acts of parliament, very much increased, so that the peti tioners, who are constituted justices by the said charter, have, for the more speedy and effectual execution of justice, agreed amongst themselves, to sit daily by turns in the Guildhall of the said city, for the public administration of justice, and that the petitioners most humbly conceive it will be for the public utility of all our subjects within the said city and liberties, and that justice may still be more commodiously and expeditiously administered, if the present number of justices of the peace within the said city of London and liberties thereof was increased: And the petitioners further represent, that the lord mayor and recorder being the only justices of the Quorum, if by sickness or other unavoidable accident, it should happen that neither may be able to attend the session, great inconveniences may arise, the petitioners, therefore have humbly besought us to grant to our good subjects, the mayor and commonalty, and citizens of the said city, that for the future, the mayor, recorder, and all the aldermen for the time being, may be justices of the peace for the said city of London, and liberties thereof; and that all those aldermen for the time being, who shall have borne and sustained the office of mayoralty of the said city, may be of the Quorum, as well as the mayor and recorder, we being willing to gratify the petitioners in their request: Know ye therefore, that we of our special grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, have given, granted, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, do give and grant to the mayor and commonalty, and citizens of the city of London, and their successors, that the mayor, recorder, and all the aldermen of the said city of London, for the time being, and every one of them, be for ever hereafter a justice or justices of the peace, of us, our heirs and successors, within the said city of London, and liberties thereof; and we do by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, constitute, make, and ordain the mayor, recorder, and all the aldermen of the city of London for the time being, or any four of them, (of whom the mayor and recorder, or any one of the aldermen who have sustained the

5

office

office of mayoralty for the time being, we will shall always be one,) justices of us, our heirs and successors, within the said city of London, and liberties thereof, to keep and cause to be kept all and singular statutes and ordinances in all their articles made, and to be for the preservation of the peace of us, our heirs and successors, and for the peaceable ruling and governing the people of us, our heirs and successors, as well within the said city, as the liberties thereof, according to the form and effect of the same; and to correct and punish in the manner prescribed by those statutes and ordinances, all such persons as should be found offending within the said city and liberties thereof, against the form and effect of the same statutes and ordinances, or any or either of them; and to demand such sufficient security for the peace and good behaviour towards us, and our heirs and successors, and all the subjects of us, our heirs and successors, of all such persons who shall send threatenings to any subject or subjects of us, our heirs and successors, concerning their bodies, or the burning their houses; and if they refuse to find such securities, then to cause them to be safely kept in our gaol of Newgate, or in any other prison of us, our heirs or successors, in our said city of London, until they should have found such security; and to do and perform all and singular other matters and things which any justice or keepers of the peace of us, our heirs and successors, within any county of that part of our kingdom of Great Britain, called England, may, can, or ought to do and perform, by virtue of any statutes and ordinances of this part of our kingdom of Great Britain, called England, or by virtue of any commission of us, our heirs and successors, to preserve the peace in any such county. In witness whereof, we have caused these our letters to be made patent.

"Witness JOHN, Archbishop of Canterbury, and other guardians and justices of the kingdom at Westminster, the 25th day of August, in the fifteenth year of our reign.”

In Michaelmas term, 1742, a cause of considerable interest, respecting Liverymen, was tried in the court of

Common

Common Pleas, before Lord Chief Justice Willes. The Weavers Company were plaintiffs, and Mr. Thomas Handyside defendant. Mr. Handyside was free of the company, but not being free of the city, apprehended himself not eligible to the livery. The company called him upon the livery, which he refused to take up: but the court before whom the cause was brought, gave a verdict, "That every member of a company is eligible to the livery, though not free of the city."

This decision was succeeded by another equally important. During Hilary term, 1743, William Ayres, the lessee of the tolls on London Bridge, who had received, and insisted upon a presumptive right, to receive two pence for the passage of each cart laden with one ton weight or upwards, passing over the bridge. It appearing by the evidence, that the usage had been to take one penny only for a cart with two horses, although laden with a ton weight or upwards, the cause was therefore determined against him.

