Game Ship, have been accustomed to divide from three to four guineas a-piece every night, from the produce of their plunder, independent of the hushmoney paid to officers and others, for conniving at their nefarious practices. Long habituated to this species of depredation, they became at length so audacious, that it was found extremely difficult to controul them, where a disposition existed to protect the cargo from pillage, and where no seduction had taken place. And, indeed, so adroit had this class of lumpers become, that no ship escaped plunder in a certain degree, wherever they were employed, in spite of the greatest vigilance and attention on the part of many of the ship-masters.` Ibid. The Lumpers have been considerably assisted by the Mud Larks, so called from their being accustomed to prowl about, at low water, under the quarters of West India ships, or at least that class which were denominated Game, these being mostly the objects of pillage, under pretence of grubbing in the mud for old ropes, iron, and coals, &c. but whose chief object, when in such situations, was to receive and conceal small bags of sugar, coffee, pimento, ginger, and other articles, and sometimes bladders containing rum, which they conveyed to such houses as they were directed, and for which services they generally received a share of the booty. Ibid. See RECEIVERS, POLICE (MARINE), SCUFFLE-HUNTERS, and WATERMEN. PLUNDERERS OF DOCK-YARDS. The abuses, frauds, and embezzlements, in dock dock-yards are multifarious, and are perpetrated through the medium of a vast variety of agencies, which naturally divide themselves into two distinct branches. The first relates to frauds committed by the connivance and assistance of clerks, store-keepers, and inferior officers, in the dock-yards and other repositories, and in ships of war and transports; in receiving and delivering naval, victualling, and ordnance, stores; in surveys, in returns of unserviceable stores; in what is called "solving off stores ;" in fraudulent certificates; in the sale of old stores; and innumerable other devices; by which a number of individuals are enriched at the public expence, and a system of plunder is supported by fraudulent documents and vouchers of articles which have no existence but upon paper. The second branch relates to the actual pillage of new and old cordage, bolts of canvas, sails, bunting, twine of all sorts, fearnought and kersey, leather and hides, old and new copper, locks, hinges, and bolts, copper bolts and nails in immense quantities, bar-iron, old iron, lead and solder, ship's plank, oars, timber of small sizes, blocks, quarter-stuff, candles, tallow, oil, paint, pitch, tar, turpentine, varnish, rosin, beer and water casks, iron hoops, biscuit-bags, beer, bread, wine, brandy, rum, oil, vinegar, butter, cheese, beef, pork, &c. All these articles suffer a vast annual diminution, by means of that plunder which has become habitual to a number of the inferior servants of the crown, who have, in their respective situations, access to such stores. * This It is by no means to be inferred from what is This species of plunder is much encouraged by the difficulty of detection. Vast quantities are constantly provided, and the storehouses are generally full it happens, therefore, as a matter of course, that the articles which were recently deposited are issued first; and hence many valuable stores, it is said, have remained untouched and unseen for forty or fifty years, until a number of articles perish or become unserviceable from length of time. Colquhoun. POLICE. Police in this country may be considered as a new science; the properties of which consist not in the judicial powers which lead to punishment, and which belong to magistrates alone, but in the prevention and detection of crimes, and in those other functions which relate to internal regulations for the well ordering and comfort of civil society. The police of the metropolis, in every point of view, is a subject of great importance to be known and understood; since every innocent and useful member of the community has a particular interest in the correct administration of whatever relates to the morals of the people, and to the protection of the public against fraud and depredation. It here stated, that there are not, both among the furnishers and contractors for public stores, as well as the officers and clerks employed in the departments here alluded to, many individuals of great honour and integrity. It is to be hoped, the fraudulent are the smallest in point of number, or that they will soon be so. Colquhoun. It is by the general influence of good laws, aided by the regulations of an energetic police, that the blessings of true liberty and the undisturbed enjoyment of property are secured. Colquhoun's Preface. To understand the police of the metropolis to that extent which is necessary to direct and superintend it's general operations, it must be acted upon practically; and those who undertake the superintendence and management alluded to must be men, able, intelligent, prudent, and indefatigable, devoting their whole attention to this object alone. Clerks might be continually employed with great advantage in entering and posting up under the proper heads such new information as should be obtained from day to day; and hours should be appointed for receiving such intelligence from all proper and well-informed persons who might choose to offer the same; so far as such information related to public wrongs, and offences against the peace safety, and well being, of society. Colquhoun. POLICE, MARINE. Although the marine police has been unques tionably crippled by the want of those apposite legislative regulations upon which it's energy and utility, as a permanent establishment, must in a great measure depend, yet the proofs of the advantages which have resulted from it, not only to the West India trade, for the protection of which it was originally instituted, but also to the whole commerce and navigation of the port of London, are so decided and irrefragable, that specific details are unnecessary, especially since deputations of the most respectable merchants from the whole commercial body, sensible of the benefits derived from 2B 3 the the system, have solicited the sanction of government, for the purpose of passing a bill to extend the design, so as to afford the same protection to the general trade of the port, which has been experienced by the West Indian planters and merchants; and requesting to be permitted to defray the expence by an annual assessment upon the trade. It may only be necessary in this place to state, that, under all the disadvantages and difficulties. attending the execution of this design, it may truly be said to have worked wonders in reforming the shocking abuses which prevailed. The river pirates do not now exist in any shape. The nightly plunderers, denominated light horsemen, have not dared in a single instance to pursue their criminal designs. The working lumpers, denominated heavy horse, are no longer to be found loaded with plunder. Watermen are not now, as formerly, to be recog nized in clusters, hanging upon the bows and quarters of West India ships under discharge, to receive plunder. Lightermen, finding nothing to be procured by attending their craft, are accustomed to desert them until the period when they are completely laden. Journeymen coopers do not wilfully demolish casks and packages as heretofore, since no advantage is to be reaped from the spillings of sugar, coffee, or other articles. The mud-larks find it no longer an object to prowl about ships at low water, while under discharge, since the resource for that species of iniquitous employment, which they were accustomed to solicit, is no longer in existence. The criminal class of revenue officers, who had long profited, in many instances to an enormous extent, by the nefarious practices which prevailed, have not been able to suppress their rage against the new police, by the vigilance of which they |