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them, he has too much reason to apprehend revenge.

The business to which any man is brought up is certainly that in which he is most likely to excel; and the permanent police officers are conversant with all the tricks of rogues and robbers, know all their haunts, are singularly alert in the discovery of an offender, and acute in directing their suspicions to the right person. Mr. Colpitts, however, is strenuously hostile to this class of people: he considers it a reflection upon society that police officers should be living, perhaps upon terms of intimacy, with those very villains upon whom they pounce in an unguarded moment; he considers it also irreconcileable with the idea of a constitutional and effective police, that a part of society should be constantly under the suspicion of the police; that individuals having committed crimes, for which they cannot be punished yet, (being not ripe for punishment) instead of checking the dissoluteness of their lives, it should be the interest of these hired constables, rather to encourage them in their career of ruin, in order, that at some future time the conviction of their depredations may bring in a more fruitful harvest. Mr. Colpitts is also of opinion, that society does not gain much by the exclusive knowledge of these officers: if they know the depredators, the depredators know them; sagacity is opposed to sagacity, cunning to cunning, both parties live by the constant exercise of their wits, and vigilance in detecting, may be foiled by superior vigilance in eluding.

This is very true, but it must be recol. lected that the original cunning is in the thief; his will never be thrown off, and therefore it is necessary that he who watches him should be possessed of, at least, an equal degree of the same quality. How Mr. Colpitts' plan would operate, if about which we have the strongest doubts-it could possibly be brought into operation, our readers will judge for themselves when we lay it be fore them. As to the disgracefulness of having one class of society constantly watching over the actions of another; it may be disgraceful that such vigilance is necessary, but so long as it is neccessary, it must not be abated. Persons leading a notoriously reprobate and abandoned life, ought to be, and must be vigilantly watched, for the sake of public security; and jealous as we pro

fess to be of our rights and liberties, we cannot enter into all Mr. Colpitts' alarm on the present occasion.

Mr. Colpitts proposes to have the present race of police officers disbanded, and the police placed in the hands of the citizens at large; he would have respectable inhabitants of the several parishes, take the acting part upon themselves in rotation, being annually elected. As to the present officers, they might be employed as tide-waiters when vacancies take place, or put into any vacant posts about the victualling-office, or dock-yards; some few of them might be retained as messengers for removing prisoners to and from the country, but acting subordinately to the elected con stables, not between the magistrates and them.

"The district of each constable in his

parish, ought to be no larger than he can conveniently superintend; and where it is larger, associate constables should be named trict, both male and female, above the age of to assist him; every inhabitant of such dischildhood, ought to be known to him: for this purpose, every occupant of a house should be obliged annually to give in a list to him of his family, and every inmate in his dwelling, as they came and removed, with out, however, being obliged to declare from whence they came, or whither they are removed, (unless such inmates themselves

chose to declare it) or any other particulars respecting them, without they had absconded, and were charged with some crime. And for the purpose of gaining a personal knowledge of such inhabitants within his district as are unknown to him, he ought to visit each house as soon as he was induct ed into his office; when such inhabitants of it should present themselves before him, they entered, both male and female, sheud and every new inhabitant and lodger, when present themselves before the constable of the district, accompanied by the landlord, or letter of such premises, and their ke and age only taken down; nor should it be allowed that any occupant of a house in London should take in a stranger, even for a night, without such stranger appearing before the constable, or his associate, or if too late to see either of them, before the superin'ca dant of the watch, at the nearest watchhouse, to whom he should declare his name and age, but nothing more."

Mr. Colpitts is not singular in his opi nion of the necessity there is to revise the laws respecting the responsibility of proprietors and occupiers of houses, in order to prevent those infamous resorts of lewdness, which now infest almost

every street, and which the tedious process of indictment is found inadequate to suppress. In order to remedy this crying evil, Mr. Colpitts would arm the law with a power, which we confess we cannot contemplate without fear. Upon conviction of the offender, Mr. Colpitts would authorise the police of the dis trict to enter into possession of the guilty house, retain it during three years as a punishment for the first offence; "letting it, and superintending the management of it in all respects, deducting one-fifth, or twenty per cent. per annum, from the annual produce of it, by way of fine, and for the trouble of superintending it, rendering the surplus to the owner; and upon a second conviction for misusage of such property, to enter again into possession of it, for the natural life of such person."

"It may be necessary also to place the pawnbrokers business under improved regulations, for it is through them that the great mass of stolen property is converted into cash; their interests upon the money lent ought to be reduced, and they should be compelled by law to give in to a proper

office, (the police office of the district for example,) twice every day, triplicates of every articles taken in pledge in the course of that day. What harm could attend a disclosure of their business thus far to a proper office? This would often lead to an immediate detection of the thief, and would almost totally deter them from offering stolen goods for pledge. Would it not also answer a good purpose, in order to put a stop to chand ler's-shops, and other petty traders, from buying stolen goods, to give a per centage upon the value by way of reward, for stop them for sale? The thief would here be ping the goods, and the persons offering placed in the situation, when he offered stolen goods for sale, of offering a reward

at the same time for his own detection."

