Arraigns, for the Trial of the County Prisoners; and not to mention that they thave altered, enlar-
ged, and improved he Gaol, till at last, as they themselves say, it is become a most dangerous Nusance:
They never thought it at all necessary to consult the County, as to its Construction; some few Years
ago they insured the Prison from Fire, in their own Names, in the Hand in Hand Fire Office; soon
after a Fire happened therein; they applied to the Office, received 500l. and laid it out as they
thought fit.

In all that relates to the Government or Management of the Prison, the Citizens have constantly
exercised their own Judgment, without consulting the County; and whenever it has been necessary
to apply to the Great Council of the Nation, in Matter relating to the Gaol of Newgate , they have
done it alone and without the Intervention or Concurrence of the County; and of this a very re-
markable Instance shall now be given.

Immediately after the dreadful Conflagration in 1666, in which the greater Part of the City was
consumed, the Citizens thought it necessary to implore the Aid of Parliament, to enable them to re-
build their public Edifices: At that Time it was never pretended that the County were chargeable
with any Part of the Expence of rebuilding Newgate, and the Parliament were so little disposed to
think so, that, by an Act of 19 CAR. II. they granted the City a Duty arising from Coals brought
into the Port of London , which is expressly appropriated, among other Things, to the rebuilding the
City Gaols. Enabled by this Grant, which, by their own Account, Produced 736,804l. the City
rebuilt, among other public Edifices, the greater Part of the now Gaol of Newgate , and, to inti-
mate how little they thought the County had to do with it, they stamped it with the City Arms, and
by Inscriptions on the East and West Fronts of the Gate, commemorated the AEra of its Re-edification,
and the Names of the Magistrates under whose Government it was begun and completed, in Terms
that import little less than a sole and exclusive Property in it.

Here it is proper to mention, that by a Charter of I HEN. IV. that King grants to the Citizens
of London , the keeping as well of the Gates of Newgate and Ludgate, as of all other Gates and Pos-
terns of the said City; when this Grant has been urged as a Proof, that the Gates, and Newgate in
particular, belong to the City, the Answer has been, That under this Grant they claim nothing more
than the bare Custody of the Gates, and yet the City have taken upon them to pull down all the City
Gates but this of Newgate ; and. besides selling the Materials, they have converted their respective
Scites into freebold Estates, which they have lett upon Leases, reserving to the City large Fines and
Ground-Rents; and, doubtless, they would have acted in the same Manner by Newgate, if they had
not had something farther in View.

The unhappy Situation of the County of Middlesex is such as almost to environ the City of London ,
and one of the Consequences of this Situation is that the numerous Poor, which from the most remote
Parts of the kingdom, are attracted to the Metropolis, though the City have the Benefit of their La-
bour as having their Residence mostly in the circumjacent Parishes, become legally settled there, and
so become a Burthen on the County. Hence the Difference between the Poor's Rate in the City and
Suburb Parishes. And in all he Improvements which of late Years have been made of the City Es-
tates by building, the Citizens have constantly had an Eye to the Accommodation of Merchants and
other Principal Traders, and seem to have forgot that as well the Poor as the Rich need Houses to
dwell in.

Thus far then it is evident that there is not the least Colour of a Reason for imposing on the
County and Part of the burthen of rebuilding the Gaol of Newgate ; it remains now to shew how
little the City are intitled, in this Respect, to the Aid of the Public.

By the several Sums above shewn to have been received by the Citizens, it appears that they have
been possecced of at leaft two Funds, amounting to near a Million Sterling, out of which, if they
had thought fit, they might have rebuilt their Gaol long ago, without the Aid of Parliament, or
any Contribution of the County; and if they are not present very well able to do it, it must be
owing to some Reasons which the Public Strangers to. In 1721, the Officers sold by the City
were estimated at 152,000l. by one of their favourite Historians. The Revenues of the City are
immense, and a very few Years will put it in the actual Possession and Receipt of such Estates as
must yield an Income much more than adequate to all the Expences of its Government, as the
Sources of these Revenues are, in general, Royal Grants, many of them under the express Condi-
tion of well governing the City, they are enjoyed by the Citizens, in their political and corporate
Capacity. The Revenues arising from these Grants cannot be considered as Matters of private
Emolument, or the Right of Individuals ; in Reason and Justice they are distinated for public Pur-
poses, such as the Erection and Repair of Goals, Bridges, and other public; Edifices; and, till these
Resources fail, which it is hardly possible they should ever do, it is humbly apprehended that in re-
spect of a Prison so peculiarly their own as their of Newgate has been shewn to be, the Citizens have
not the least Pretence of Claim to the Bounty of the Public.

(It is appoid thatThis Statement appairs
[..] prepardin the year 1764on
the occasion of [..] the above mentioned Inquiry
of the lifs of In a men apctition laing pursuened
the He of Cams.Pray the Newgate
[..]