Old times

"In a complicated machine, any of the inferior parts getting out of order, will soon obstruct the whole: and, conceiving such may be the case with public society, we are led to make a few observations on some improprieties which occur in the present day.

"The wages given to servants have increased during the last 10 years, more than for 30, or perhaps 40, years before: and the misfortune is, that dissipation, and want of morals, have also much increased, particularly among manufacturing labourers, who now have got, in many places, only to work three, or four, days in the week, and to be drunk the remaining time, leaving their wives, and children, neglected, and in rags.

"As to household servants, the accommodation offices for hiring of them, have had the worst effect. They make them indifferent about keeping their places; lure them on with false hopes, and often before a servant gets fixed, they, and the pawnbroker, put them under difficulties.

"Travelling expences, by the profusion in the perquisites given to waiters, post boys, &c., have become enormous, and their attention is less; but, if those who give in that way, were to consider the injury they do the public, and of how little use it is to those who receive it, they would certainly think such money so squandered away, would have been better bestowed, if applied to some public charity, or left for the poor of the parish.

"Increase of trade, and wealth, having produced an increase of luxury, and made the necessaries of life more expensive, it is proper that wages should be increased: but yet not beyond the bounds of proportion; for it will be found in those manufacturing occupations, in which labourers get the most money, they are the most disorderly, continually combining together to leave their work, unless their masters consent to increase their wages, and which only proves a temporary compromise, till they have an opportunity of making a further demand. On the contrary, where less wages are given, we shall find the people more happy, and contented, their wives more attended to, and their children brought up with more religion, and better morals."—(Times, Sept. 5, 1794.)

"To the CONDUCTOR of the TIMES.

"Sir,—Various are the receipts for cheap puddings, and many long, and useful, letters have appeared in your very excellent paper, towards alleviating (as much as is in the power of every Housekeeper) the scarcity, and dearness, of bread: by substituting rice, and potatoes, in the room of pies, or flour puddings: but there still exists an evil which I have not seen spoken against, and which certainly occasions a very great consumption of starch: I mean the general fashion which has prevailed for some years, and does still, from the highest, to the lowest, of wearing white dresses, which, upon a moderate computation, for every individual, must consume at least double the soap, and starch, than when coloured callicoes, silks, and stuffs, were in fashion: Added to this, that every maid servant (who, though she is perhaps not worth a second pair of shoes) will wear her muslin handkerchiefs. I think it is the duty of every good master, and mistress, to stop, as much as possible, the present ridiculous, and extravagant, mode of dress in their domestics. View, on a Sunday, a tradesman's family coming from church, and you would be puzzled to distinguish the porter from his master, or the maid from her mistress. Formerly a plaited cap, and a white handkerchief, served a young woman three, or four, Sundays. Now a mistress is required to give up, by agreement, the latter end of the week for her maids to prepare their caps, tuckers, gowns, &c., for Sunday, and, I am told, there are houses open on purpose, where those servants who do not choose their mistresses shall see them, carry their dresses in a bundle, and put them on, meet again in the evening, for the purpose of disrobing: and where, I doubt, many a poor, deluded, creature, has been disrobed of her virtue. They certainly call aloud for some restraint, both as to their dress, as well as insolent manner. Tell a servant, now, in the mildest manner, they have not done their work to please you, you are told to provide for yourself, and, should you offer to speak again, they are gone. Surely no set of people are more capable of rendering our families comfortable, or the reverse, than domestic servants, nor any set of people who feel the present dearness of provisions so little. I look upon their exorbitant increase of wages, as chiefly conducive to their impertinence: for, when they had five, or six, pounds a year, a month being out of place, was severely felt; but now their wages are doubled, they have, in a great measure, lost their dependence: And what is this increase of wages for? not in order to lay by a little, in case of sickness, but to squander in dress. No young woman, now, can bear a strong pair of leather shoes, but they must wear Spanish leather, and so on in every article of dress. No wonder, then, that there should be so many prostitutes, and so few good wives.

"By inserting these hints, as soon as you conveniently can, you will much oblige,

A Constant Reader."

—(Times, Dec. 25, 1795.)

