you, and go to bed in your ftead." After fome further explanation, which convinced the gentleman that monfieur De Sartine's intelligence was accurate in every particular, he refused to be perfonated, and formed an immediate refolution literally to follow the directions he had received. He accordingly went to bed at his ufual hour, which was eleven o'clock. At half past twelve (the time mentioned by monfieur De Sartine) the door of the bed-chamber burst open, and three men entered with a dark lanthern, daggers, and piftols. The gentleman, who, of courfe, was awake, perceived one of them to be his own fervant. They rifled his portmanteau undisturbed, and fettled the plan of putting him to death. The gentleman, hearing all this, and not knowing by what means he was to be rescued, it may naturally be fuppofed was under great perturbation of mind during fuch an awful interval of fufpenfe, when, at the moment the villains were preparing to commit the horrid deed, four police officers, acting under monfieur De Sartine's orders, who were concealed under the bed, and in the closet, rushed out and feized the of fenders with the property in their poffeffion, and in the act of preparing to commit the murder.

The confequence was, that the perpetration of the attrocious deed was prevented, and fufficient evidence obtained to convict the offenders. Monfieur De Sartine's intelligence enabled him to prevent this horrid offence of robbery and murder, which, but for the accuracy of the fyftem, would probably have been carried into execution.'

Another anecdote was mentioned to the author by the fame minister, relative to the Emperor Jofeph the II. who having, in the year 1787, formed and promulgated a new code of laws relative to criminal and civil

pffences, and having alfo eftablished

what he conceived to be the best fyftem of police in Europe, he could fcarce ever forgive the French nation in confequence of the accuracy and intelligence of monfieur De Sartine having been found fo much fuperior to his own, notwithstanding the immenfe pains he had bestowed upon that department of his government.

A very notorious offender, who was a fubject of the Emperor, and who committed many attrocious acts of violence and depredation at Vienna, was traced to Paris by the police established by his Majefty, who ordered his ambaffador at the court of France to demand that this delinquent fhould be delivered up to public juftice.

Mon. De Sartine acknowledged to the Imperial ambassador, that the perfon he enquired after had been in Paris; that, if it would be any fatiffaction, he could inform him where he had lodged, and the different gaming-tables and other places of infamous refort which he frequented while there; but that he was now gone.'

The ambaffador, after ftating the accuracy and correct mode by which the police of Vienna was conducted, infifted that this offender must still be in Paris, otherwife the emperor would not have commanded him to make fuch an application.

Monfieur De Sartine fmiled at the incredulity of the Imperial minifter, and made a reply to the following effect: "De me the honour, Sir, to inform the Emperor, your master, that the perfon he looks for left Paris on the tenth day of laft month, and is now lodged in a back room looking into a garden in the third flory of a house, number 93, in ftreet in his own capital of Vienna, where his Majefty will, by fending to the fpot, be fure to find him."

It was literally fo as the French minifter of police had stated. The Emperor,

THE vaft increafe, and the extenfive circulation of counterfeit money, particularly of late years, is too obvious not to have attracted the notice of all ranks. It has become an enormous evil in the melancholy catalogue of crimes which the laws of the country are called upon to affift the police in fuppreffing. Its extent almoft exceeds credibility; and the dexterity and ingenuity of thefe counterfeiters have (after confiderable practice) enabled them to finish the different kinds of base money in fo masterly a manner, that it has become extremely difficult for the common obferver to distinguish their spurious manufacture from the worn-out filver of the mint.-So fyftematic, indeed, has this nefarious traffic become of late, that the great dealers, who, in most inftances, are the employers of the coiners, execute orders for the town and country with the fame regularity, as manufacturers in fair branches of trade.

Scarce a waggon or coach departs from the metropolis, which does not carry boxes and parcels of bafe coin to the camps, fea-ports, and manufacturing towns; infomuch, that the country is deluged with counterfeit

money.

In London, regular markets, in various public and private houses, are

held by the principal dealers; where hawkers, pedlars, fraudulent horfedealers, unlicenfed lottery office keepers, gamblers at fairs, itinerant Jews, Irish labourers, fervants of toll-gatherers, and hackney-coach owners, fraudulent publicans, market-women, rabbit. fellers, fish. .. cryers, barrowwomen, and many who would not be fufpected, are regularly fupplied with counterfeit copper and filver, with the advantage of nearly one hundred per cent. in their favour; and thus it happens, that thro' these various channels, immenfe quantities of base money get into circulation, while an evident diminution of the mint coinage is apparent to every common obferver.

