LONDON. 



abailiff till the reign of Edward III., who granted the govern- 

 ment of it for ever to the city. A part has been fince ii.cor- 

 porated witii the city, undc-r the appellation of Bridge Ward 

 Without, and has its ofS'-ers appointed by the court of 

 common-council , The livery is a numerous, rcfpeftable, and 

 important eleClive body ; in which is veiled the election of 

 the lord mayor, fiieriffs, chamberlain, members of parliament, 

 bridgt'-mafters., ale-conners, and auditors of the chamberlain's 

 accounts. The lord mayor, aldermen, common-coui.cd, and 

 liverv of London, form togetiier the nioft important popular 

 aflembly, the commons houfe of parliament excepted, in the 

 kingdom. On occafions of the greateft moment, their deci- 

 fions have infpired general fortitude ; and the whole legifla- 

 ture, when under evil influence, has been llruclc v>i h awe 

 by the remonftrance of the city, and prudently lillened to a 

 warning fo folemnly pronounced. 



The military ijovernment of the city of London was con- 

 fiderably changed by an att of parliament pafTed in the year 

 1794; under which two regiments of militia are raifed in 

 the city, by ballot, amounting together to 2200 men. The 

 officers are appointed by the commiflioners of the king's 

 lieutenancy for the city of London ; and one regiment may, 

 in certain cafes, be placed by the king under any of his ge- 

 neral officers, and marched to any place not exceeding 

 twelve miles from the capital, or to the neareft encampment ; 

 the other, at all fuch times, to remain in the city. Regiments 

 of aflbciated volunteers are formed in the refpeftive wards 

 and parifhes, for the internal defence and peace of the metro- 

 polis. , A confiderable force is alfo maintained by the Bank, 

 India-houfe, Cuftom-lioufe, and other pubhc bodies, for 

 their more immediate fecurity. The Artillery company, 

 which is principally compofed of a voluntary enrolment of 

 the younger citizens, affords an additional force of about fix 

 hundred men. (See Artillery.) See alfo Highmore's 

 Hiilory of the Artillery Company, 8vo. 



The civil government of the fuburbs is veiled in the 

 juftices of the peace for the county. The county-hall for 

 Middlefex is on Clerkenwell-green, where the quarter-fef- 

 fions are held ; and a great part of the civil government 

 is exercifed. In Bow-ftreet, Covent-garden, is an office of 

 police, under the direction of certain juftices of Middlefex, 

 who dedicate their time chiefly to that office, where are firll 

 examined the moil feriouscaies of mifdemeaiior. The other 

 public offices of police, where magiilrates fit daily, are — 

 the Manfion-houfe and Guildhall, within the city. In the 

 fuburbs — Bow-ftreet ; Queen-fquarc, Weftminfter ; Marl- 

 borough-it reet; Hatton-garden ; Wor(hip-ftreet ; Lambeth- 

 ftrect, Whitechapel ; High-ftreet, Shadwell ; and Union- 

 ilreet, Southwark : at Wapping New-ilairs is an office for 

 enquiry into offences connefted with the {hipping and port 

 of London. 



The police of London is under the controul of the magif- 

 trates belonging to thefe offices ; who are appointed and 

 paid by the government. They are required to attend on 

 duty every day, and their province is to hear and determine 

 petty offences, and fubjects of difpute between individuals. 

 On many occafions they invelligate felonies, and the higher 

 clafles of crimes, and commit the offenders to the proper 

 prifons. Diffi?rent acts of parliament have been paffed on 

 this fubjeft, by which the duty and powers of the magiilrates 

 and lubordmate officers are particularly detined. The po- 

 lice of the city of London is regulated by acls paffed in 10 

 Geo. n. II, 14, 33, and 34 Geo. III.: of Wei^minfter 

 and its liberties, by adls of 27 Eliz., 16 Cha. I., 29 

 and 31 Geo. II. 2, 3, 5, 11, and 19 Geo. HI. : municipal 

 regulations are alfo cllabhfhed in the borough of Southwark, 

 by acts 28 Geo. II. and 6 and 14 Geo. III. 



