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<p n="191"> Here it may be observed, that that respectful obedience which the County have always paid to<lb></lb>
the Order of the <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo199">Old Bailey</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo199" type="placeName" value="Old Bailey"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo199" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
Session, is what the Citizens mean, when they complain that the County<lb></lb>
Prisoners are crowded into their Gaol.</p>
<p n="192">The <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo200">County of Middlesex</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo200" type="placeName" value="County of Middlesex"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo200" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
have two Prisons, besides <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo201">Tothill-Fields Bridewell</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo201" type="placeName" value="Tothill-Fields Bridewell"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo201" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, which they built, and<lb></lb>
do maintain: and in these, though, except about Sessions Time. they are generally full no malig-<lb></lb>
nant Disease hath ever yet appeared, and had the same Care been taken to prevent the Accumula-<lb></lb>
tion of Filth in <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo202">Newgate</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo202" type="placeName" value="Newgate"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo202" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, as hath been exercised in the County Prisons, that malignant Disease, of<lb></lb>
which the Citizens si loudly complain, had very likely never appeared among them.</p>
<p n="193">The great Stress which is laid on the Circumstance of a Malignant Disease, makes it necessay to<lb></lb>
revert to a Fact that it is extremely fitting the public should be acquainted with. On the 27 of April<lb></lb>
1750, a great Number of Persons, attending the <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo203">old Bailey</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo203" type="placeName" value="old Bailey"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo203" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
Sessions, in a crowded Court, and un-<lb></lb>
commonly warm Weather, were seized with a Fever, communicated, as is generally supposed, by<lb></lb>
the infection of the Newgate Prisoners. of which Disease to the Number of about Forty Persons,<lb></lb>
among whom were two of the King's Judges, and the Mayor of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo204">London</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo204" type="placeName" value="London"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo204" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, lost their Lives. The late<lb></lb>
<rs type="occupation" id="LMSMPS50547_occ58">Sir</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_occ58" type="occupation" value="Sir"></interp>
<rs type="persName" id="LMSMPS50547_n193-1">Michael Foster</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_n193-1" type="given" value="Michael"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_n193-1" type="surname" value="Foster"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_n193-1" type="gender" value="male"></interp>
, one of the Judges of the <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo205">Court of King's Bench</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo205" type="placeName" value="Court of King's Bench"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo205" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, has thought fit to perpetuate this<lb></lb>
disastrous Event, in a Volume of Reports, published by himself; and enquiring into the Causes of<lb></lb>
it, assigns for one the Fithiness of the Gaol, and the Avenues to it.</p>
<p n="194">These Misfortunes did indeed awaken the Attention of the City, and led the Magistrates into &<lb></lb>
Survey of the Prison, in which the Seeds of this Infection had been long treasured up. The Con-<lb></lb>
sequence of this Survey was a Discovery of a vast Quantity of Filth, which had been many Years<lb></lb>
accumulating in the several Apartments of the Prison, of such various Kinds as left very little Room<lb></lb>
to doubt of the Causes of that Contagion to which the above Calamity was owing.</p>
<p n="195">Upon this the City set about a Work which it would have been happy if they had thought of<lb></lb>
sooner: viz. the Cleansing the Prison; the Filth was collected together, and, for very obvious Rea-<lb></lb>
sons, the Night was chosen as the Properest Time for its Removal to some Distance from the Town;<lb></lb>
and to some or other of the adjacent Fields it was carried by Cart Loads, and buried; and, through<lb></lb>
the Providence of God. since that Time. no such Misfortune has happened.</p>
<p n="196">The City affect to consider their Connexion with the County as a Burthen on them; whether it is<lb></lb>
so, or not, let their own Charters speak. By these it appears that they are possessed of many valuable<lb></lb>
Priviledges, in Consequence of this Connexion.</p>
<p n="197">In some of the most antient of these Charters the Citizens are declared to hold the Shrievalty of<lb></lb>
<rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo206">Middlesex</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo206" type="placeName" value="Middlesex"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo206" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