"Place under Government. £2000 or £3000 or more will be presented to any Gentleman, who has interest to procure for the Advertiser, a Place in any of the Public Offices, of respectability, and an adequate income. No Agent, or Broker, will be attended to. Letters to be addressed &c., &c."—(Times, March 13, 1793.)

"Place under Government. To be DISPOSED of, a Genteel Place under Government: present Salary £100 a year, with the chance of rising, and other advantages: the next rise will be a considerable one.—Any Young Gentleman, who can command from 500£ to 1000£ will be treated with: and by addressing a line to A. Batson's Coffee-house, with real name and place of abode, will be informed of further particulars. N.B. No Brokers will be attended to."—(Times, April 15, 1793.)

"A PLACE under GOVERNMENT.

"To be sold, a permanent Place, which can always be disposed of at pleasure, the salary £76 per annum, net, payable quarterly, the attendance not more than 20 times in the year, and about 2 or 3 hours each time: the duty is agreeable, and in the line of a Gentleman, and can at all times at a small expence be executed by a Deputy. Address &c., &c."—(Times, Feb. 3, 1798.)

Advt.—"Three hundred Pounds. An adequate Premium of £300 or upwards, will be given to any Lady, or Gentleman, who has interest to procure the Advertiser a Place in one of the Government Offices. As the parties are of the utmost respectability, the greatest honour and secrecy may be depended on. Address to &c., &c."

Advt.—"Fifty Guineas will be given to any Gentleman, or Lady, who has interest to procure the Advertiser, a young Man, 25 years of age, a Situation in any of the Public Offices under Government. Address &c., &c."

Advt.—"A Douceur. Wanted, Information as to Situations in Public Offices, or other Appointments under Government, at home, or abroad, which are at present vacant, or like soon to be, or where those who hold such may be willing to resign, on account of their advanced time of life, or other circumstances, on a Douceur being made them. Any person who can give information of this kind will be waited on at any time, or place, he may appoint. At meeting, all particular terms, and circumstances, can be explained. The Advertiser is a person who can give the most satisfactory testimonials of connections, and abilities, and he wishes to be understood that the object of this Advertisement respects Appointments where the emoluments derived from the Situations may be from £500, down to £200 per ann. The most perfect secrecy may be relied on—"

"The new Penny Post Office is likely to prove such a very great accommodation to the public, that the only wonder is—it has been so long neglected. Instead of the number of deliveries, and the hours of despatch, varying in different parts of the town, as at present, there will be six deliveries, each day, in all parts of the town: by which means, a person living at Mary-le-bonne, may send letters to, or receive letters from, Limehouse, a distance of seven miles, five times a day. Persons putting in letters by nine in the morning at the distance of ten miles from the chief Penny Post Office, and later, at less distant parts, may receive answers from London the same afternoon. There will be three deliveries of letters, in most parts of the country, within the limits of the Penny Post; and there will be two posts, daily, from all parts within the distance of ten miles from Lombard St."—(Times, Feb. 28, 1794.)

"The proposed plan of a new Penny Post is no longer talked of:—It is every day more, and more, wanted, as the present mode is extremely irregular, and insufficient. According to the new plan, the Penny Post was to have gone out seven times a day."—(Times, May 4, 1794.)

"The PENNY POST.

"The late regulations in the Penny Post Office are certainly of the most essential service to the public: but the conduct of the Letter Carriers requires the most minute attention. They wall defraud where they think they can do it with impunity; and as an instance of this, we give the following fact. From any part of the Metropolis, to the Borough of Southwark, and its adjacent parts, is stated to be but One penny per Letter. The Carriers, however, uniformly charged 2d. per Letter. A Complaint of this imposition was made to the Comptroller, by a Gentleman, whose house is in the Blackfriars Road, and an immediate answer was given 'that the Carrier had been severely reprimanded,' and the surcharge had been returned. His removal from that walk, gave his successor, who, perhaps, did not hear of this reprimand, an opportunity to continue the same imposition, and the letters to Blackfriars Road, and in other parts of St. George's Fields, were again charged 2d. The Comptroller was again applied to, and on the next evening, he wrote a letter to the person who sends this for publication, 'that the Carrier was ordered to return the surcharge.' The publication of this circumstance is requisite, as no doubt, similar extortions are practised in other parts of the suburbs. This is a matter that ought to be universally made known, as cent. per cent., even on a penny, is rather too much for a man, illegally, to pay."—(Times, Oct. 27, 1794.)