Some excellent remarks occur on the

subject of granting licences to publicans; some hints for the regulation of draymen, porters, hackney coachmen, coaldealers, &c. &c., are well worthy of attention; they might be carried into ef fect without trouble, without expence, and we are persuaded the adoption of them would be advantageous to the community.

ART. LXII. Observations on the Importance Machinery into the Woollen Manufactory, Sc. THE use of machinery in manufactures has often occasioned literary controversy, and popular turbulence. Some Persons see in it an unkind contrivance

render human labour less necessary, 7 diminish the serviceableness, and bridge the comforts of the poor, and to etamorphose the starved population villages into mill-horses and steam pamps. Others maintain, that to cheapen production is to increase demand; hat all the creations of machinery are yat more within reach of the lowest inLomes, and consequently increase the mforts of the multitude; that the proits economized maintain an increased zoportion of the enjoying classes; that eisure is won for man by casting labour apon nature; that if spinners are discarded in one neighbourhood, weavers are put under requisition in another; so hat there is an eventual increase both of the quantity of work to be done, of the roportion of polished and cultivated exstence maintained by that work, and of :be fixed and taxable property respon ble to the parish and to the state.

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3 the latter set of arguments appear the more conclusive.

Mr. Anstie thus states his hesitations:
ANN. REV. VOL. II.

and Necessity of introducing Improved By JOHN ANSTIE. 8vo. pp. 99. "In the further prosecution of the subject, the arguments used for proving the pernicious tendency of introducing machinery into the clothing business, may be comprised under the three following heads:

"1st, It has been frequently objected by intelligent persons, and even by some manu facturers themselves, that the introduction of machinery into the clothing business must be pernicious, as only a limited quantity of the staple article, wool, of our native growth, could be produced for our middling and coarser manufactures, and that the possibility of obtaining an increased quantity of fine wool of the growth of Spain, for our su perior cloths, must depend on the demand for that wool from France, Holland, &c.

"The conclusion drawn from these sup

posed facts is, that machinery must be prejudicial, by diminishing the labour necessary for the employment of a great number of per sons in making goods, without the possibility, as we do not, in the opinion of the objectors to the use of machinery, possess the means of increasing the manufacture, but in a very limited degree, even should the demand require it, consequently those persons could be no longer employed in the woollen business. 2dly, The corruption of the morals of the people, especially of the children employed in the factories, in consequence of collecting them together, has been considered as a formidable objection to the use of machinery.

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adly. From the general introduction of machinery, it has been confidently said, the staple manufacture of the kingdom is endangered, by its being so much more easily trans

ferred to other nations.

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"The advocates for restrictions assert, that the use of machinery, by rendering the rior skill of those persons, long accustomed to different branches of the manufacture, comparatively useless, it will become perfectly easy to form establishments for the trade in other nations, as only a few superintending persons will be wanted, who may be fully competent to the management of machinery."

In reply to the objection about the obtainable quantity of wool, why not repeal the laws against owling, transport our best breeds of sheep to Canada, and there grow the desirable profusion of clothing wool?

In reply to the objection about the morals of manufacturing children, is it not equally applicable to all opportunities of indiscriminate association, among the children of the poor; to Sunday schools, for instance, the purlieus of which are, in many large towns, lurking places of premature debauchery? If both sexes have separate playing-crofts, if they are attended during meals by a chaplain or pedagogue, if they always separate by day-light, and return at a

known hour to sleep under the parental roof, the only precautions which state of society can insure seem to have been taken.

In reply to the objection of the tra ferrableness of machinery, let an appe be made to observation and experience Those manufactures, which require only the tuition of human individuals, have often migrated, whenever intolerance. religious or political, has expatriated. few teachers. But those manufacture. which are produced by costly establi ments of mechanism, have never migra ed: and for this reason, that whenev the demand slackens, the rent of the chinery abates; so that the article pr duced thenceforwards incurs a smal charge for the wages of enginery, (if v. may so word it) than it would have t incur, if new engines were to be construc ed for its production. It must therefore always be cheaper to buy where there are machines of long standing, which have already overstocked demand, than where the mechanism is new, and has to cata the interest of its cost.

The postscript notices some laws concerning apprentices, on which it worid be interesting to hear the opinions et se experienced a judge.

ART. LXIII. Observations on the Propriety or Impropriety of exporting Cotton Twist, for the Purpose of being manufactured into Cloth by Foreigners. 8vo. pp. 64.

