Star.
London, England, 1817-10-15 00:00:00

• • POLICE,

Maystotr-Horte.--.Yesterdiy, several young wea-
vers froth Spita'fields, every one of whoni could have
got employment with ease, were brought up, charged
with having attempted to pick pockets.
tutors appeared, and the weavers were delivered,
some into the care of their parents, and others taut. r
the protection of strangers, who seemed more willior
to do them service.—The LORD MAYOR, in the course
of some observations upon the great increase of pick
pockets, said, there were very extensive arrangements
now making, for the purpose.of awakening industri-
ous habits amongst those charged with crimes, as
well as those convicted. He had lately ordered, too,
that the allowance of brea.l in the Compter shoul.l
be augmented two ounces ptr diem. An Office;
said, his Lordship's order about the bread had been
already made known to the kiddies out of doors
through the medium of a morning maker (a woman
who steal, mats at hall doors at an early hour), who
had been in prison law enough to receive the improv-
ed sire and quality of allowance. The consequence
was, that it was determined • upon the part of the
pickpockets to vote the thanks of the body to his ,
Lordship for making up for all his past severiti.s to
them by giving them a little comfort.—The LORD
MAYOR —"ls it known to diem that they are to have
A little increase of work, too ? I should like to deal
candidly with them."—The Officer said, he believed
not.—The Loan Islavoa—"Lazy habits in prison hive
dime more in confirming vicious pursuits thaa even
the example of desperate acts, however romantic. I
feel all the reified I ought for the good wishes of
those numerous visitors, and I must tell them that
their labour in prison will be proportioned to the
number of calls they make upon me. Sixteen shall
be employed from morning till night in grinding
corn, and others shall bake."—Mr. Hosz.ga said, the
lives of the gentlemen to whom his Lordship alluded,
as his most constant visitors, were so gay, that upon
the most rational estimate one countryman would do
The, work of halt a dozen of them. Their constitu-
tions never stood more than a few years, and he re.
marked the rapid change of appearance that followed
the several acts for which they were committed.—
The Officers told his Lordship, that the thieves would
be much disappointed at finding their indolent habits
meddled with. There were some, however. who
would be industrious, but for the women of die town,
who brought to them in prison the fruits of their theft
and prostitution.—The LORD Marcia said, he should
endeavour to remedy chat, as well as many other
evils, before he went out of office.

George Woods, a boy about ten years of age, WAS
brought in by Clare, the officer, who stated that he
had found him lying on the pavement outside the
Mansion-House door, in a most deplorable state,
being unable to stand from the effects of fatigue and
the want of hood. The boy, upon being questioned
by the LORD MAYOR, stated, that he belonged to
Liverpool, and had come to London is search of his
parents, who had deserted him and two brothers
about seven years ago, and no tidings could be ob-
tained of their residence. Tired of the hall-starved
life he had led so long at Liverpool, he formed a
resolution, young as he was, of endeavouring to trace
his unnatural parents. He subsisted upon charity by
the way, and had only arrived in town three days,
when he learned by the merest accident that his fa-
ther and mother were living at Poplar. He went to
the latter place, and was there informed that his
father died about a month since, and that his mother
was living on the town by means of prostitution. His
clothes were completely worn out, his feet terribly
blistered, and when found by the cfficer he was ex-
hausted for the want of foOd, of which he had not
tasted for three days. The Lonu MAYOR ordered
him to be taken care of until he was sufficiently reco-
vered to be seat home to his parish.
HATTONGARDIR.—HardIy a night passes *ithout
several burglaries, robberies, and other nocturnal de-
predations being committed in the parish of Clerken-
well, from the number of poor housekss,balf-starved
wretches, who are, for want of any other shelter, ne-
cessitated to sleep is the new built houses, and on the
brick-kilns, in Spa-fields. From• the numerous com-
plainti made by the inhabitants in that neighbour-
hood owing to the depredations committed on them,
the patrol, watchmen, and constables were ordered
to be on the alert, and to take all such vagrants into
custody, and bring them before the Magistrates at
this Office, to be dealt with according to law ; in
consequence of this order, the following fourteen poor
wretches were brought up to this Office yesterday for
examination, viz.—Robert Rockwell, John Williams,
Thomas Nicholls, James Milroy (a poor wretch with
a boy seven years old, his son), James Gibbs, George
Henley, John Marlborough, Robert Bishop, William
Newman, Thomas Hardy, John Carnes, James John-
son, George Kennedy, and Thomas Batsford.—The
most part of them exhibited the greatest picture of
r•wretchedness we ever remember to have seen, being
ragged, filthy, and starved. The Chuichwardens and
Overseers of the Parish were present. The poor
creatures were examined separately as to means of
subsistence, place of settlement, Ste. Some had no
parish that they knew of ; some had distant parishes,
such as in Scotland, the Orkney Islands, Wales, the
City'of Chester, etc. but had not the means to go
hone, and being refused pines, or parish relief, were
necessitated to sleep ea the briek-kilns for warmth,
where many such poor creatures were found stay-
cated during chi summer. They were mostly dis-
charged from the Navy; and subsisted by getting an
occasidnallob at the Docks, beating carpets, assisting
the brick-makers, coal-heavers, or dust-men ; but the
penny they received 'was too little to support nature,
and out of which they could not afford to pay for a,
lodging. The unfortunate wretches stated that they
cookftet nothing to do,.tbat they would be happy` to
work if they got it, • and had feequeepy applied for
parish relief to no purpose; that on such occasions
the answer they invariably received from the Over-
sews was, K You are young and able to work—gol
and work, we will not relieve you." In such cases
what were they to do I—The Magistrates lamented
the Legislature bed not devised some remedy in such
,cases,-or enabled them to-compel Overseers to relieve
such neceuitous prior as were willing and able to
woik if they could get it, and to punish the idle and
lazy. They wise unwilling to add to their miseries,
and were quite at a loss bow to act, but should have
it decided at the Quarter Sessions.—They were all
committed to the House of Cunectionas rogues and
vagabonds, wandering about cad sleeping in the open,