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<p n="201"> Arraigns, for the Trial of the County Prisoners; and not to mention that they thave altered, enlar-<lb></lb>
ged, and improved he Gaol, till at last, as they themselves say, it is become a most dangerous Nusance:<lb></lb>
They never thought it at all necessary to consult the County, as to its Construction; some few Years<lb></lb>
ago they insured the Prison from Fire, in their own Names, in the Hand in Hand Fire Office; soon<lb></lb>
after a Fire happened therein; they applied to the Office, received 500l. and laid it out as they<lb></lb>
thought fit.</p>
<p n="202">In all that relates to the Government or Management of the Prison, the Citizens have constantly<lb></lb>
exercised their own Judgment, without consulting the County; and whenever it has been necessary<lb></lb>
to apply to the Great Council of the Nation, in Matter relating to the Gaol of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo217">Newgate</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo217" type="placeName" value="Newgate"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo217" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, they have<lb></lb>
done it alone and without the Intervention or Concurrence of the County; and of this a very re-<lb></lb>
markable Instance shall now be given.</p>
<p n="203">Immediately after the dreadful Conflagration in 1666, in which the greater Part of the City was<lb></lb>
consumed, the Citizens thought it necessary to implore the Aid of Parliament, to enable them to re-<lb></lb>
build their public Edifices: At that Time it was never pretended that the County were chargeable<lb></lb>
with any Part of the Expence of rebuilding Newgate, and the Parliament were so little disposed to<lb></lb>
think so, that, by an Act of 19 CAR. II. they granted the City a Duty arising from Coals brought<lb></lb>
into the <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo218">Port of London</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo218" type="placeName" value="Port of London"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo218" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, which is expressly appropriated, among other Things, to the rebuilding the<lb></lb>
City Gaols. Enabled by this Grant, which, by their own Account, Produced 736,804l. the City<lb></lb>
rebuilt, among other public Edifices, the greater Part of the now Gaol of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo219">Newgate</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo219" type="placeName" value="Newgate"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo219" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, and, to inti-<lb></lb>
mate how little they thought the County had to do with it, they stamped it with the City Arms, and<lb></lb>
by Inscriptions on the East and West Fronts of the Gate, commemorated the AEra of its Re-edification,<lb></lb>
and the Names of the Magistrates under whose Government it was begun and completed, in Terms<lb></lb>
that import little less than a sole and exclusive Property in it.</p>
<p n="204">Here it is proper to mention, that by a Charter of I HEN. IV. that King grants to the Citizens<lb></lb>
of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo220">London</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo220" type="placeName" value="London"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo220" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, the keeping as well of the Gates of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo221">Newgate</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo221" type="placeName" value="Newgate"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo221" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
and Ludgate, as of all other Gates and Pos-<lb></lb>
terns of the said City; when this Grant has been urged as a Proof, that the Gates, and Newgate in<lb></lb>
particular, belong to the City, the Answer has been, That under this Grant they claim nothing more<lb></lb>
than the bare Custody of the Gates, and yet the City have taken upon them to pull down all the City<lb></lb>
Gates but this of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo222">Newgate</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo222" type="placeName" value="Newgate"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo222" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
; and. besides selling the Materials, they have converted their respective<lb></lb>
Scites into freebold Estates, which they have lett upon Leases, reserving to the City large Fines and<lb></lb>
Ground-Rents; and, doubtless, they would have acted in the same Manner by Newgate, if they had<lb></lb>
not had something farther in View.</p>
<p n="205">The unhappy Situation of the <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo223">County of Middlesex</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo223" type="placeName" value="County of Middlesex"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo223" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
is such as almost to environ the <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo224">City of London</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo224" type="placeName" value="City of London"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo224" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
,<lb></lb>
and one of the Consequences of this Situation is that the numerous Poor, which from the most remote<lb></lb>
Parts of the kingdom, are attracted to the Metropolis, though the City have the Benefit of their La-<lb></lb>
bour as having their Residence mostly in the circumjacent Parishes, become legally settled there, and<lb></lb>
so become a Burthen on the County. Hence the Difference between the Poor's Rate in the City and<lb></lb>
Suburb Parishes. And in all he Improvements which of late Years have been made of the City Es-<lb></lb>
tates by building, the Citizens have constantly had an Eye to the Accommodation of Merchants and<lb></lb>
other Principal Traders, and seem to have forgot that as well the Poor as the Rich need Houses to<lb></lb>
dwell in.</p>
<p n="206">Thus far then it is evident that there is not the least Colour of a Reason for imposing on the<lb></lb>
County and Part of the burthen of rebuilding the Gaol of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo225">Newgate</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo225" type="placeName" value="Newgate"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo225" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
; it remains now to shew how<lb></lb>
little the City are intitled, in this Respect, to the Aid of the Public.</p>
<p n="207">By the several Sums above shewn to have been received by the Citizens, it appears that they have<lb></lb>
been possecced of at leaft two Funds, amounting to near a Million Sterling, out of which, if they<lb></lb>
had thought fit, they might have rebuilt their Gaol long ago, without the Aid of Parliament, or<lb></lb>
any Contribution of the County; and if they are not present very well able to do it, it must be<lb></lb>
owing to some Reasons which the Public Strangers to. In 1721, the Officers sold by the City<lb></lb>
were estimated at 152,000l. by one of their favourite Historians. The Revenues of the City are<lb></lb>
immense, and a very few Years will put it in the actual Possession and Receipt of such Estates as<lb></lb>
must yield an Income much more than adequate to all the Expences of its Government, as the<lb></lb>
Sources of these Revenues are, in general, Royal Grants, many of them under the express Condi-<lb></lb>
tion of well governing the City, they are enjoyed by the Citizens, in their political and corporate<lb></lb>
Capacity. The Revenues arising from these Grants cannot be considered as Matters of private<lb></lb>
Emolument, or the Right of <rs type="occupation" id="LMSMPS50547_occ59">Individuals</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_occ59" type="occupation" value="Individuals"></interp>
; in Reason and Justice they are distinated for public Pur-<lb></lb>
poses, such as the Erection and Repair of Goals, Bridges, and other public; Edifices; and, till these<lb></lb>
Resources fail, which it is hardly possible they should ever do, it is humbly apprehended that in re-<lb></lb>
spect of a Prison so peculiarly their own as their of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo226">Newgate</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo226" type="placeName" value="Newgate"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo226" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
has been shewn to be, the Citizens have<lb></lb>
not the least Pretence of Claim to the Bounty of the Public.</p>
<p n="208"> <del>(It is appoid that</del>
This Statement appairs<lb></lb>
<obscured></obscured>
prepard<del>in the year 1764</del>
on<lb></lb>
the occasion of<obscured></obscured>
the above mentioned Inquiry<lb></lb>
<del>of the lifs of In a men apctition laing pursuened</del>
<lb></lb>
the He of Cams.<del>Pray the <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50547_geo227">Newgate</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo227" type="placeName" value="Newgate"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50547_geo227" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
</del>
<lb></lb>
<obscured></obscured>
</p>
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