"Motion respecting Clerks in Office.

"Mr. Dent said ... Public notoriety went to accuse the offices of great abuse of the privilege of franking ... that such abuses did exist, and to give the proofs of them was the object which he proposed to gain by his present motion. He would state to the House some of the abuses. Certain bags came to the Post Office, marked Ordnance, Navy, Treasury Bags, &c., and the letters contained in these bags were furthered without more enquiry. These bags, perhaps, contained a great quantity of letters from the various Clerks: he could produce an instance of a very inferior Clerk, who had franked to a great amount, by placing his initials on the superscription. He had looked attentively over the list of those who had the privilege, and he did not find his name among them.... Among other instances, he would mention a Mr. Lackington, a celebrated bookseller; he had friends in some one of the Offices, and the whole of his Catalogues were franked to different parts of the country. It was also notorious, that some persons had written to their country correspondents, that if they would deal with them, the whole mass of pamphlets published in London should be sent them free of postage: this was done by means of the Clerks in office. In short, there were persons whose salaries amounted to only £300, or £400 per annum, who from their situation, made £1000 or £1200. It surely could not be the intention of the House to permit such malversation, and, therefore, he should move for a Committee to enquire into these facts. Before the late regulation, venison has passed as nimbly, by the post, as it run when alive in its native park. After further conversation, the House divided.—For the Question, 53; Against it, 41.—Majority, 12."

"It would have been extraordinary indeed, if Sir Benjamin Hammett had not opposed the Franking Bill: for we are informed from very good authority, that Letters franked by, and addressed to, him only, are to the amount of £2400 sterling per annum."—(Times, March 11, 1795.)

"Debate on Franking.

"Mr. Hobart brought up the Report of the Committee upon the Bill to restrain the abuse of Franking.

"Mr. Dent said, he was sorry to add, that this privilege had been notoriously abused, and was so publicly known, that paragraphs had appeared in a newspaper, of a Member having received £300 annually, from a mercantile house, to give them the advantage of this privilege. He hoped this fact was false, but he feared, however, it would be found too well warranted. By this Bill, Members were to receive only fifteen letters, and send ten, therefore the abuse, to this extent, could not be continued. At the same time, he thought, and should, bye-and-bye, more particularly state, in the motion he should submit to the House, that, when they were curtailing their own privileges, the Clerks in office should not be permitted to continue their abuses.

"Mr. Courtenay said, by the official returns it appeared that £30,000 was franked by the various offices, which amounted to one third of the whole of what was franked by Members of Parliament. Now the privilege was restrained in Members of Parliament, it would become more valuable to the Clerks in Office, and he should not wonder, if some of them should become not sleeping, but writing, partners in mercantile houses....

"Mr. Dent observed, abuses in the offices did exist to a very great degree. The Commissioners of the Customs received large Packets which contained letters to all their acquaintances in Town: the abuse did not end here: 20 Custom-House Porters were immediately dispatched to 20 different parts of the town.

"Mr. W. Smith said, ... Public notoriety was sufficient grounds to proceed against the Offices. Though all those letters were superscribed for His Majesty's service, yet they went upon many other purposes. A friend of his had informed him of some Vine cuttings, which had been sent to Ireland, franked: he also knew of a silk gown franked into the country: this was hardly for His Majesty's service.

"Mr. Rose said, if those abuses, mentioned by the Hon. Gentleman, had been privately intimated, they would have had immediate attention and some remedy applied. The laws to prevent the abuse of franking had been transmitted to the several Offices, and by them the first offence was a penalty, and the second, a dismissal from Office.

"The Bill was ordered to be read a third time on Friday."—(Times, April 14, 1795.)