Vol. XXL 



Under the foregoing afts, a nightly watch is appointed 

 for the prevention of robbcrie;, and the appreh"nfion of 

 offenders. To the city of London arc attached 765 watch, 

 men, and 38 patroles. The whole number of beadles, 

 patroles, and watchmen, who are every night on duty in and 

 around the metropolis, is eflimated at 2044. Watch-houfes 

 are placed at convenient diftances in all parts, where paro. 

 chial conilables attend in rotation to keep order, receive 

 offenders, and deliver them the next morning to tlie fitting 

 magiftrate. In the winter ieafon, the roads adjacent to 

 London are additionally guarded by horfc-patroles ; and 

 on extraordinary occafions, the officers of the police are 

 ordered OLt, or ki-pi in readinefs, to affill in the prefervation 

 of the public peace. The nightly watih is of peculiar uti- 

 lity in cafe of fire, as in every vvatch-houfe the names of 

 the turncocks, and the places where engines are kept, are to 

 be found. Befides parochial engines, many pubhc bodies 

 are provided with them, and the principal fire-offices have 

 engines ftationed in various diftricis, with aftive men and 

 horfes By means of the fire-plugs, water is immediately 

 fupplied, and the general fecunty is guai-anteed by every 

 effort of vigilance and aftiviiy. 



yidi of Parliament rJaiive to London and Its Inhabitants. 



The internal economv, government, police, and civil regu- 

 lations of London, are entitled to particular and commend- 

 able notice ; becaufe thefe have tended to attraft foreigners 

 to fettle here, and induced numerous families, both tradef- 

 men and perfons of fortune, to fix on this city as a defirable 

 place of permanent refidence. It will be found that many 

 legillative afts have been paded, and are in force, to fecure 

 the fafety and comfort, and adminifter to the luxuries of the 

 inhabitants of this metropolis. Befides numerous local 

 afts of parliament that apply to particular parifhes and 

 diftrifts, the following have been paiTed exprefsly for the 

 above purpofes. It is thoight advifable to fpecify thefe 

 afts, and point out fome of rhcir items ; becaufe many local 

 advantages and conveniences of London are to be referred 

 to thefe legiflative provifion?. 



By 3 Hen. VIL c. 9, citizens and freemen of London 

 are authorifed to carry their wares to any fair or market 

 in the kingdom, in fpite of any bye-iaw to the contrary. 

 By 6 Geo. II. c. 22, the lord mayor and citizens were em- 

 powered to fill up part of Fleet Ditch, and the inheritance 

 of the ground was vefled in them. By 29 Geo. II. c. 40, 

 the lord mayor and common-council were empowered to 

 purchafe and remove buildings, to improve, widen, and 

 enlarge the paflage over and through London-bridge. 



Buddings. — In the year 1764, a very important acl of 

 parliament was pafied, refpefting all buildings which are 

 hereafter to be erefted within London, Weftminfter, the 

 bills of mortaUty, and the parifhes of Mary-le-bone, Pad- 

 dington, Pancras, and Chelfea, whereby it is provided, that 

 they fhal' be divided into feven rates, of which the external 

 walls (hall be of a thicknefs proportionate to their rates or 

 fizes ; thefe of firll-rate buildings to be at the foundation 

 2 A bricks, or i foot 94 inches thick, and dccreafing up- 

 wards in a degree therein fpecified. Another adt, of a more 

 ample nature, was paffi;d in 1774, refpetling the buildings 

 of London and its vicinage. By this it is required, that 

 houfes contiguous to other buildings (hall have party-walls 

 between them, which walls and all chimnies and chimney- 

 (hafts (hall be of brick or ftone, or both together. (See 

 Chimney.) Party-walls fliall be 18 inches above the build- 

 ings adjoining, and thofe of firft-rale buildings fliall be at. 

 the foundation 3^ bricks, or 2 feet 6-^ inches in thickncff , 

 decreafing upwards in a given proportion. No receiTes ( o 

 be made in party-wall* (except for chimnies, fires, girders, 



S f ^.c.) 



