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London Lives 1690 to 1800
Crime, Poverty and Social Policy in the Metropolis
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Incorrigible Rogues of no force, for it seems doubtfull how incorrigible
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Rogues can be convicted without such Records
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4th.
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The too liberal Distribution of the ten Shillings with which the Magistrates
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are impowered to reward Persons apprehending Vagrants and the Arts made use
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of by Officers in the conveying of Vagrants by obtaining Passage for them at one
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third of the Expence allowed by Sessions by means of Carriers and other easy Methods
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have proved so lucrative that a king of Trade has been made of it at the Expence
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of the County, Your Committee by inspecting the Orders for paying the Reward of
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Ten Shillings find upwards of Fifty pounds directed to be paid in the Compass
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of about a Year by one Magistrate a Sum We believe greater than directed
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in the like Cases by all the rest of the Magistrates of the County in the same
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time and when the Sums paid for passing the Vagrants are added to the said
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Fifty pounds it amounts to near a Twelfth part of the whole County Rate and near
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a fourth of the whole Expence charged upon the County upon this Account And
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your Committee think that no Magistrates Clerk ought to make any Deduction
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upon pretence of having made out the Pass and Order out of the Ten Shillings
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which is the Reward given by the Law to the Apprehender, but your Committee
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find the Committee contrary has been done and that four Shillings has been
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deducted by the Clerk of that Magistrate out of such Reward, which induces
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your Committee to be of Opinion that this extraordinary Method of sharing
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the Reward between the Constable and the Justices Clerk may have produced an
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Imposition upon the Justice and been the Cause of this extraordinary Charge
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upon the County. Nor can your Committee help observing that many of the Orders
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for the paying the above Fifty pounds are made out in large Sums in one Order
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and couched in Terms not expression of the Cause for which they were made
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or given under Hand and Seat, nor does it appear that such Vagrants were
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either whipped or committed to
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or that any Duplicates of the Passes
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or Examinations were returned to the Sessions as the Law directs.
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5th.
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Another Cause of this great Expence has arisen from a wrong Use made of
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Vagrant Passes by the Officers in same Parishes who to save the Great Expence
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of Settlement Passes or the Maintenance of casual Poor not belonging to them
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and whose Settlements were at a great Distance have passed such Poor as Rogues
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and Vagabonds although no Act of Vagrancy had been committed and more
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especially the scotch and Irish Vagabonds
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6th.
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Your Committee are also of Opinion that the putting the Vagrant Act into
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Execution in particular Parishes and Places (howsoever laudable the
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Intention of the Magistrates may be) brings a large Expence upon the
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County without producing the designed Effect to the publick for as the design
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of putting the said Act in this manner into Execution relates only to one Species
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of Vagabonds, namely Beggars, those of them who are more the objects of
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Compassion than punishment feel the Lash of the Law, while the artificial
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Objects of Distress, who have reduced Begging into a Trade, well know how
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