rebuilt their Goal long ago
<
obscured
>
</
obscured
>
Aid of Parliament,
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</
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>
or any Contribution of the County; and if they are not at
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>
present very able to do it, it must be owing to some
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</
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>
Reasons which the Public are Strangers to. In 1721, the
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>
Offices sold by the City were estimated at 152,000l. by
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</
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>
one of their favourite Historians. The Revenues of the
<
lb
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</
lb
>
City are immense, and a very few Years will put it in the
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</
lb
>
actual Possession and Receipt of such Estates as must yield
<
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</
lb
>
an Income much more than adequate to all the Expences
<
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>
</
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>
of its Government, as the Sources of these Revenues are,
<
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</
lb
>
in general, Royal Grants, many of them under the ex-
<
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</
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>
press Condition of well governing the City, they are en-
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</
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>
joyed by the Citizens, in their political and corporate
<
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</
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>
Capacity. The Revenues arising from these Grants cannot
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</
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>
be considered as Matters of Private Emolument, or the
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</
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>
Right of Individuals; in Reason and Justice they are
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</
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>
destinated fro public purposes, such as the Erection and
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lb
>
</
lb
>
Repair of
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Gaols, Bridges
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, and other public Edifices; and,
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</
lb
>
till these Resources fail, which it is hardly possible they
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</
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>
should ever do, it is humbly apprehended that in respect
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lb
>
</
lb
>
of a Prison so peculiarly their own as this of
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>
Newgate
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rs
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<
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"Newgate"
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has
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>
been shewn to be, the Citizens have the least Pretence
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</
lb
>
of Claim to the Bounty of the Public.
</
p
>
<
p
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"171"
>
For what Purpose this was introduced into the Case, it is
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>
very difficult to guess.-But the County will make the best
<
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</
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>
use they can of it.
</
p
>
<
p
n
=
"172"
>
The City are advised, that they ar intitled to the Free-
<
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</
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>
hold of all the Gates and Posterns of the City, and the Scites
<
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</
lb
>
thereof, Newgate not exceptedWhether under a Char-
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
ter of I Hen. IV. or any other Authority is immaterial-
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
And, admit that they have at a very great Expence, far ex-
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
ceeding the Value of the Materials, and of the Fines, and
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
Quit-Rents reserved upon the Leases, pulled them al
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
down, except Newgate, in order to Accommodate the
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
Public, by opening and enlarging the Streets-And it is
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
truly said, that they would have done the same by Newgate
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
if the Erecting a
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NewGoal,
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in a more convenient Situation,
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
had not been too great a Work for them If the Par-
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
liament should be disposed to attend to their humble Appli-
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
cation, they mean still to do it.
</
p
>
<
p
n
=
"173"
>
To this unhappy Situation the Landholders of the adjacent
<
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</
lb
>
Parishes owe the almost incredible Improvements of their
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
Estates.-Let them not therefore murmur, if there should
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
be some slight Inconveniences in such a Situation.And
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
let the Rich and Powerful
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County of Middlesex
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>
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</
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remember,
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
that to this unhappy Situation, they owe all their Conse-
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
quence.A Circumstance which alone furnishes more than
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
a Colour of Reason for their assisting the
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City of London
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type
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</
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<
lb
>
</
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>
upon this Occasion, i they had much less to do with New-
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
gate than they appear to have.
</
p
>
<
p
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=
"174"
>
From the Facts above stated, it is most evident that out
<
lb
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>
of one, and that the largest of these two Funds, the City
<
lb
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</
lb
>
Could not have built the Goal of
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Newgate
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, it being an ap-
<
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</
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>
<
obscured
>
</
obscured
>
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
Pretence to say, they ought to have rebuilt it.
</
p
>
<
p
n
=
"175"
>
The City Offices are thrown in as a third FundBut
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
unfortunately for that Argument, these Offices are a
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
Charge upon the City's Revenues. Upon the most exact
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
Computation, the City receives 1000l. per Annum from
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
the Sale of Offices, and they pay their Officers 3000l.-
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
There remains but one other Argument to Shew, that the
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
City are not intitled to the Aid of the Public, and that
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
the County will not choose to use-If they are not intitled
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
to the Aid of the Public, it must be because they are in-
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
titled to the Aid of the
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County of Middlesex
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</
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.
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>
From the Accounts which have been called for, it will
<
lb
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</
lb
>
appear, whether the City's Revenues are so immense as
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
they are represented, and whether they have been con-
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
sidered as Matters of private Emolument, or the Right of
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
Individuals, or whether they have not been distined, as
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
in the Opinion of the
<
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County of Middlesex
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>
<
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, in Reason
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
and Justice they ought to be for public Purposes, and ac-
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
cording to the Condition of their Grants, for well
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
governing the City.
</
p
>
<
p
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=
"177"
>
The Meaning of the present Application to Parliament,
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
is to be enabled to apply a Part of their Revenues to one of
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
those public Purposes, for which the
<
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County of Middlesex
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>
<
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</
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<
lb
>
</
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>
say, they are destinated for the Purpose of erecting a Goal.
</
p
>
<
p
n
=
"178"
>
<
obscured
>
</
obscured
>
And if the Person of Newgate instead of being
<
obscured
>
</
obscured
>
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
<
obscured
>
</
obscured
>
the Prison or the City o
<
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>
London
</
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>
<
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"London"
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</
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<
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</
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in any recpect what
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
soever, is peculiarly the Prison of the
<
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County of Middlesex
</
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>
<
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<
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</
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<
lb
>
</
lb
>
in some Respects, for Instance, for its Debtors; and if
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
it be their Prison in common with the
<
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City of London
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<
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,
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>
in all other Respects, surely the
<
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County of Middlesex
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>
<
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</
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<
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</
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<
lb
>
</
lb
>
will not refuse to co-operate with the
<
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>
City of London
</
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>
<
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"City of London"
>
</
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>
<
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</
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>
in so
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
public a Purpose, that the
<
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id
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>
City of London
</
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>
<
interp
inst
=
"LMSMPS50547_geo180"
type
=
"placeName"
value
=
"City of London"
>
</
interp
>
<
interp
inst
=
"LMSMPS50547_geo180"
type
=
"type"
value
=
"undefined"
>
</
interp
>
and
<
rs
type
=
"placeName"
id
=
"LMSMPS50547_geo181"
>
County of
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
Middlesex
</
rs
>
<
interp
inst
=
"LMSMPS50547_geo181"
type
=
"placeName"
value
=
"County ofMiddlesex"
>
</
interp
>
<
interp
inst
=
"LMSMPS50547_geo181"
type
=
"type"
value
=
"undefined"
>
</
interp
>
, may no longer be without a proper Place of
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
Confinement, where in there may be some Attention had,
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
both to the Health and Morals of the Prisoners.
</
p
>
<
p
n
=
"179"
>
The
<
rs
type
=
"placeName"
id
=
"LMSMPS50547_geo182"
>
City of London
</
rs
>
<
interp
inst
=
"LMSMPS50547_geo182"
type
=
"placeName"
value
=
"City of London"
>
</
interp
>
<
interp
inst
=
"LMSMPS50547_geo182"
type
=
"type"
value
=
"undefined"
>
</
interp
>
have no private Views to answer by
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
this Application.-They trust that private Views shall not
<
lb
>
</
lb
>
be suffered to defeat it.
</
p
>
</
div1
>
View as Text
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