"For every single Letter by post, for any distance not exceeding 15 miles, be charged 3d. Double letters 6d. Triple 9d. Those of 1 ounce weight, 1s., and so, in proportion.

"Above 15 miles, and not exceeding 30, for single Letters 4d., and so, in the same proportion.

"Above 30 miles, and not exceeding 60, 5d., and so, in proportion.

"Above 60 miles and not exceeding 100, 6d., and so, in proportion.

"Above 100 miles, and not exceeding 150, 7d., and so, in proportion.

"All above 150 miles, 8d., &c.

"Upon every single Letter to Scotland, 1d., the rates of Postage remaining the same, on double letters, 2d., &c.

"That the present rates of Postage between London, and Portugal, and between London, and British America, do cease.

"From any part of Great Britain, to Portugal, exclusive of Inland Postage, every single letter, 1s., &c.

"The same from any part of Great Britain, to British America.

"The Inland Postage upon said Letters according to distance."—(Times, Dec. 12, 1796.)

"The Post Office Letter Carriers in London are to be provided with an uniform of red coats, faced with blue, and to wear numbers."—(Times, Feb. 10, 1793.)

"There is at this time a third of the Mail Guards ill, either from the intenseness of the severe weather or from colds they have caught in the floods: their exertions were in general very great, and meritorious, in saving the Mails."—(Times, Feb. 19, 1795.)

"The Telegraph.—This mode of communication is little understood here, although the invention be not a new one. The process is getting possession of heights at convenient distances, and by fire-works, in different forms, for different letters, spelling the order, or intelligence, from station, to station!"—(Times, Sept. 11, 1794.)

"The new mode of correspondence, by the help of which, the surrender of Quesnoy was known at Paris an hour after the entry of the French troops into that place, is a communication by signals, which are repeated from distance, to distance, by machines, stationed four, or five, leagues asunder. This may explain the celerity with which communications are made.

"The telegraph, now brought into use by the French, appears to have been an invention of Dr. Hooper's, and published in his Rational Recreations, in 1774. The plan of which may be seen in his 'Visual Correspondence.'"—(Times, Sept. 15, 1794.)

"The invention of the Telegraphe, does not belong alone to the French. About ten years ago, Count Possini at Rome, invented a mode of getting intelligence from Naples, in the course of an hour. The Lottery at Rome, depends upon that drawn at Naples. It differs from our Lottery, materially, for there are but six prizes, and these are the first six numbers drawn, and the remainder are all blanks. The Count, whose house is on an eminence near Rome, managed with his confederates, who were placed at certain distances, between Naples, and his estate, to have sky rockets let off, by which they had previously fixed with each other, to ascertain by such signals, any particular number, or numbers, drawn. The plan succeeded, as Tickets continued to be sold in Rome, for several hours after the drawing commenced at Naples, the account of which was always brought by the ordinary courier. By this scheme the party got about 100,000 crowns, and the plot would never have been discovered, had not the Count purchased the whole of the six prizes, which caused suspicion, and of course, excited enquiry."—(Times, Sept. 16, 1794.)

"Astley, who is always employed in the production of something new, brings out, this evening, an exhibition of the much talked of, and ingenious Machine, called the Telegraphe, at the Lyceum, in the Strand."—(Times, Sept. 19, 1794.)

"The invention of the Telegraphe, is now traced back to 1655, and particularly mentioned in a little book, then written, and published, by the Marquis of Worcester, inventor of the Steam Engine. He there gives it the name of Visual Correspondence, and calls it his own invention."—(Times, Sept. 20, 1794.)

"Experiments are now making at Woolwich with a new species of the Telegraphe, to ascertain at what distance intelligence can be conveyed by it during the night. It is composed of letters, or figures, nine feet high, cut out in a board, which is painted black in front, and strongly illuminated behind by patent lamps with reflectors; it is placed on the top of the butt against which the cannon are proved, and proper persons are stationed at Purfleet, and other intermediate places, with telescopes, to determine at what distance letters of that size are legible at night, by which means any word may be written, by a succession of letters, and intelligence may be conveyed, with astonishing celerity, during the night, by having a series of different signal-houses at proper distances between whatever places information is intended to be communicated."—(Times, Oct. 7, 1794.)

