Philanthropists will also, in this volume, find abundant scope for the exercise of that benevolence, and those efforts in the cause of humanity, which occupy their attention, and constitute their chief pleasure.—It is earnestly to be hoped, that it may produce an universal desire to attain those objects, which are shewn to be so immediately connected with the Public good.
For the purpose of elucidating, in some degree, the dreadful effect of the profligacy and wickedness, which have been opened to the view of the Reader, and occasioned the perpetration of Crimes and offences of every species and denomination, the following Estimate has been made up from information derived through a variety of different channels.—It exhibits at one view, the supposed aggregate amount of the various depredations committed in the Metropolis and its environs, in the course of a year.
The intelligent reader will perceive at once, that in the nature of things, such a calculation cannot be perfectly accurate; because there are no precise data upon which it may be formed; but if it approaches in any degree near the truth, (and the Author has discovered nothing in the course of four years to alter the opinion he originally formed in any material degree,) it will fully answer the purpose intended; by affording many useful and important hints favourable to those improvements which are felt to be necessary by all; though till of late, understood by very few.
It is introduced also (merely as a calculation) for the purpose of arresting the attention of the Public, in a greater degree, and of directing it not only to inquiries similar to those upon which the Author has formed his conjectures; but also to the means of procuring those improvements in the Laws, and in the System of the Police, which have become so indispensably necessary for the security of every individual possessing property in this great Metropolis.
An Estimate of the Annual Amount and Value of the Depredations committed on Public and Private Property in the Metropolis and its Vicinity, in one Year. Specifying the Nature of such Depredations under Six different Heads, viz:—
| 1. Small Thefts, committed in a little way by menial Servants,Chimney-Sweepers, Dustmen, Porters, Apprentices, Journeymen, StableBoys, Itinerant Jews, and others, from Dwelling-Houses, Stables,Out-Houses, Warehouses, Shops, Founderies, Workshops, New Buildings,Public Houses, and in short every other place where property isdeposited; which may be specifically estimated and subdivided asfollows: | ||||
| Tons. | £. | |||
| Articles new and old, of | iron and steel | 5000 | 100,000 | |
| — | brass | 1500 | 150,000 | |
| — | copper | 1000 | 120,000 | |
| — | lead | 2500 | 50,000 | |
| — | pewter, solder, and tin | 300 | 35,000 | |
| Pewter pots, stolen from 5204 Publicans | 500 | [189]55,000 | ||
| Small articles of plate, china, glass ware, sadlery, harness, and other portable articles of house and table furniture, books, tea, sugar, soap, candles, liquors, &c. &c. &c. | 100,000 | |||
| Piece-Goods from shops and warehouses, by servants, porters, &c. | 50,000 | |||
| Wearing apparel, bed and table linen, &c. | 40,000 | |||
| Silk, cotton, and worsted yarn, embezzled by Winders and others in Spitalfields, &c. formerly 20,000l. a year, now supposed to be | 10,000 | |||
| £.710,000 | ||||
| 2. Thefts upon the River and Quays,committed in a little way on boardships in the River Thames, whilstdischarging their cargoes; and afterwardsupon the Wharfs, Quays,and Warehouses, when the sameare landing, weighing, and storing;by glutmen, lumpers, jobbers, labourers,porters, lightermen, boyscalled mudlarks, and others employed,or lurking about forplunder, viz. | ||||
| Raw sugars, rum, coffee, chocolate, pimento, ginger, cotton, dying woods, and every other article of West-India produce, estimated at the commencement of the Marine Police Establishment at 232,000l. a year; but now reduced to | 50,000 | |||
| East-India goods, and merchandize from Africa, the Mediterranean, America, the Baltic, the Continent of Europe, coasting trade, &c. &c. 274,000l. now reduced by the Marine Police Institution to | 155,000 | |||
| Ship stores and tackling, including cordage, sails, tar, pitch, tallow, provisions, &c. taken from above 10,000 different vessels, estimated at 100,000l. but now reduced since the Establishment of the Marine Police, according to Estimate, to | 45,000 | |||
| £.250,000 | ||||
| 3. Thefts and Frauds committed in his Majesty's Dock-yards and other public Repositories, situated on the River Thames; including the plunder, pillage, and frauds, by which public property (exclusive of metals) is embezzled in the said stores, and from ships of war. (Besides the frauds, plunder and pillage, in the Dock-yards, and from ships of war at Chatham, Portsmouth, Plymouth, &c. at all times enormous, but especially in time of war; when public property is unavoidably most exposed, equal at least to 700,000l. a year more:) making in all, one million sterling, at least; but reduced by the Marine Police from 300,000l. to | 200,000 | |||
| 4. Depredations committed by means of burglaries, highway robberies, and other more atrocious thefts, viz. | ||||
| 1. Burglaries by Housebreakers, in plate, and other articles | 100,000 | |||
| 2. Highway Robberies, in money, watches, bank-notes, &c. | 55,000 | |||
| 3. Private stealing, and picking of pockets, &c. | 25,000 | |||
| 4. Stealing horses, cattle, sheep, poultry, corn, provender, potatoes, turnips, vegetables, fruit, &c. in London and the Vicinity | 100,000 | |||
| £.280,000 | ||||
| 5. Frauds by the coinage and recolouring of base money, counterfeited of the similitude of the current gold, silver and copper coin of the Realm | 310,000 | |||
| 6. Frauds by counterfeiting bank notes, public securities, powers of attorney, bonds, bills, and notes; by swindling, cheating and obtaining money and goods by false pretences, &c. &c. | 250,000 | |||
| £.2,000,000 | ||||