The mischief is not confined to the counterfeiting of coin, fimilar to that of the realm. The avarice and ingenuity of man is constantly finding out new fources of fraud infomuch, that in London and in Birmingham, and its neighbourhood, louis d'ors, half Johannas, French half crowns and fhillings, as well as feveral coins of Flanders and Germany, are counterfeited, apparently without fufpicion, that under the act of the 14th of Elizabeth, (cap. 3,) the offenders are guilty of mifprifion of high treason.

Nor does the evil end here :-not

con

content with counterfeiting the foreign coins of Europe, the ingenious mifcreants extend their manufacture to thofe of India and a coinage of the ftar pagoda of Arcot has been eftablished in London for fome years, These counterfeits baing made wholly of blanched copper, tempered in fuch a manner as to exhibit, when ftamped, the cracks in the edges, which are always to be found on the real pagoda, coft the makers only three halfpence each, after being double gilt. When finished, they are generally fold to Jews at five fhillings a dozen; and through this medium, introduced by a variety of channels into India, where they are probably mixed with the real pagodas of the country, and pass at their full denominated value of eight fhillings fterling.

--

The fequins of Turkey, another gold coin, worth about five or fix fhillings, have, in like manner, been recently counterfeited in London :thus the national character is wounded, and the difgrace of the British name proclaimed in Afia, and even in the most diftant regions of India. Nor can it be fufficiently lamented, that perfons who confider themselves as ranking in fuperior stations in life, with fome pretenfions to honour and integrity, have fuffered their avarice fo far to get the better of their honefty, as to be concerned in this iniquitous traffic.

It has been recently difcovered that there are at least one hundred and twenty perfons in the metropolis and the country, employed principally in coining and felling bafe money; and this, independent of the numerous horde of utterers, whọ chiefly fupport themselves by paffing

ter of the folicitor to the mint, no less than fix hundred and eight names! and yet the mischief increases rapidly. When the reader is informed that two perfons can finish from 2001. to 300l. (nominal value,) in bafe filver in fix days; and that three people, within the fame period, will stamp the like amount in copper; and takes into the calculation the number of known coiners, the aggregate amount in the course of a year will be found to be immense.

"The following particulars are related concerning the receivers of ftolen goods."

1. That there exifts in the metropolis, (and also in all the towns where his Majefty's dock yards are establifhed,) a class of dealers, of late years become extremely numerous, who keep open fhops for the purchase of rags, old iron, and other metals.

2. That these dealers are univerfally, almost without a fingle exception, the receivers of stolen goods of every denomination; from a nail, a skewer, a key, or a glafs bottle, up to the moft valuable article of portable houfhold goods, merchandise, plate, or jewels, &c. &c.

3. That they are divided into two claffes :-wholefale and retail dealers.-That the retail dealers are generally (with fome exceptions,) the immediate purchasers in the first inftance, from the pilferers or their agents; and as foon as they collect a fufficient quantity of iron, copper, brafs, lead, tin, pewter, or other metals, worthy the notice of a large dealer, they difpofe of the fame for ready money, by which they are enabled to continue the trade.

4. That the increase of thefe old iron, rag, and ftore fhops has been aftonishing within the last twenty years; from about three or four hundred, they have multiplied within this fhort period to upwards of three thoufand, in the metropolis alone!

5. That

5. That altho' thefe fhops, (which are now to be seen in every byestreet and lane of the capital,) exhibit only a beggarly appearance of old iron to public view, it frequently happens that they have large premifes behind, where many rich articles of merchandize, but more particularly fecond-hand metals, compofed of various houfhold and fhip's articles, most of which have been pilfered in a little way, are to be found; and which have been purchased by these dealers, often by falfe weights, and always under circumftances where they make an immense profit,

6. That the opportunities which thefe old iron fhops afford to menial fervants in private families, to apprentices, journeymen, labourers in founderies, warehouses, and work fhops, of manufacturers, artifans, and tradesmen of every defcription, by receiving and paying down money for every article that is brought them without asking a fingle queftion, have been the means of debauching the morals of a vaft body of the lower orders of the people, young and old; and of carrying the fyftem of pilfering in a small way, to an extent which almoft exceeds credibility.

The floating property, laden and unladen in the port of London in the courfe of a year, is estimated at upwards of feventy millions. The annual plunder committed upon this property, including merchandize, hip's flores, tackling, and provifion, is faid to amount to 500,000l. One principal cause of this evil is the prevailing practice of difcharging and delivering the cargoes of fhips by a clafs of aquatic labourers, known by the name of lumpers and feuffle-hunt

ers.