together with that of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo207">London</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo207" type="placeName" value="London"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo207" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, in Farm; and, to adopt the Metaphor, a most profitable<lb></lb>
Farm it has proved to them; for, to go no farther back than the Year 1672. it appears by Accounts<lb></lb>
produced by themselves, that the Sums received by the City to excuse persons nominated by the<lb></lb>
Mayor, from serving the Office of Sheriffs of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo208">London</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo208" type="placeName" value="London"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo208" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
and <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo209">Middlesex</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo209" type="placeName" value="Middlesex"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo209" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, amount to upwards of 148,750l.</p>
<p n="198">The Connexion between the Office of Sheriff, and a Place of Security for the Persons of those<lb></lb>
whose Escape from Justice he is at Law answerable for, does very naturally point out a method of<lb></lb>
applying the Sums above raised, which, had it been attended to, would have rendered the present<lb></lb>
Attempt unnecessary: The Citizens might have reasoned in this Way.Money has been raised by<lb></lb>
Sheriffs' Fines; the Strength of the Prison is the Sheriffs Security; let therefore the Person who<lb></lb>
serves the Office avail himself of the Default of him who has declined it; and let the Money so<lb></lb>
raised be a Fund for the Maintenance of that Prison, without which no Man could serve it all.<lb></lb>
But whether the City ever reasoned thus, or not, can only be guessed from the Methods which of late<lb></lb>
Years have been practised, as well in the raising, as the disposing of Fines for the Office.</p>
<p n="199">But why, say the City, must we take upon ourselves the Charge of any of the County Prisoners?<lb></lb>
The Anser is, Because upon your own repeated Sollicitations, ye have obtained what no other<lb></lb>
City in the Kingdon possesses, the Power of nominating;not barely your own Sheriffs, but<lb></lb>
a Sheriff for your Neighbours; and through this Power is no Injury to the County, it is evident that<lb></lb>
the Burthen of which ye so much complain, is no oother than the necessary Consequence of your<lb></lb>
uniting those two distinct Offices, and the several Jurisdictions attendant thereon, in the same Per-<lb></lb>
son: The Prison of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo210">London</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo210" type="placeName" value="London"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo210" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
is situate in, and is one of the Gates of the City: the Sessions of Gaol<lb></lb>
Delivery for <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo211">Middlesex</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo211" type="placeName" value="Middlesex"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo211" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
are held in London, for the Convenience of the City, the <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo212">Middlesex</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo212" type="placeName" value="Middlesex"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo212" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
Prisoners<lb></lb>
can therefore be tried no where but in London; The Court sends for such of them as are triable at<lb></lb>
the <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo213">Old Bailey</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo213" type="placeName" value="Old Bailey"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo213" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
(and they, as has been shewn, are but a small proportion of the whose Number of<lb></lb>
County Prisoners) in order for Trial, and the Sheriff, for his own Security, keeps them in <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo214">Newgate</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo214" type="placeName" value="Newgate"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo214" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
,<lb></lb>
the <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo215">City Prison</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo215" type="placeName" value="City Prison"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo215" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, as a Place of the greatest Strength and Safety. is not all this the Act of the City;<lb></lb>
are not the County in this Respect absolutely passive; or with what Face of Truth can it be venti-<lb></lb>
lated abroad, that the County crowd their Prisoners in on the City, or can any rational Conclusion be<lb></lb>
deduced from these Premisses to charge the County with the Expences attending the Prison of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo216">New-<lb></lb>
gate</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo216" type="placeName" value="New-gate"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo216" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, in any Proportion whatever?</p>
<p n="200">And it seems that, at some Times, that Citizens themselves entertain the same Opinion of the Mat-<lb></lb>
ter, viz, that the County has nothing to do with Newgate; for they dispose of the Places of the<lb></lb>
Keeper and Ordinary, and in two Instances have they assumed the Right of nominating a Clerk of<lb></lb>
Arraigns,</p>
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