"It has been said, that a conversation had actually taken place across the Channel, between Donaghadee and Port Patrick, by means of a Telegraph. The following are the particulars: Two Gentlemen of the county of Longford have been, for sometime past, making experiments, in different positions, in that county, and they succeeded so well, as to induce them to undertake the journey to Donaghadee, where the Channel between Britain and Ireland is the narrowest, being about 18 Irish miles across. They brought down their machinery with them, and, having erected one on each side, they conversed with each other, on Monday evening last, the weather being tolerably clear. The conversation that passed was as follows—The Gentleman on this side said 'I see you, being white, distinctly.' The other replied 'I see you; I wish your's was white also.' (The machine on this side being black.) The Gentleman on this side then asked 'What o'clock is it?' and was answered 'Six.' He then said 'I will shew lights at nine o'clock, do you attend.' He was answered 'I will attend, but I have only one light.' They then made signals of 'good night,' and the communication ended. The machine consists of a triangle, with two long sides and a short one, suspended in the air vertically; it turns on a pivot, and is capable of being put into eight different positions, very distinct from each other. These positions represent eight of the common numerical figures, and these figures, according to their position, denote certain words and sentences, according to a preconcerted dictionary, or vocabulary, alphabetically, as well as numerically, arranged. It is believed this machine is on a principle totally different from the French."—(Times, Sept, 11, 1795.)

"A chain of Telegraphs is erected from Shuter's Hill to Dover. Gad's Hill, and Barham Hill, are the intermediate posts."—(Times, Dec. 30, 1795.)

"Telegraphe.—An improvement on this post-haste mode of travelling, has been offered to the Administration, by two foreigners, who demand £40,000 for the discovery, if it should be found to answer; if it does not, like quacks of another description, they retire with nothing but the shame of the attempt. These foreigners undertake to convey intelligence to all parts of the world, by letter as quick as thought. Certain globes are to be constructed, that, by the power of electricity and attraction, a packet, large as a horse can carry, shall be sent to and from Dublin, in about the time requisite for dispatching a breakfast!! Credat Judeus!"—(Times, Jan. 12, 1796.)

"The most important services which can be rendered to the public by the Telegraph, is in cases similar to that which occurred last week, in forwarding the news from Deal to London, of the sailing of the Dutch Fleet, within the space of five minutes. This prompt conveyance of the intelligence enabled the Admiralty Board to take such speedy measures for sending a fleet out after the enemy. When the Telegraph is established between London and other ports as well as Deal, the advantage will be very great indeed."—(Times, Mar. 2, 1796.)

"The English are remarkable for improving upon the inventions of their Gallic neighbours. It is well known, that while these aerial wanderers were tumbling down like so many Phaetons from Heaven, we were driving about securely in balloon-coaches, and eating balloon-cakes, and balloon-oysters. The same advantage has resulted from the telegraph, which, beside christening a coach, and a newspaper, is now transferred to the heads of our ladies, and has given us telegraphic hats and telegraphic caps. By this invention a female will travel to Edinburgh, through the observatory at York, Doncaster, Grantham and Huntingdon, from the principal machine in Bond Street, in the time of three Operas, or twenty-four Routs."—(Times, Oct. 15, 1796.)

"Since the invention of the Coiffure télégraphique it is scarcely possible to follow the rapidity of the fashions. The morning dress and the evening dress mean literally the dress of the day they are worn in. It was observed, with concern, at Drury Lane the other evening, that the Lady P's were more than half an hour out of fashion."—(Times, Oct. 21, 1796.)

EPIGRAM.

"On the Hair Powder Licence Tax, at a time when general Expectation looked for a tax on Dogs:—

—(Times, Mar. 11, 1795.)

"A tax on Dogs would certainly have been unobjectionable, as well as expedient, in a two-fold degree; first in creating a revenue, and secondly, in lessening the number of them. At the present period particularly, a tax on Dogs would have a good effect, as it is a well known fact, that the coarser parts of meat are scarcely to be had by the poor, because the rich can afford to buy them for their dogs."—(Times, Apr. 11, 1795.)

