The Sun.
London, England, 1818-02-25 00:00:00

PROSECUTIONS 'FOR FORGERY:

Sir J. 111AcKINTOsu rose to make a motion. .of
which he had given notice, which tvns framed
with a view to show the .effect which the Bank
Restriction had'upon the increase of crimes con-
nected with Forgery. ''The accounts he should
move for . were, for the ProSecsutions for Forgery
for 14 years before, and 14 years after the Restric-
tion in 1797 ; and the number of convictions and
executions *at, eabb period. Of the prosecutions.,
they had returns which had been formerly moved
for, and of the convictions iu the, late years, they
had accounts in the. general returns of criminal
judicature since 1812. That the• Restriction Bill
should have tended to increase the Prosecutions
'for Forgery, was not to be wondered at—but if
any one had stated, that they had since that event
-been multiplied one hundred fold, he would
.00t heave been believed, -and general 'discredit,
would have . been thrown on his'assertion.; yet
such was the fact. ..By the accounts which had'
been produced; it •Was proved,. that. .the pro-
secutions at the instanCe of
.theßank for Forgery,.
previously to 1797. were fit. r.. The. prosecutions
for •:the• fourteen years. were 438.---to that they
were more than centupled It was necessary, he
bserved, fo- ascertain vh'e cOnsequences of this
:g.Wetrl, the ii)ifusinti of deliravity, the inultipliea-
•tion of crimes, .and-the effusion 011inman blood.
:which had lestilted: from: its ,existence-. When this
knowledge was -:.before the,'House,• it would. be
`:eft` that Shbultr••lieldbrie to pitt an end
to soch; an, 41,0041) ons. evil., The Learned. (ientlenia,a
litvetcreattlibuttor;ns•of • his first-.motion adding,-
..nti4elti pat the House rirr possession of
W(;essarY,_ to t i e: format ion of
correct pdgment„ upon. the- whole of die case, lie
shotilcl also move •for Account' cif •the Number
persot)s piiiiiith.ted and
,convicted fur Coining
Gold and Silver eor fOnrieen yearsTrevions to the
-enactmeni•of- the Restriction anon the Issue of
.CAsb Paytikenis by' the Bank'. :This he thought a
,proper mot ion', With 4 view to a lair comparison
betwcen
_the advantages or disadvantages of the
Correntv, and those belonging to the pre-
sent system 'of paper currency.
ioestyiwoo,fseicnusteer(tg:
Mr. BENNRT suggested propriety
ing
for thejc
j(ey'fOcNr(T)'o;:saC'silisiitantceig:lll(!dilsldi‘aYttoeiklitiNmosttelsg.ge
soon
Sir
and moved that an Account should be laid.hefore
the House of the number of persons committed or
prosecuted
for forging Bank of. England Notes, or
for uttering or passing
la
8787(
iess;i
gnucii
ehaecol'ii
shiiig
the numbef.convict-
to be forged, from the Ist, of January, 1816„ to
h
fi'ltillis'ooesbed7.:waalitylog,(liiia3tilisnugfrered death), or any
year,etl2lsvait
•
'other punishment.
.Mr..Gaterii•Eez. observed, that as the motion of
his
Hon. Friend was not opposed, lie did not
think it necessary to,offer any tact or argnment in
its support. He therefore rose only for the pur4.
pose of suggesting to his Hon. Friend the pro-
priety of•combining with the motion of which he
had given notice for Tuesday next, a proposition
for laying before the,House a distinct-Account of
the, Persons prosecuted for the forgery or uttering
of • Notes. of 1/. 2/. and 51. For it was•known
that
.those. were the Notes usually
.circulated by
the low people who were prosecuted, while very
few were prosecuted for Notes of a higher.
amount ; and upon this tact being established to
the satisfaction of the
.1-louse, it 'Must be evident
that the htithherof prosecutions, convictions, and
executions for forgery, Were owing to the re-
striction upou east, payments by the Dank, and

the consequent issue of a vast number of \small
Notes.

Mr. L'octniqz. deprecated any attempt to excite
an improper commiseration for criniz,..observing,
that it was the duty of the Bank .to hold our en•
cOuragement to artists and chemists, with a view
to the 'invention of some paper and colour which
could not possibly be imitated, and thus the for-
gery of Bank Notes might be guardedagainst.
SirJ. MACKINTOSH declared, That he never had
, • . •
any wish tn excite improper coMm:seration for
.crime; or to take any proceeding likely ta weaken
the'authority of the laws. But while he admitted
the Learned Gentleman's- position, which how-'
ever conveyed no information, namely, that 'no
temptation was an adequate excuse for ctime, he
would maintain,. that any' Legislature which held
out a teMptation to crime was a participator ill
the guilt of its commission.
After a few words from Mr. Wuattroty and
General Tnoritvrot4, the motion was .agreed ~to,
as were the. fr;llawing motions :',---An. account
"of the number committed or prosecuted for forging
or uttering Wink Notes, from the enactment of
the Restriction Law, up to January 1816, making '
the same distinction as in the former rnotion".----
Aka an account of the number of'persons prosee
cuted for. counterfeiting Gold and Silver Coin, four
14 years.peevions to the enactment of the Restric-
tion
Law in 17:97,, distinguishing each year-, and'
also the number who
.were convicted, with those
who had
,suffered death or any other punishment,.
together with a similar account from 1797, up...to
the 24th of February, ISIS. • '
COPY-RIGHI%
. Sir E. BRYDGES withdreW his notice upon this
subject, and moved fora return at the number of
the folio, octavo, and diiodecimo Volitm' or
Pampitlets.received by the 'British Museum, from
Stationers' Hall, under the late Copy-right Acti,
distinguishing the:size
.of each publication. , - '
After ,a few Words froM Mr. BANkxs, the pm'
don was agreed to. - . •

On motion of General HAItTi the Account 017"
tiered some time ago witkrespect to'the Excise ill
Ireland was ordered•to be laid before the House

•
• ABSENTEES:.
General TuOnwroN seeing the Chairman of the
Finance Committee' in his place, took Occasion' to
ask him whether the revenue withdrawn from this.
country ,by British- subjects resident in threigig
parts had yet come under the consideration a
that Committee'?

Mr. GILBERT replied in the negative, adding,
that be was not aware of any intention to bring
the- subject mentioned by the Honourable Mernuer
under the consideration of the Committee alluded
to.—Adjourned.