'7 Mar., 1704. The Commons considered the report of the Commissioners of accounts, wherein they charge the earl of Ranelagh with £72,000 of the publick money not accounted for, and Ordered an addresse to the queen, that the attorney-generall may prosecute him in the exchequer by way of extent upon his estate.'
'14 Mar., 1704. This day the Commons resolved, that the late Commissioners of the Victualling office, in neglecting to keep regular accounts, in making out perfect bills to clear imprests without vouchers, and in not keeping a regular course in payment of their bills, and not making regular assignments thereof, have been guilty of a breach of trust, and acted contrary to their instructions.
'That Philip Papillion, esq., late cashier of the Victualling (Office) has been guilty of a breach of his instructions, by paying several bills without being signed by three Commissioners.
'And that an addresse be presented to her Majestie to direct an immediate prosecution against him, to compell him to account according to the Course of the Exchequer.'
'3 Oct., 1710. Yesterday Richard Dyot, esq, a justice of the peace for Middlesex, and one of the Commissioners of the stamp Office, was taken into Custody, being accused of counterfeiting stamps: implements for that purpose were taken in his house. Mr. Thomas Welham, deputy register of the prerogative office at Doctor's Commons, and others, were also seized and examined, being concern'd with him.'
These are not examples of a pleasant social state, and yet it seems that things might have been worse. 'I happen'd to be in a Company t'other day, among some persons who were very well acquainted with both London and Paris, where it was made a Question, Which of those two famous Cities was most debauch'd? 'Twas urg'd that the excessive Clemency of the English Laws gave Room for abundance of ill Actions that would not else be committed. Their Punishments have nothing terrible in them but Death. A Rack is not known among them; and their Examination of Criminals is not at all severe. The Judges are extremely favourable to them; false Witnesses lie under but a slight Penalty; and there is a Relaxation which may be call'd an Inexecution of the Laws. Then as to Bankruptcies, and other Villanies of that Nature, the City of London is so full of privileg'd Places, where such Thieves may take Shelter, that upon the whole it must be Confess'd there is much less Danger in being wicked at London than at Paris; and yet we came to a Resolution, That there is more Vice, and more Roguery at Paris than at London; more infamous Actions, more Cruelty, and more Enormity.'[652]
To remedy the very imperfect and lax enforcement of the laws, a society had been started in 1696, 'For the Reformation of Manners in the Cities of London and Westminster'; and in their eighth year (1703) they published a list of 858 'Leud and Scandalous Persons' convicted by their means in the previous year: in 1704, the convictions were 863; in 1707, only 706; whilst afterwards they increased enormously.
| 1708. | 1709. | |||
| Lewd and Disorderly Men and Women | 1255 | 794 | ||
| Keepers of disreputable and disorderly Houses | 51 | 32 | ||
| Keepers of Common Gaming Houses | 30 | 10 | ||
| Persons for | Exercising their Trades or ordinary Callings on the Lord's Day | 1187 | 1523 | |
| Prophane Swearing and Cursing | 626 | 575 | ||
| Drunkenness | 150 | 42 | ||
Looking at the above figures, the society must have done a sensible amount of good in morally purging the metropolis.
There were minor punishments: the stocks and the pillory, the former used for petty, the latter for somewhat graver, offences.