The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-11-01 00:00:00

SWAN WWI TWO NECKS 1101*EL. CoFPFE•
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EXTRArT
►ROM AM ♦DDRLSt TO TAR PUSLAC 111014 THE SO-
&IES Y ►OR THE 111.7PPEASSIOY OF VLCE.

BLASPHEMOUS. I.ICF.NTIOUS, AND OBSCENE
BoOKS AND MINTS.

The society are apprehensive that, to many who
are ignorant of the event to which this dertruaive
traiEz has been carried, 'heir exertions in suppress-
ing i. may appear dirpr porticuate and excessive,
and that the objeel may lie deemed unworthy the la-
bour they have bestowed upon it ; they request such
persons however to ritrrend their decision, t:11 the
whole of the nefarious system about to he developed,
be opened to their v, •w. Th"c have little doubt
that it will then app-ar, from die clearest evidence,
that by means of this ahose powerful engine, a sys-
tematic design against the morals of ►he rising ge-
neration has heat pursued, desu naive in its ten-
dency, and unlimited in ite extent.

'11;e information on which the society have aCted,
in this branch of their exertions, has been derived
troin different sources ; it has been jrenerally sup-
ported by thie confession of the pffenders themselves,
and the testimony of others conneeted with them ;
and it hay been confirmed upon the stridest investi-
gation in courts of justice. It appears that the
traffic in question is very extensive, that it does not
merely affArd a precarious subsistence to a few
hawkers and pedlars, but that some foreigners, of
apparent respeetahility, and of no inconsiderable
property, are engaged in it : and that it is by no
means confined to the metropolis, hut, by a regular
and established intercourse, is conveyed through a
great part of the united kingdom.
From a respectable quarter the society derived the
information that a considerable house, consisting of
several partners, employed about thirty petsoui,
who went from place to place, generally two in
company, ostensibly dealing in looking glasses, :tint
other articles of fair trade; hit r:.l hug, whenever
the e :ndeeent prints, svat :.-istp‘iis, arid other
articles of a like kind, and that two artist% of whose
names and residence the society are now in po-scs-
stem, were in the habit of designing and engraving
many tithe plates.
.The following particulars were obtained by a
member of the t °miniver, who had an opportuni:y
of conversing with one of these itinerant print-sellers,
who, during the last summer, inle.ted Brighton and
its vicinity. He was plainly told that they all be-
longed to a partnership, which carried on the trade
of obscene hooks and prints in London, that their
were twelve in number, who travelled the country,
being snpplied with goods by the partners in toe n ;
that when their stock was exhausted, they received
a fresh supply by the waggon, wherever they might
happen to be; that four of them were then on their
rotate at Brigh:oti, and had been for the last three
months in that neiglihnur hood ; that they intended
to remove to Maid.one, and thence to Lonlon ;
t;,rt al other times they had b -en at York and .ilan-
cheste-r, and at many other inland t. wns; that the
other eight itirterAnt pm-Inert were then in Norfolk