"The Tax on Powdered Heads is calculated to produce £450,000 per annum, though the Minister has only calculated it at £200,000. Some Gentlemen are said to have made an offer to farm it at £400,000."—(Times, Mar. 25, 1795.)

"Hair Powder Tax."

"An Annual Certificate to be taken out by every person wearing hair-powder, price one-guinea: every sort, or composition, of powder worn as an article of dress, to be deemed within the meaning of the Act. The Royal Family, and their immediate Servants; Clergymen, whose annual income is under £100; Subaltern, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Privates of the Army, Militia, Marines, and Fencible Corps; Officers of the Navy, under the rank of Commander; Officers, and Privates, in Corps of Yeomanry, or Volunteers; Dissenting Preachers in holy orders, or pretended holy orders, whose annual income is under £100, are exempted. Persons having more than two daughters unmarried, to pay only for two.

"Persons wearing Powder without a Certificate, to forfeit £20. Persons selling, transferring, or using, a Certificate, with intent to defraud the revenue, to forfeit £30."—(Times, May 7, 1795.)

"The Powder Tax has already produced three hundred thousand pounds to Government. The term is to be extended by Act of Parliament, and, according to the most probable conjectures, the final amount will be double that sum.

"The Duke of Devonshire has paid five and thirty guineas for his family. The Duchess of Northumberland, a single guinea for herself: powder is under interdiction among the rest of that family: though not from motives of disaffection. Her Grace assigns a more justifiable motive; namely, a scruple of contributing, in any unnecessary way, to the present scarcity."—(Times, June 12, 1795.)

"Hair Powder Tax. The Caricaturists, who generally paint so plain, that those who run may read, have whimsically described the two orders of beings, who do, and do not, pay. The first are aptly enough termed Guinea Pigs—the latter, Pigs without a Guinea!"—(Times, July 1, 1795.)

"The Commander in Chief of Brighton Camp has notified to the Officers, that the use of Flour, for the privates, will be dispensed with, during the present scarcity of Wheat."—(Times, July 15, 1795.)

"HAIR POWDER. To all those whom it may concern.

"Among the many ingenious, and humane, projects that have been devised for lessening the consumption of Flour, and soothing the minds of the poor, at this interesting period, it is a matter of no small astonishment to me, that that of sacrificing our hair-powder, has not been more universally adopted. To the antiquated virgin, indeed, who still sighs, and hopes, and whose silvery locks might prove too sure an index of that worldly experience, which, for certain prudential reasons, she might wish to conceal, I confess the sacrifice is too great to be expected. To the unhappy hen-peck'd bald-pate, whose lively wife nauseates, and detests, the careless brown-bob, something may be said in his behalf, also: but, to every other character, whether the grave judge, or respectable grandmother, the buxom widow, or the broad shouldered Irish fortune-hunter, the flirting coquette, or her coxcomb colleague, the hardy veteran, or flashy militia captain, the pert lawyer, or the young priggish parson: and lastly, the smart apprentice, who beflours his head to cut a dash at the Dog and Duck, or Bagnigge Wells: all these, I say, and every other character that I have omitted to name, can surely have no possible excuse for thus insulting the feelings of the poor. I repeat the word insulting, for it is the just and proper epithet; for what can we term it but insult, to be thus playing with the feelings of these poor wretches, at a moment when they are suffering the greatest of all worldly miseries—want."—(Times, Aug. 10, 1795.)

"A morning Paper of yesterday, mentions by name, that a Nobleman of the highest rank, in this country, was, last week, summoned to the Police-Office, Queen's Square, for wearing powder without being licensed. The defence set up that his Grace, being a Menial Servant, in the King's Household, was exempt from the Tax: which, being admitted, the matter was dismissed.—We trust that this information is not authentic, for it would be a most pitiful subterfuge to evade the payment of a tax, which is generally allowed to be a proper one." (Times, Feb. 1, 1797.)—(Query, the Duke of Portland.)

"ADVANTAGEOUS HAT SUBSCRIPTION. Stamps included.

