348 Police of the Metropolis. [APRIL. 



made in Bond-street split because Mr. Tomkins or Mr. Jenkins, in 

 stooping, has had an accident ! 



If we were to philosophize for a century which is, in other words, 

 to amuse ourselves by proving that we are mistaken in the evidence of 

 our eyes, and ears, and all out other senses, we should not be able to 

 shake the fact, that here in England in our existing state of society 

 no matter what may have been the case formerly, or what may still be 

 the case elsewhere to punish any particular crime certainly and severely, 

 has the effect of restraining the commission of it. If this were not the 

 case, stealing from the person by violence would be as ordinary a crime 

 as picking pockets : it is an offence considerably the more easy in per- 

 petration of the two. We do not mean to infer from hence, that it is 

 only necessary to punish all crime severely, and that all crime will dis- 

 appear. Some amount of larceny, or disposition to larceny, will always 

 exist ; and it is convenient to direct it rather into those courses, in which 

 it may expend itself with the least quantity of mischief to society. We 

 have very little doubt, however, that, as to many offences, the recent 

 lenity extended whether right or wrong has actually produced a dis- 

 position to their increase. Since the pardon of Savery, for instance, at 

 Bristol a case which renders it impossible, we apprehend, to execute 

 any other man in future for forgery since that case, the crime of forgery, 

 we think, in the perception of every one, must have very evidently 

 increased. 



The next circumstance to which we have adverted, as one cause of the 

 increase of crime the increased amount of property collected by indivi- 

 duals together with what we may take to be the increased extent of 

 luxury among the more wealthy and middle classes needs very little 

 illustration. Its operation is most apparent in great cities, and especially 

 in the metropolis. The mere increased extent of London and its de- 

 pendencies, must unavoidably have produced a corresponding increase in 

 the amount of our, house robberies. Indeed the effect goes rather further 

 than tliis. In the new and more open districts, robberies are easier,, 

 while police regulations, from the expense with which they are attended, 

 take some time to become equally perfect : and the natural result is, 

 that we have three complaints of house-breaking from the suburbs, for 

 one within the older and more closely-peopled parishes of the city. 

 Moreover, almost every tradesman now, that can afford to live in tole- 

 rable comfort, has two residences ; the consequence of which is, that 

 the master's eye which is worth six eyes of any body else must 

 always be wanting at one of them. He carries on his trade either in 

 Cheapside or Friday-street, and sleeps at Claphani or Kennington : at 

 night, therefore, his property, in town, is either left under the uncertain 

 charge of a lock and key ; or committed to the certain negligence of 

 servants, who, like their master, have their own amusements in the 

 evening to attend to. Besides all this, we are more a people of out-door 

 amusements though still very far behind the French in that virtue . 

 than we were twenty years ago. Twenty years ago we had generally 

 two theatres during half the year, and only four during the other half, 

 open at a time : now we have seldom less than eight on foot at a time : 

 and this is independent of minor raree-shows out of number, and houses 

 of cheap public entertainment : and all live. All these excitements to 

 assemblage tend to the production of a certain quantity of crime ^ the 