The cargoes of the West India fhips are the principal objects of attention with the lumpers and their

affociates, who are fuppofed to plun. der from each ship not less than ten hundred weight of fugar a day, during the period of the difcharge; and it is estimated, by an intelligent writer, that upon Weft India produce imported, (communibus annis,) the merchants, hip-owners, and planters, at prefent lofe 150,000l. and the revenue 50,000l. by pillage and plunder alone. The prefent average importation of fugar only, amounts to no less than one hundred thoufand bogfheads a year.

Thefe aquatic labourers are for the most part in connection with the journeymen coopers and watermen, who are allo fuppofed to fhare in the plunder. They generally go on fhore. three times a day, and being in a body together, it is difficult, and fometimes not very fafe, for a trinity or police officer to attempt to fearch or to fecure even one of them.--By the contrivance of a thin fack fufpended by ftrings from the fhoulders, and placed under the waistcoat, a furprifing quantity of fugar is carried away; exhibiting to the fuperficial obferver only the appearance of the natural protuberance of the bellyOthers who are not provided with fuch facks, fill their hats, pockets, and trowfers with large quantities of raw fugars; a fact which has been often afcertained by officers of justice who have apprehended them (fo loaded,) under the authority of the Bumboat act.

The fraudulent part of thefe lumpers having, from long practice, eftablifhed a prompt and fyftematic plan of fale, proceed immediately with their plunder to those who they know will purchafe without asking queftions;-Namely, petty grocers, publicans, and dealers in old iron, and what is called hand stuffs and old flores ; the latter clafs being inhabitants of the freets bordering on the river, where they are extremely numerous and increafing every day; and, being

on

are likewife proper objects for fimilar regulations.

Befides the depredations which these river plunderers make upon the property of their employers, in the manner already defcribed, they practile another device, by connecting themselves with men and boys, known by the name of mud-larks, who prowl about, and watch under the discharging fhips when the tide will permit, and to whom they throw fmall parcels of fugar,coffee, and other articles of plunder, which are conveyed to the receivers by thefe mud-larks, who generally have a certain fhare of the booty.

Befides thefe affociates in villainy, fcullers and other boats are, in like manner, conftantly hovering about and under the discharging fhips, upon pretence of carrying paffengers and baggage; into which handkerchiefs of fugar and coffee, bladders of rum, kegs of tamarinds, and even bags of cotton, facks of wheat or flour, and in short every portable article that can be fafely plundered, are paffed through the fcuttles and port-holes of the fhips; and immediately concealed by the pretended watermen, who, if purfued by the trinity or other officers, generally fink the goods to avoid the penalties of the law; but for the most part thefe adepts find means to elude the vigilance of the officers, and to convey the plunder, under the regular fyftem they have established, to their friends, the receivers; who being under no legal restraint, immediately cover and protect their agents from all hazard of punishment.

keep lumber-yards, fmall hemp and Store fhops; Spirit dealers, and small grocers; thefe infinuate themfelves into the good graces of perfons who are known to have fome truft on board of fhips which are under difcharge, and keep boats and fervants for the purpose of plundering, on a more enlarged fcale, by which many of them make fortunes in a few years: these being more latent, are not fo generally known, although from the extent of their dealings they are far more pernicious than the inferior clafs of thieves.

The operations of these gentry are generally carried on during the night, or at thofe intervals when the difcharge of a ship is fufpended for want of craft; rum and other liquors are drawn off with cranes made on purpose, and conveyed into bladders containing from two to fix gallons each. These bladders are immediately put into the boats which are in attendance, together with quantities of fugar, coffee, and other port'able articles, according to the nature of the cargo; all which are conveyed to an appointed place, where perfons are ftationed on fhore to give notice by a particular fignal or watchword when the cargo may be fafely landed.

"The pillage of the naval, victualling, and ordnance ftores, in the dockyards, and other public repofitories, is estimated at 300,000l. a year."

The vicinity of the metropolis;the affiftance afforded by old iron and ftore-fhops on the fpot ;-by carts employed in this trade alone, conftantly going and coming from and to the capital;-by the advantage. of an eafy and fafe conveyance of ponderous and heavy articles, in lighters and other craft paffing up and down the river; and the extenfive chain of criminal connection, which a courfe of many years has formed, joined to the eafe with which frauds are committed, have combin

But there are other modes by which the property of the merchants is faid to be imbezzled and plundered, even to a greater extent than by tht lumpers, the mud-larks, or the pretended waterman.

The depredations alluded to are made by what are denominated gentlemen-plunderers, or perfons who