"Three Hats, value £1, 1s. each, at £1, 14s. 6d. per Ann., delivered as follows. Two on Subscription, the third at the end of eight months, when the two first must be returned, and the third at the end of the year. Four Hats, value £1, 4s. each, at £2, 6s. per Ann., delivered as follows. Two on subscribing, and two at the end of six months, when the two first must be returned, and the other two at the end of the year. The Hats changed as the Fashions vary during subscribing. To remove all prejudices, Gentlemen may call at the Manufactory and see the quality. Old Hats taken in part of the subscription money. Durant and Pitra, Hat Manufactory, middle of Monmouth St."—(Times, Aug. 25, 1796.)

"The Commissioners of the Stamp Office having been informed that the practice of letting out newspapers for hire, was carried on to a very considerable extent, to the great injury of the revenue, the Commissioners ordered a prosecution to take place, and a newsman was yesterday summoned before the Lord Mayor, and convicted in the penalty of £5, as the Act directs."—(Times, Oct. 23, 1795.)

"Lending Newspapers. James Berridge, a Newsman, was, on Saturday, brought before Sir William Addington, and R. Ford, Esq., charged with letting out Newspapers for hire, from house to house. This was a prosecution instituted by the Commissioners of the Stamps. A great number of complaints were brought forward against him, and he was convicted in six penalties of £5 each. A variety of others were about to be exhibited against him, but in consideration of his having a large family, the Solicitor declined going into them."—(Times, Jan. 2, 1798.)

"The keepers of several reading-rooms in Fleet Street, and Shoe-Lane, were, on Saturday, fined £5 for lending newspapers for hire."—(Times, Sept. 26, 1798.)

"Government intends to have one fixed standard for Weights, and Measures, over the whole Kingdom; as the greatest frauds, for want of that regulation, have, for ages, been practised with impunity. These regulations are much needed, and are an excellent subject for taxation. The lower orders of the community are grievously imposed upon, for want of them, and, doubtless, it will be a popular mode of taxation, and can give no offence to any class of people, but those dishonestly employed."—(Times, Sept. 15, 1796.)

"The following curious view of the incredible loss sustained by raising weekly loans of money, at the Pawnbrokers, it is hoped, will prove an additional incitement to frugality; for certain it is, that in many instances, 1/6th, and in some cases 1/5th, and even as high as 1/4th, of the annual earnings of the more thoughtless, and dissolute part, of the poor, is paid for temporary accommodations. For instance,

"The person who borrows 3d. in pawn, pays 6d. a year, interest, but, if taken out weekly, (a thing very common, particularly during the Lottery),

"This explanation should be a warning to those who are so improvident, as to pawn their Sunday cloaths, every Monday morning, or 52 times a year, a custom which too frequently prevails, without reflecting that the Interest paid the Pawnbroker would, probably, purchase two or three coats, gowns, or silk cloaks, in the course of the year."—(Times, Mar. 20, 1797.)

"ON PUBLIC-HOUSES. (Condensed.)

"In the City of London, and within the Bills of Mortality, there are at present 5,204 licensed Public Houses, and it is calculated that the Beer, and Spirits, which are consumed in these receptacles of idleness, and profligacy, by the labouring people, only, is little short of three millions sterling a year. It has been lately discovered, that clubs of apprentice boys are harboured in Public Houses, for the purpose of supporting their brethren who run away from their masters, and of indulging themselves early, in scenes of lewdness, and drunkenness, which they generally do, by pilfering their masters property, and disposing of it at the old iron shops.

"If a conclusion may be drawn from the apparent greater degree of sobriety, which is manifested, at present, by the labouring people, and evinced by the number of quarrels, and assaults, being very considerably diminished, and the pressure, with respect to the means of living, apparently less than in the spring of 1795, notwithstanding no charities have been distributed, and bread is considerably higher, it would seem reasonable to attribute this favourable change, to the high price of Gin, which, being in a great measure inaccessible, the lower ranks have it now in their power, to apply the money, formerly spent in this way, to the purchase of provisions, perhaps to the extent of some hundred thousands of Pounds a year, in the metropolis, alone!"—(Times, Oct. 4. 1797.)