produced two papers relating to constables, watchmen, and other officers, which were read to and confirmed by him, and are as follows:
"Watchmen too old—should be from 25 to 50; their beats too extensive—should not exceed 20 houses on each side of the way. Watchmen too few, the sum raised for the watch too little, being only fourpence in the pound—should be sixpence.
"Ward-officers to be chosen out of those inhabitants that have served the office of constable, and to have a good salary. One half of the constables to be discharged within the year, so that one half remaining two years will be able to instruct the new officers, and the whole duty will be well done. If the new provisions for the watch can be established by the Commissioners remaining where they are, it will save trouble; for then the money may be raised by them as it now is, and every parish may pay and clothe their own watchmen; so that the appointment, distribution, direction, wages, number, and punishment of the watch, may be in the Magistrates by a new commission, and the paying and clothing be in the present Commissioners.
"The words 'A Constable of the City and Liberties of Westminster,' to be placed over the Constable's doors; the words 'Ward-officer,' over the Ward-officers' doors. Beadles by name to be discharged; and the necessary part of their
duty they now do, to be performed by the Ward-officers. That it would be right to confine the intended improvement and constables to Westminster only, as the watch in the adjoining parishes of Middlesex remain on the same footing as originally settled by the Statute of Winchester."
Second Paper. "The watch of Westminster is extremely defective; the number ought to be increased, their pay augmented, and the whole direction of them put under one Commission, and that Commission should be Magistrates of the City and Liberty of Westminster; the watch should be attended by ward-officers and relieved in the night, a whole night's duty being too hard. The round-houses should be capacious, no liquor should be sold in them; publicans should be punished for permitting watchmen to tipple during their duty, and watchmen should be particularly rewarded for diligence, and punished for neglect, by the civil power. High Constables should not quit their office at the end of three years. Constables should be increased, half the number only discharged annually. The constable of the night should be considered for his attendance on that duty, and punished for neglect.
"The power for raising money at present for the watch is too confined; it should be enlarged, raised by the present Commissioners, the watchmen paid by them, but their number, direction, and appointment, be by the new Commission of
Magistrates. Receivers of stolen goods, especially of those taken by burglary or highway-robbery, should be made principals, with a power of mitigation in the Judge."
James Sayer, Esq. being again examined, approved of Sir John Fielding's plan; and added, that the beadles are an unnecessary set of men, advanced in years, and servants to the Churchwardens and Overseers, are forty in number over the whole City and Liberty; they have an allowance of 20l. per annum apiece, which they make up 30l.; that he apprehends, if the number was increased to sixty, and the City and Liberty divided into so many divisions, a beadle to each division, and the object of their duty to take up vagrants, they might be of great service: that, if the beadle was to have two shillings for every vagrant he took up, and four shillings was given to any other person who should apprehend one, the one-half to be deducted out of the beadle's salary of that district where the vagrant was apprehended, it would have a good effect.
Mr. T. Rainsforth, High-constable of Westminster, being examined, said, he had been in office twelve months; that he had visited the different night watch-houses in the City and Liberty of Westminster frequently from twelve to three in the morning, found many of the peace-officers upon duty, some were not. That there is a general complaint of peace-officers neglecting