Retrofpet of Domeftic Literature —Political Econorty. 6x5 
¢rand relates the attack and reduétion of 
this caftle of defpotifm: there were in it 
but feven prifoners, four of whom were 
aecufed of forging bills of exchange 5 one 
confined at the requeft of his family on 
charges of the moft ferious nature, and 
two who were fo deranged as to be con- 
fined among the mad people at Charenton 
the day after their liberation, from their 
former imprifonment! In the Provinces 
there were feveral ftate prifoners, particu- 
larly in Brittany; and our author tells 
us, that when he was intendant there, he 
received an exprefs order from the King 
to vifit every one, and to receive from 
each prifoner a ftatement refpecting him- 
felf, and to tranfimit an acceunt of it to 
the minifter, the Baron de Breteuil. The 
circular letter, containing ampleft inftruc- 
tion cefpeéting the motives of juftice and 
Jhumanity by which it had been di€tated, 
was addrefied to all the intendants: “ 1 
ebeyed it,” fays M. Bertrand, ‘* as was 
‘my duty, with the utmoft ftri€tnefs; and 
I atreft, upon my honor, that there was 
not in Brittany a fingle ftate prifoner 
whofe confinement vas not an aét of juf- 
tice, and in many inftances an act of be- 
nevolence and mercy.”’ The prefent 
avork contains a great deal of very curious 
matter, and will be read with much plea- 
fare by all who intereft themfelves in the 
events of that revolution, whofe influence 
is felt in every quarter-of the globe. 
Of the laf&t work which we have to no- 
tice under the head of Hiftory, we fhall 
merely tranfcribe the title-page, which 
will be found fufficiently indicative of its 
contents: * An Index, drawn up about 
the Year 1629, of many Records of Char- 
rers, granted by the different Sovercigns 
of Scotland, between the Years 2309 and 
z413, mot of which Records have been 
long milling, With an Introduction, 
giving a State, founded on authentic Do- 
cuments fti!! preferved, of the Arcient 
Records of Scotland, which were in that 
Kingdom in the Year 1292. To which 
are fubjoined, Indexes of the Perfons and 
Places mentioned in thofe Charters, al- 
phabetically arranged. DPublithed at the 
defire of the Right Hon. Lord Frederic 
Campbell, Lord Clerk Regifter of Scot- 
land, with a View to lead to a Difcovery 
of thofe Records which are milling. By 
William Robertfon, Efq. 
PoLiticaL ECONOMY: 
A work containing more extraordinary 
ftatements, has not, we conceive, been pre- 
fented to the public for many years than 
Mr. Coraysoun’s ‘ Police of the Me- 
gropoliss” This magiftrate, encouraged 
4 
by the reception of his volume, has fub- 
~mitted 1t to a revifal, and has juft pub- 
lifhed another edition, corre€ted and en-, 
larged. ‘Che eighth chapter in the pre- 
fent edition treats on the fubjeét of the, 
plunder which has fo long and fo fuccefs- 
fully been carried en upor the river, and 
explains the advantages which have al- 
ready refulted to trade and the revenue by. 
the eftablifhment of the Marine Police in-— 
ftitutions The ninth treats of the plun- 
der in the pubiic dock-yards : Mr. Col- 
quhoun ftates the allowance of chips to 
the artificers to coft Government 140,900]. 
a year! The eleventh chapter treats on 
the origin of criminal ellences, which the 
author imputes to an ill-regulated police,- 
principally as it regards public-houfes : 
‘¢the quantity of beer, porter, gin, and 
compounds which is fold in public-houfes 
in the metropolis and its environs has. 
been eftimated. at near 3,300,900l...a, 
year.”’ After defcanting on the indigencep 
debility, and contamination of morals pro’ 
duced among the lower claffes of people 
by this enormous confumption, Mr. C,. 
remarks that, however unpopular it may 
appear to thofe who have not confidered 
the fubject, if a triple duty were impofed 
on malt. fpirits, and a much higher on 
{trong beer and porter, it would be an ack 
of the greateft humanity on the part of, 
the legilature. He makes the following 
curious and alarming calculation: fup- 
pofing the excels in which 200,000 of the 
labouing people in the metropolis indulge 
fhortens the natural period of their exiit- 
ence five years each on an average, the la~ 
bor of one mididn of years is loft in the 
lives of this clafs of men after the expenfe 
is incurred in rearing them to maturity, 
which during a period of thirty-fx years 
of adule labor et 25l. a year, eftablifhes a 
deficiency to the community of 25 mil-~ 
lions ferling! In the twelfth chapter of 
the prefent edition is dilcuffed the impor- 
tant fubjeét of female proftitution. The 
magnituge of this evil in the metropolis 
almoft exceeds belicf; it admits of ne 
common remedy, and cannot be materially 
diminithed by any efforts of private benes 
volence ; with coniiderable difiidence Mr, 
Colquhoun §as ventured to propofe fome 
fpecific regulations for the purpole at leaft 
of leticning this melancholy and increafing 
evil. It would excced the reafonable h- 
mits of our article to {tate the particulars 
of the plan which js here, laid down, of 
to enter into an examination of its merits 5 
we muft refer our reader to the book it- 
felf, and at the fame time exprefs ¢ moft 
fincere wish that the fubjeét may not 
4 K 2 flumber 
