"to the Constable so to do, such Person shall forfeit, upon Conviction, not exceeding Forty Shillings,
no less than Ten Shillings". And though these Kind of Houses are notoriously known to every
Officer in the Parish where they exist; yet for Want of such Officers doing their Duty, by giving the
necessary Information to the Magistrates, this excellent Clause of the Law (which if well executed
would in a great Measure remove the Nusance) remains a dead Letter.

Your Committee are of Opinion, that the following Regulations, with others that may be suggested
by the Wisdom of the Court, being put into Execution with Spirit and Vigour, will restore the Vagrant
Act to is Activity, and by rendering it an Object of Terror to the Idle, our Streets may be cleared in
a little Time of the Swarms of real and counterfeit Wretches, which are a Burthen to the Minds as
well as he Purses of worthy People; and such Objects being confined to their proper Settlements, the
real on will be decently provided for, the lazy Impostors receive proper Correction, and this and the
neighboring Counties will be relieved from the great Expence arising from the unlimited, unco-
trouled Vandering of the Vagabond Poor: And your Committee are Opinion, that the Season of the
Year, proper to enforce the Execution of this Act, is now coming on, as those Vagrants, who are able
to work will, in the Fields, find read Imployment.

As [..] blication of the Clauses o so much of the Vagrant Act as relates to the apprehending
Beggars by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London , and their Resolution to put the said Act into
strict Execution, has produced the desired effect, by clearing the Streets of that Metropolis from Beg-
gars, your Committee are of Opinion, that this Court, adopting the same Plan, with such Additions
and Alterations as shall by them be thought proper, may in a great Measure produce the like Effect
in this County; but your Committee apprehend, that if any Part of the Bills of Mortality be left an
Asylum for the Retreat of Beggars, the Nusance, and the Charge arising to this County from it, will,
in a Degree, continue, as such Beggars will be always ready to make Excursions from their Harbour;
your Committee therefore think that it might probably give a finishing Stroke to this Complaint, if the
Magistrates of the County of Surry would concur in taking the like Measures, and publishing the like
Resohtions with the Lord Mayor and this Court, especially in respect to the Town of Lambeth , and
Borough of Southwark : And your Committee apprehend it would be of Service to the Publick to ask
such Concurrence.

Your Committee being also convinced, that most of the Beggars in the Kingdom do at Times
resort to this metropolis, being led by various Motives, some through Curiosity, other by Hope
of Gain; and that they are well acquainted, that, upon being apprehended, they will be pro-
vided for in their return Home by a Pass, without Punishment; are of Opinion, that the Resolutions
this Court may come to in this Respect, should not only be affixed up in proper Places about the seve-
ral Parishes in this Town, and published in the Daily papers, but also that those Resolutions should
be affixed up in the Towns and Villages in this County, near the several Roads leading to London,
and published in such Evening Papers as may best circulate the Knowledge of such Resolutions through-
out the Kingdom, whereby Vagabonds, in the distant Counties; being Informed that certain Punish-
ment and [..] will attend their Peregrinatio [..] from the [..]
coming here.

But your Committee apprehend, that how judicious soever the Contraction of any Plan to extermi-
nate this almost inveterate Evil may be, and however desirous and vigilant the Magistrates may like-
wise be in their several Districts to carry the Orders and Resolution of this Court into Execution, it
is certain that without an active Discharge of Duty in the subordinate Officers, their utmost Efforts will
be defeated; they therefore recommend, that, in the printed Resolutions, the Constables, and other
Peace Officers, amdy be strictly charged to do their Duty in this Respect, by the Promise of Protection
and Reward for the faithful and active Discharge of it, and Censure and punishment upon their Neg-
lect. And as the common People have not a proper Idea of the Offence of Begging, and have in
many Instances, by their Obstruction, rendered it very dangerous for the Peace Officers to whip sturdy
which inflicts the Penalty of Five Pounds upon any Person hindering the Execution of the said Act;
and also to enjoin all Persons, being thereunto required in his Majesty's Name, to aid and affift the Peace
Vagrants; and that the Church-Wardens, Overseers of the Poor, and the Parish Officers, be also re-
proper Informations of the Name and Place of Abode of such Persons who shall for the Future presume
to looe [..] and harbour Beggars and Vagrants in their Houses, or Out-buildings of any Kind, in order
that [..] he Penalty, prescribed by the said Statute, may be levied upon such Offenders.

And your Committee are of Opinion, that the indiscriminate, passing of every Vagrant Beggar brings
more harge upon the County than is necessary ; and as the Law leaves a discretionary Power to pass
or r [..] pass such Vagrants, after inflicting the Punishment, your Committee think, that the severe
When [..] strurd [..] Beggars would be sufficient [..] cive them out of this County without the Expence
of a Pa [..] and if only Objects of real Distress who passed, and that from Bridewell , he would produce
a considerable Saving; and as the Neglect of returning the Duplicates of the Passes and Examinations
takes ot [..] Sting of the Sentence and Punishment upon incorrigible Rogues, a Production of this
Court would be conveyed to the acting Magistrates, that for the Future it will be required of them to
Vouch [..] for the Expence the County is put to [..] their Orders and Certificates.

Your Committee are of Opinion, That for Want of some Method to detect such Vagrants as should
presu [..] to return after being passed as the Law prescribes, this County has been put to repeated Ex-
pences and considering the Extent of the Town, and the Number of the Magistrates acting at least
in par [..] hial Affairs, the Imposition is easy, and the Detection very difficult; To prevent which, your
Committee recommend, that the Keeper of Bridewell may be provided with a Book made Alphabetical,
and [..] t he be required to enter therein the Names of such Vagrants as shall be passed from thence,
together with such brief Description of their Age and person, as may enable him or his Agent to re-
collect any Person who has been before committed to his Care, and passed; and, upon such Discovery,
it