and to the clerks of the peace of the counties and places adjoining the river.

"Authority is also given to the lord mayor, recorder, or one alderman of London, and to any justice or justices of the peace, within their respective jurisdictions, to summon offenders, (within six days after the offence is committed) and, on the refusal to appear, to apprehend them by warrant, and to punish them by fine, not exceeding the penalty imposed for the offence; or in case of refusal to pay the fine, by imprisonment not exceeding one month.

"A like authority is given to summon, apprehend, and punish persons refusing to pay watermen their fares, &c.

"Authority is also given to two of the rulers of the watermen's company, (as well as to the mayor, alderman, recorder, and justices,) to hear complaints between watermen and watermen, their widows, apprentices, &c.

"An appeal is by this act given from the mayor, alderman, recorder, justices, or rulers of the company, to the quarter sessions."

The Waterman's Company was first founded in 1556, and by the report of the dock committee of the house of commons in 1796 they were thus estimated :

The annual number of apprentices varies from 200 to 300. These watermen navigate about 3000 wherries, and the greater portion of craft employed on the river.

The traffic on the river from Billingsgate to Vauxhall has been very greatly injured during the last century, in consequence of the bridges built over the river Thames; and the passengers, who had no means of passing the river but by London bridge, and employed watermen at the different ferries, are now enabled to cross at the most convenient parts of the metropolis, and the ferries are forsaken.

At the opening of Blackfriars bridge, the Sunday ferry, established there for the poor of the fraternity of watermen, was entirely

ruined; but the bridge committee very generously transferred £13,650 consolidated 3 per cents. to the rulers of the company, by way of recompense, and the interest is now appropriated to the same use as the former profits of the ferry.

Adjoining to Waterman's Hall, is the FELLOWSHIP PORTER'S HALL; a small building, in which the business of the fraternity is transacted. This brotherhood was constituted by act of common council, in the year 1646, with power to choose from their own body annually twelve rulers, for their good government, and for hearing and deciding all differences between the members of the united body. However, the court of lord mayor and aldermen have reserved to themselves the power of appointing one of their own body, whose decision is final in respect to all differences and controversies that may arise among the members. They have neither livery, nor arms, and rank the ninetieth in precedence.

The porters of the metropolis are divided into four brotherhoods, viz:-COMPANIES' PORTERS, FELLOWSHIP PORTERS, TICKET PORTERS, and TACKLE PORTERS.

1st. The COMPANIES' PORTERS land and ship off all goods and merchandizes, exported and imported to and from all ports near the west side of the Sound in the Baltic sea, Germany, Holland, France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and towards or beyond the Cape of Good Hope.

2. FELLOWSHIP PORTERS,-whose business is to land, ship off, carry, or house all merchandize, as corn, salt, coals, and other commodities measurable by dry measure. They are upwards of 700 in number, and their chief governor is the alderman of the ward,

3. The TICKET PORTERS, nearly 1500 in number, are appointed by the court of aldermen, and are exclusively empowered "to the work or labour of unshipping, landing, carrying, or housing of pitch, tar, soap, ashes, clapboards, wainscot, fir poles, masts, deals, oars, chests, tables, flax and hemp brought from Dantzic, or any other port or place of the east countries; as also of all iron, ropes, cables, and all other kind of cordage, and of all wood commonly called green wood, and also of all manner of goods of the growth, produce, and manfacture of Ireland and the British plan

tations, and of all manner of coast goods, except lead."* They must be freemen of the city, and enter into a bond, with two sureties for £100. Each porter wears a badge, inscribed with his name and number. The necessary rates for all kinds of porterage are determined either by the lord mayor and aldermen, or by act of common council, and the tables are set up for public information at Guildhall.

The TACKLE PORTERS are appointed by the twelve principal city companies, and must be freemen, and are entitled (according the report of the committee of trade) to the " labour of unshipping, landing, carrying, and housing of all goods imported by, and belonging to the South Sea company, and the East India company, and of all other goods and merchandizes coming from any other ports and places, and imported into the port of London, excepting from the east country, and of goods, the growth, product, or manufacture of Ireland and the British plantations, and goods coming coastwise."

They are compelled to give sureties to the amount of £500., and make recompence for any injury occasioned by fault or negligence. Any porter has the liberty of bringing goods into London, but may not carry any out of the city, or from one part of it to another, unless he be a freemen, otherwise he is liable to be arrested.

The only other object worthy of notice in St. Mary's Hill, is a carving placed over the narrow entrance leading to the Billingsgate Ward Charity Schools established in 1714. Its dimensions are about two feet six inches wide, and three feet long: the subject is the Last Judgment, in which the Saviour is descending from the clouds, and the graves are opening and surrendering the dead. It is sculptured on stone, and was probably the ornament of some church, perhaps St. Mary's, which was only partially consumed, and being rescued from the ruins of the great fire of 1666, was placed here as a record of that event, although it has no inscription. It is in excellent preservation, and the carving of the principal figures is admirably done, although the periodical coat of paint parochially daubed on, greatly deteriorates from the execution of the carving, and destroys the effect of the subject it represents.

* Report on trade and shipping of the port of London, made to the House of Commons.

At the south-east extremity of this Ward, facing the site of

Smart's quay, is

a very convenient structure, erected in 1805, for the use of the dealers in the article so largely consumed in the metropolis and vicinity. The front is handsome, and the upper part of the building extremely neat and well adapted. It has a receding portico, with pillars in the front, and the entrance is up a flight of stone steps in the centre, with iron railing at the sides. The whole has recently been beautified. Behind is a quadrangle, where all the

business of the trade is carried on. The principal coal merchants of London have offices here for their convenience.

By stat. 16 and 17 Charles II. "All sorts of sea-coal brought into the river Thames, and sold, shall be sold by the chaldron, containing 36 bushels, heaped according to the bushel sealed for that purpose at Guildhall; and all other coals commonly sold by weight shall be sold after the proportion of one hundred and twelve pounds to the hundred avoirdupois, upon pain of forfeiture of all coals otherwise sold or exposed to sale by any woodmonger or retailer, and double the value thereof, to be recovered by any person in any court of record, or by complaint unto the lordmayor and justices of the peace of London, or any two of them, or to the justices of peace of the places where such coals shall be exposed to sale, who are upon due proof to convict the offenders, and to give warrant for levying the forfeitures, the one half for the use of the person prosecuting, and the other half for the poor, or repairing of the highways within the same or adjoining parish; and the lord-mayor and court of aldermen, and the justices of peace of the several counties, or three of them, being of the quorum, are to set the prices of coals sold by retail from time to time."

"If any retailer of coals shall refuse to sell as aforesaid, the lord-mayor and aldermen, and justices of the peace respectively, are to appoint persons to enter into any place where such coals are stored, and in case of refusal, taking a constable to force entrance, and the said coals to sell at such rates, rendering to such retailer the money, charges deducted,"

"No person sued by virtue of this act, shall be sued upon any other law for the same offence; and if any action shall be commenced for any thing done by colour of this act, the defendant may plead the general issue; and if the verdict be found for him, he shall have his damages and double costs."

"No person having interest in any wharf used for the receiving or uttering of coals, or that shall trade in that article, shall act in the settling the price."

This act was found so beneficial, that it was made perpetual in the reign of William III.

In 12 Anne, the coal measure was ordered to be made round, with an even bottom, nineteen inches and a half from outside to