Inisr !nation of it simitee nature, sentleglip iseirrebs.
rating the above, was obtained from a person who
had himself been conneaed with these men, by sup.
plying them with frames, and other articles of trade.
He stated, that many of those engaged in this traffic
were itinerant Italians, who were employed Ss
agents by persons ia.Loodon ; that the articles is
which they dealt were sent to them by the waggon,
and sold by them at the same price at which they
received them; that at Newcastle he knew ot six
Italians who made that town their principal .placeof
residence, receiving a constant supply of prints from
London,und dispersiue them over the neighbouring
counter; that he had frequently been in company
with them when they settled their accounts; that he
had often beard them say they had sold obscets
prints at boarding schools, through the medium of
servants; that he had koown them absent from their
lodging at Newcastiz for a week together, but that
they always returned t.i t: c same place.
Evidence has also been procured, that some ap-
parently respettable houses. consisting principally ot
foreigners, ale concerned in supporting this iti•.er.tot
trade, by supply i..g the hawkers engaged in it with
the goods which they carry about the country. And,
considering the number of these hawkers who meet
the eye of the traveller, and also that, accordi'.g to
the confession of the patties themselves, many of
them are entirely supported by the s de of these as.
ticks, it must appeal that the trade io qttest,on is
carried on to an extent which affords just cause tot ths
most serious apprehension; to evety s tient: of bosisty.
To the above statement the society have funkier
to aid, that the Jiffusiou of this subtle puison is not
confined to men. but that females are also engaged
in the same deadly work. It has been disse.v..red
that women infest the neighbourhood of the Metro.
pubs, who circulate the very sank kind of b ,olts
and prints as the itinerants above-mentioned; and
that, under the pretext of parchesing cast-ofi•clothee
from servants, or of venOir.g VNTIC trilling at giant
they gain admittance into I,:riale boarsliog•ichools,
where they find means to carry on their pernicious
traffic without suspicion or interrup ion
It is to be lamented, that the trade in obscene
publications, far from being confined to the hav de.
scriptions of persons already mentioned, is sooforted
by some opulent tradesmen, of fair reputation. Woo,
from this most corrupt source, derive considerable
profits. It appears, also, that a part of that cap..
ial, which is employed in carrying on an extensive
trade in pianies awl prints, the produetions both of
our own and fore.gn artists, has been prostituted to
use purpose of introducing into this country the poi-
r...TO/US trash of the Continent; and, is retool for
our great export of prints, the wer':s of our natives
artists, art extensive import trade is likewise carried
on in the produetions of foreigners ; and thus, under
the cloak of lawful commerce, performances, the
most obscene and blasphemous, arc brought into
this country, and, in cansmot with licentious works
of our own growth, are disseminates!, by means of
itinerants and others, over a great pact vs the United
Kingdom.

rrom the foregoing staternera it appears, that th•
traffic in licentious books and prints is priawipally
carried on by Italians, both as whr:iesale dealers and
as itinerant venders. But there are other rtrailers
of these poisonous wares, who abound in the Me-
tropolis.

That these articles, however. are objeas of a re-
gular and extensive traffic, there can be no doubt, ASs
in various instances of deteftiod, both ammgst the
itinerants, and the other description of dealers above
enumerated, precisely the same kind of h r.k. has
Leen discovered. There are indeed some publi ra-
tions. most grossly ind:ce: t, which have beta
(nand in such general circulation, As to actor d
SIIrARCC that large editions of the •1 are printed. 011
the title page they sometimes put!). rt to he fineigo
produttions, printed at the iiague, or sum: other
Continental town. Rut this is a fallacy. intended
only to favour their circulation . k i, also well /01 'wiz
that s >rue book,—ers,cairying on .sve y alive
traJe.r:gularly sappl)- their ciasniry correspondents
with obscene pultications; and they urge in d. fence
id' such a colt:Suet, that were they to try et such or.
ders, others would ennute them. But this .urely
:ann.* appear, to any conscientious and re 4ting
mind, an excuse for the comM,sion of a clime of
the most pernicii us tendency; for what less than
such a crime is the prostitution of a trade; intended
to promote the cause of science and virtue, to this
pi opagation of infidelity and v ce ?
The Society have also r,ceived information, that
a person of o decent appea• ante is in the habit ofst-
tending coffee•lioase.. where, under the pretext of
dealing in the fishionoble pra.iusftions of the day,
collea.un of which he rarely fails to carry with him,
he watches fur opportunities of addressing young
men tor the purpose of selling to them sioec at
publications. How much evil may be elfeard Of
Merl a proceeding it is difficult to calculate ; but he
certainly would he a friend to the community who
should bring such an offender to juo:ke, or who
should lay such information bet; ,re the Society,
as might enable them to reveut his furthci 4144:CC/wi.