The interludes and drolls exhibited in Bartholomew Fair, were by this time become not only offensive to individuals, but a public nuisance; and the licentious use made of the permission of holding the fair beyond the original term of three days, had given so great disgust to the citizens in general, as well as being a vast detriment to the shop-keepers in Smithfield, that a remonstrance was made against such permission; and the lord mayor and court of aldermen, in 1744, not only reduced the time for keeping the said fair to three days, but prohibited the acting of all plays and interludes in booths, during the time that the fair lasted.

This measure was also necessary, at a time that the combinations of artizans and mechanics against their employers, had risen to an alarming height; and the Master Taylors and Staymakers having represented to his majesty in council, that their journeymen, to the amount of fifteen thousand, had refused to work for the wages established by law, and were supported in it by the keepers of alehouses, where they usually resorted; that they threatened to fire the masters houses, and abused those, who, in obedience to the laws, con

tinued to work; the privy council, by his majesty's command, sent a letter to the Duke of Newcastle, Custos Rotulorum of Middlesex, requiring his Grace's recommendation to the justices of the peace to carry into execution the act of the seventh of George the First, "to use their endeavours to prevent all unlawful Assemblies and Combinations; to reyoke the Licences of such Victuallers;" and to give the strictest orders to the high-constables, for apprehending all persons offending herein.

Letters to the fame purpose were likewise sent to Lord Cornwallis, constable of the Tower, and to the lord mayor of London. The justices met, and came to the resolution, "That if any journeyman should refuse to work for the wages settled by act of parliament, he should be committed to hard labour for two months; and that the master that paid more than the act allowed should forfeit 51."

It was also of great importance, that the most prompt and effective measures should be pursued; for street-robberies were become so numerous and terrible, that it was thought necessary on the 13th of October, to present to his majesty the following address:

"We your majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the court of lord mayor and aldermen of the city of London, having taken into consideration the many disorders and robberies which have been committed within these few weeks last past, in the streets of your royal metropolis, beg leave to approach your throne, and humbly represent to your most sacred majesty,

"That divers confederacies of great numbers of evildisposed persons, armed with bludgeons, pistols, cutlasses, and other dangerous weapons, infest not only the private lanes and passages, but likewise the public streets and places of usual concourse, and commit most daring outrages upon the persons of your majesty's good subjects, whose affairs oblige them to pass through the streets, by terrifying, robbing, and wounding them; and these facts are frequently perpetrated at such times as were heretofore deemed hours of security.

VOL. I. No. 17.

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"That

"That the officers of justice have been repulsed in the performance of their duty, some of whom have been shot at, some wounded, and others murdered, in endeavouring to discover and apprehend the said persons, by which means many are intimidated from duly executing their offices, and others put in manifest danger of their lives.

"These unhappy circumstances do, we apprehend, tend greatly to weaken the hands of the magistrates, and render the laws ineffectual.

"It is to us a most alarming consideration, and matter of great grief, that those crimes should in so short a time have grown to so great a height; and we beg leave humbly to assure your majesty that we will vigorously, and with the utmost diligence, apply ourselves to restrain those violences and detect the authors of them.

"Permit us, Sir, to express our hopes, that a speedy, vigorous, and exemplary execution of the laws upon the persons of offenders, as they shall fall into the hands of justice, may, under your majesty's princely wisdom, conduce greatly to the suppressing these enormities, by striking terror into the wicked, and preventing others from entering into such evil courses, &c.; we thought it our indispensable duty to lay these facts, and our apprehensions upon them, before your majesty, not doubting but we shall receive effectual support, and your good subjects all possible security from your majesty's authority and fatherly protec

tion."

To which his Majesty was pleased to return this most gracious Answer:

"The concern you express for the great disorders mentioned in this address, and the assurance you give me of exerting your utmost endeavours to detect and suppress them, are very agreeable to me, and cannot fail to have a good effect. Nothing shall be wanting on my part to put the laws in execution, to support the magistrates, vigorously to punish such heinous offenders, and to protect the persons and properties of my good subjects; and I will give immediate orders that the most effectual methods be taken for these purposes."

The