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<p n="2134"> "to the Constable so to do, such Person shall forfeit, upon Conviction, not exceeding Forty Shillings,<lb></lb>
no less than Ten Shillings". And though these Kind of Houses are notoriously known to every<lb></lb>
Officer in the Parish where they exist; yet for Want of such Officers doing their Duty, by giving the<lb></lb>
necessary Information to the Magistrates, this excellent Clause of the Law (which if well executed<lb></lb>
would in a great Measure remove the Nusance) remains a dead Letter.</p>
<p n="2135">Your Committee are of Opinion, that the following Regulations, with others that may be suggested<lb></lb>
by the Wisdom of the Court, being put into Execution with Spirit and Vigour, will restore the Vagrant<lb></lb>
Act to is Activity, and by rendering it an Object of Terror to the Idle, our Streets may be cleared in<lb></lb>
a little Time of the Swarms of real and counterfeit Wretches, which are a Burthen to the Minds as<lb></lb>
well as he Purses of worthy People; and such Objects being confined to their proper Settlements, the<lb></lb>
real on will be decently provided for, the lazy Impostors receive proper Correction, and this and the<lb></lb>
neighboring Counties will be relieved from the great Expence arising from the unlimited, unco-<lb></lb>
trouled Vandering of the Vagabond Poor: And your Committee are Opinion, that the Season of the<lb></lb>
Year, proper to enforce the Execution of this Act, is now coming on, as those Vagrants, who are able<lb></lb>
to work will, in the Fields, find read Imployment.</p>
<p n="2136">As<obscured></obscured>
blication of the Clauses o so much of the Vagrant Act as relates to the apprehending<lb></lb>
Beggars by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50809_geo1887">London</rs>
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, and their Resolution to put the said Act into<lb></lb>
strict Execution, has produced the desired effect, by clearing the Streets of that Metropolis from Beg-<lb></lb>
gars, your Committee are of Opinion, that this Court, adopting the same Plan, with such Additions<lb></lb>
and Alterations as shall by them be thought proper, may in a great Measure produce the like Effect<lb></lb>
in this County; but your Committee apprehend, that if any Part of the Bills of Mortality be left an<lb></lb>
Asylum for the Retreat of Beggars, the Nusance, and the Charge arising to this County from it, will,<lb></lb>
in a Degree, continue, as such Beggars will be always ready to make Excursions from their Harbour;<lb></lb>
your Committee therefore think that it might probably give a finishing Stroke to this Complaint, if the<lb></lb>
Magistrates of the County of Surry would concur in taking the like Measures, and publishing the like<lb></lb>
Resohtions with the Lord Mayor and this Court, especially in respect to the Town of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50809_geo1888">Lambeth</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMPS50809_geo1888" type="placeName" value="Lambeth"></interp>
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, and<lb></lb>
Borough of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50809_geo1889">Southwark</rs>
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: And your Committee apprehend it would be of Service to the Publick to ask<lb></lb>
such Concurrence.</p>
<p n="2137">Your Committee being also convinced, that most of the Beggars in the Kingdom do at Times<lb></lb>
resort to this metropolis, being led by various Motives, some through Curiosity, other by Hope<lb></lb>
of Gain; and that they are well acquainted, that, upon being apprehended, they will be pro-<lb></lb>
vided for in their return Home by a Pass, without Punishment; are of Opinion, that the Resolutions<lb></lb>
this Court may come to in this Respect, should not only be affixed up in proper Places about the seve-<lb></lb>
ral Parishes in this Town, and published in the Daily papers, but also that those Resolutions should<lb></lb>
be affixed up in the Towns and Villages in this County, near the several Roads leading to London,<lb></lb>
and published in such Evening Papers as may best circulate the Knowledge of such Resolutions through-<lb></lb>
