than 6d the Hundred.ThatHence the Price of Labour being so very
low in this Article in proportion to the Wages of the person necessary
to conduct the performance and see to the properly tying up the
dressed Hemp, in this stage of the account, it is clearly perceptible
that no advantage is to be reaped by this kind of Labour in
the Prison

In the making Oakum it is very different for if constant Work
of this kind were to be obtained much Profit would accrue [..]
Was a sufficient Quantity of Old Rope furnished from the
Different Navy Yards Government might, under certain
regulations, perhaps, reap considerable advantage; and thus the
Labour of those persons might be applied to benefit that Community
whose ill conduct had tended before to injure and disturb it.

By the Number of Persons which appear to be committed
for Correction or to hard Labour it may excepted that great
Quantities of Hemp have been beaten and Oakum made
and some profit consequently have arisen, but tho' this
supposition Carries with it the strongest marks of reason and
probability yet it will be found otherwise It is not at all times
that Work can be procured, even that little which is obtained is
got with much difficulty, the Justices of the Peace for the County
having been obliged more than once to solicit employment
for these People by publick advertisement. At the time when
the greatest Quantity of Foreign Hemp is imported, which is
in the Summer Months, then indeed it often happens that
the Prison is full of Work;but in the Winter the Hands are
very rarely employed.

But notwithstanding the Number of Persons committed to the
House of Correction appears so considerable, yet few of them
actually Labour: many are incapable of it from Age, Sickness,
or some personal disability: others who tho' they swell the list
of Committments, yet continue but a short time in prison, being