282 Public Establishment for 



by their unceasing importunity, had contrived to lay 

 certain classes of the inhabitants under regular period- 

 ical contributions of certain commodities, and especiall}'' 

 eatables, which they collected in kind. Of this nature 

 were the contributions which were levied by them 

 upon the bakers, butchers, keepers of eating-houses, ale- 

 house-keepers, brewers, etc., — all of whom were obliged 

 at stated periods, once a week at least, or oftener, to 

 deliver, to such of the beggars as presented themselves 

 at the hour appointed, very considerable quantities of 

 bread, meat, soup, and other eatables ; and to such 

 a length were these shameful impositions carried, that 

 a considerable traffic was actually carried on with the 

 articles so collected between the beggars and a number 

 of petty shop-keepers or hucksters, who purchased them 

 of the beggars, and made a business of selling them by 

 retail to the indigent and industrious inhabitants. And 

 though these abuses were well known to the public, yet 

 this custom had so long existed, and so formidable were 

 the beggars become to the inhabitants, that it was by 

 no means safe or advisable to refuse their demands. 



Upon the town being cleared of beggars, these im- 

 positions ceased, of course ; and the worthy citizens who 

 were relieved from this burthen felt so sensibly the 

 service that was rendered them, that, to show their grat- 

 itude and their desire to assist in supporting so useful 

 an establishment, they voluntarily offered, in addition 

 to their monthly subscriptions in mone}', to contribute 

 every day a certain quantity of bread, meat, soup, etc., 

 towards feeding the poor in the Military Workhouse. 

 And these articles were collected every day by the 

 servants of the establishment, who went round the 

 town with small carts, neatly fitted up and elegantly 