out the Kingdom, whereby Vagabonds, in the distant Counties; being Informed that certain Punish-<lb></lb>
ment and<obscured></obscured>
will attend their Peregrinatio<obscured></obscured>
from the<obscured></obscured>
<lb></lb>
coming here.</p>
<p n="2138">But your Committee apprehend, that how judicious soever the Contraction of any Plan to extermi-<lb></lb>
nate this almost inveterate Evil may be, and however desirous and vigilant the Magistrates may like-<lb></lb>
wise be in their several Districts to carry the Orders and Resolution of this Court into Execution, it<lb></lb>
is certain that without an active Discharge of Duty in the subordinate Officers, their utmost Efforts will<lb></lb>
be defeated; they therefore recommend, that, in the printed Resolutions, the Constables, and other<lb></lb>
Peace Officers, amdy be strictly charged to do their Duty in this Respect, by the Promise of Protection<lb></lb>
and Reward for the faithful and active Discharge of it, and Censure and punishment upon their Neg-<lb></lb>
lect. And as the common People have not a proper Idea of the Offence of Begging, and have in<lb></lb>
many Instances, by their Obstruction, rendered it very dangerous for the Peace Officers to whip sturdy<lb></lb>
which inflicts the Penalty of Five Pounds upon any Person hindering the Execution of the said Act;<lb></lb>
and also to enjoin all Persons, being thereunto required in his Majesty's Name, to aid and affift the Peace<lb></lb>
Vagrants; and that the Church-Wardens, Overseers of the Poor, and the Parish Officers, be also re-<lb></lb>
proper Informations of the Name and Place of Abode of such Persons who shall for the Future presume<lb></lb>
to looe<obscured></obscured>
and harbour Beggars and Vagrants in their Houses, or Out-buildings of any Kind, in order<lb></lb>
that<obscured></obscured>
he Penalty, prescribed by the said Statute, may be levied upon such Offenders.</p>
<p n="2139">And your Committee are of Opinion, that the indiscriminate, passing of every Vagrant Beggar brings<lb></lb>
more harge upon the County than is necessary ; and as the Law leaves a discretionary Power to pass<lb></lb>
or r<obscured></obscured>
pass such Vagrants, after inflicting the Punishment, your Committee think, that the severe<lb></lb>
When<obscured></obscured>
strurd<obscured></obscured>
Beggars would be sufficient<obscured></obscured>
cive them out of this County without the Expence<lb></lb>
of a Pa<obscured></obscured>
and if only Objects of real Distress who passed, and that from <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMPS50809_geo1890">Bridewell</rs>
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<interp inst="LMSMPS50809_geo1890" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, he would produce<lb></lb>
a considerable Saving; and as the Neglect of returning the Duplicates of the Passes and Examinations<lb></lb>
takes ot<obscured></obscured>
Sting of the Sentence and Punishment upon incorrigible Rogues, a Production of this<lb></lb>
Court would be conveyed to the acting Magistrates, that for the Future it will be required of them to<lb></lb>
Vouch<obscured></obscured>
for the Expence the County is put to<obscured></obscured>
their Orders and Certificates.</p>
<p n="2140">Your Committee are of Opinion, That for Want of some Method to detect such Vagrants as should<lb></lb>
presu<obscured></obscured>
to return after being passed as the Law prescribes, this County has been put to repeated Ex-<lb></lb>
pences and considering the Extent of the Town, and the Number of the Magistrates acting at least<lb></lb>
in par<obscured></obscured>
hial Affairs, the Imposition is easy, and the Detection very difficult; To prevent which, your<lb></lb>
Committee recommend, that the Keeper of Bridewell may be provided with a Book made Alphabetical,<lb></lb>
and<obscured></obscured>
t he be required to enter therein the Names of such Vagrants as shall be passed from thence,<lb></lb>
together with such brief Description of their Age and person, as may enable him or his Agent to re-<lb></lb>
collect any Person who has been before committed to his Care, and passed; and, upon such Discovery,<lb></lb>
it</p>
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