IT has been thought an object by our lawgivers to compress, within the island, the largest possible resident population, without any regard to the quantity of subsistence which can be grown at home. For this purpose, raw materials are suffered to be imported with little or no burden of duty, manufactured articles are burdened with heavy duties, or wholly prohibited, and thus manufacturers of various descriptions are rewarded for residence. If there were no restrictions of this kind, and all exportation and importation was free, the consumer of silks would probably buy them from Lyons cheaper than from Spital-fields; and many weavers, who are maintained here, would be maintained on the continent. This is a sacrifice of wealth to strength, which was really expedient while the nation was underpeopled, but which is daily becoming less important.

If the exportation of cotton twist were prohibited, the article would sell lower, the weavers of cotton would be able to purchase it on casier terms, they would be able to offer woefs at a lower price,

and would sell more piece-goods than 1: present. More resident weavers wo''i thus be maintained here, and some c nental weavers would be thrown out af employ; but there would be a loss d wealth incurred in the diminished va of the machines erected for spinning caf ton.

It is probable that our mechanics wil ere long, contrive to weave calicoes by machinery, as well as to spin the compo nent threads. It will then cease to be the interest of foreigners to purchase twist; because the second operation, as well as the first, will be performed cheaper here than on the continent.The construction of such machtes would be the best cure for the decr of business complained of by the b chers, dyers, and printers of cotton stuns.

Our author would have the legislature interfere, and interrupt, by a prohibiter duty, the exportation of cotton tw We would have them let it alone. 1 immediate loss to the spinners would te great, and the discouragement to caf* prize immense.

· CHAPTER IV.

GEOGRAPHY.

ART. I. Modern Geography: a Description of the Empires, Kingdoms, States, and Colonies, with the Oceans, Seas, and Isles, in all Parts of the World; including the most recent Discoveries and political Alterations, digested on a new Plan. By JOHN PINKERTON. Carefully abridged from the larger work. 8vo. pp. 708.

In our former volume (p. 437) we gave a detailed account of the very va luable original work, of which the volume before us is an abridgement: a short notice will therefore suffice on the present occasion.

The plan followed seems to be not so much that of general compression, of which the original would not perhaps admit, as of lopping off or considerably shortening particular portions, which, to common readers, and the young student of geography, are the least interesting and important.

Thus we find the introduction, which still consists of above sixty closely printed pages, is restricted to those topics which are immediately connected with geographical science. The antiquarian and historical criticism is reduced to small compass; and the botanical Sketches of the different countries which

were loaded with Linnæan nomenclature, and of a length extremely dispropor tionate to the other matter, have been judiciously contracted and amended The provincial divisions of the Europeau states, which are for the most part omitted in the quarto edition, are carefully inserted in the present; and the population of the counties and towns of Great Britain has been inserted on the authority of the late enumeration. There are other more minute additions and improvements, all tending to qualify the book for the particular use of schools and young people. The only objection that we have to make concerns the maps. These are too few, and much too general to be of great use: as far as they go, however, being abridged from those of the original work, they are much more correct than any of equal size that we have yet met with.

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CHAPTER V.

BRITISH TOPOGRAPHY

AND

ANTIQUITIES.

THE publications that belong to this department of our work, are considerably more numerous than those which were noticed in the corresponding chapter of our former volume; in merit and originality, however, they are decidedly inferior. During the short interval of peace, many of our tourists were no doubt attracted to Paris; and on the recommencement of hostilities, with the expectation of imminent invasion, were probably occupied by more serious concerns than rambling about the country, in quest of picturesque scenery or sentimental adventures. Prudential motives, induced by the same lamentable event, have, in all likelihood, suspended the publication of some of the more expensive works in Topography and Antiquities, which, requiring the illustration of maps and plates, cannot be expected to be carried on with spirit during the transition from a state of public tranquillity, and private adventure, to one of private economy and public hazard. Instead, therefore, of giving a general sketch of the topographical and antiquarian works which have issued from the British press during the last year, and which will be amply noticed in the following articles, we shall take the liberty of offering a few remarks on the present state of British topography.

As geography, strictly speaking, means only a description of the great natura! features of the earth, and its principal civil divisions, so topography, treating of 1 particular country, or county, or hundred, or parish, ought properly to be confined to a more minute investigation of the same general subjects. Hence it is impossible by definition, to distinguish the one from the other of these branches of knowledge. and there are many publications which may, with almost equal propriety, be de nominated minute geographies, or general topographies: of which Büsching's Geography of Germany is a striking foreign example, and the "Beauties of England and Wales" is a domestic instance. While the geographer describes the courses of the great rivers and of the principal chains of mountains, indicates th leading territorial divisions, and points out the situation of the most remarkab towns and cities; the topographer follows the meandering of the smaller stream and their tributary brooks, marks the minuter undulations in the surface of th soil, traces parish boundaries, and ascertains the position of villages and hamlet of castles, cathedrals, and manor houses. Pure geography, however, to mi persons, is but a dull study, and, in consequence, the generality of modern write on this subject have incorporated into their works various particulars relative 1 the natural, political, civil, and statistical history of the countries describe. Pure topography, treating of the same subjects, but with much greater minuts

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