The National Register.
London, England, 1816-09-23 00:00:00

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Our Ulna, Conatijutton anb 3Latu4.

MONDAY, SEPT!

;fix 23, 1816.

With respect to the second assertion, of insufficiency :
Nothing is more notorious than the total inadequacy of
the Watch : which so fir from being a protection to the
inhabitants, is but too justly considered the reverse : as
the known age and infirmities of most of the persons
composing that body, as well as their flagrant corrupti-
bility, prove rather an encouragement than a cheek to
depredations : while their extorting fees from the wo-
men of the town, in order to wink at their mal-
practices, shows how little they are to be depended
upon as guardians of public decorum ;—the conse-
quence is. that the conduct of these women is become
an intolerable nuisance; We are sorry to learn, that the
foot patrol° are of little more service, with respect to
those important-objects of polite, the regulation of pub-
lic-houses, the apprehension of minor offenders, the sup-
pression of gaining houses,. brothels, the clearing the
streets of prostitutes, &c.: fo? it appears that once.; on
application to Bow-street to remove the latter nuisance,
two patroles were desired to parade the streets, but at the
expellee of two guineas a week to the parish. The
parish not finding the smallest benefit from their services,
after a fortnight's attenda,hcp, dispensed with it, and
saved their money. It is somewhat strange that those
officers should have been allowed double pay in order to
perform what was a principal part of their duty ; and
still more strange, that they did not perthrm it after all.
ft appears, however, that this horse patrole has rendered
very essential services, although it might yet be renner-
ed more serviceable.
And now, touching the more serious charge of gross
mismanagement, to give it no worse appellation, we
will begin with the Licensing System. In the parish
of St. Paul's, Shadwell, there are only between 10 and
11,000 inhabitants, and in High-street, which is about a
quarter of a mile long, there is at the rate of onb public-
house to 1:2 others ; and in -New OfesseLlane...whieh is
shorter, there are 15 public-hhuses, or Ito 9. In Lower
Shudwell there arc 85, or 1 public-house to 6 others.
Why is there this enormous superfluity of public-houses
and gin-shops in Shadwell ? Oh ! becanse there are a
great many sailors in that part. But, really and truly,
why ? Why ! ask Messrs. Hanbury and Co. and Messrs.
Stables and Williams ; ay, and Sir Daniel Williams him-
self; nay, perhaps Major Jeckson might be able to throw
some light upon the case, .0t his nephew, Mr. Orange,
who keeps the gin-shop iri"Whitechapel ! But these
good and upright souls have no.interest whatever, as a
worthy Chairman assures us, much less exert any un-
due influence in granting or procuring licenses for such
a pestilent number of public-houses and gin-shops
in this district, but do it purely through a laudable at-
tention to the wants and4eonveniences of the public.
Though, it must be confessid, it looks rather suspicious,
that in the very same division and after six years con-
stant application, those very gentlemen and their impar-
tial colleagues refused to grant a single licence to Mr.
Beaumont, for the accommodation of 350 houses which
he had built, because he would not consent that his house
and the neighbourhood should be compelled to take Mr.
Hanburv's beer, and Messrs. Stables and Williams's spi-
rits ; as all the other public-houses in the division are
obliged to do, some for the term of seven and others fourteen
years. To be sure, allbuilders are not so unfortunate as
Mr. Beaumont. mr.Mercemn, for instance, the worship-
ful magistrate of Middlesex, it seems, found no difficulty in
obtaining licenses fur eleven houses of his own in one day !
and, doubtless, he found as little in procuring eleven more
for eleven other houses, to which he is agent. Not so with
poor William Stocker, of the Peacock, on Bethnal Green.
No less than 1001. to the ground landlord fur his interest,
besides the usual stipolation of taking Mr. H.'s beer,
could procure him a licence. Well, but Mr. Whitling
is not Mr. Hanhury. 'True ; he is only his surveyor. .
In short, there woupt be nu end of this ; suffice it to
say, that some licences era obtained without the legal
formalities (some being signed by the clergyman, some
not, and sometimes his signiiture is ?rocurcd, as a matter
of course; by the beadle ? who receives half-a-crown for
his fee), others are granted in violation of law, others are
improperly renewed Or re-granted atter complaints, and
almost all are obtained through the influence, and subject
to the controul of the 14:,vers and disinters. So much
for the licensing; system},,
We have no room at present to take notice of the va-
rious other topics cennected with the Police establish-
ment, but shall probably resume the subject on a future
occasion.