ployed Persons as their Buyers, of all the prime Sorts, and then divided it among themselves, by such Parcels as they thought proper, when it came into their Shops, the Price was determined at Pleasure, and they were sure not to be undersold *.

When a new Fish Market, (By Statute, 22 Geo. 2. C. 49.) A. D. 1749, was attempted to be established at WESTMINSTER, the Trustees and Inhabitants, subscribed, and bought Fishing Vessels, to be employed solely in supplying this New Market. Yet such was the Influence of the FISHMONGERS, and the Fishermen in their Interest, that even those Fishermen hired by the Subscribers, though bound under Covenants, with large Penalties, broke through them all, so that the Market was deserted for want of a Supply, and the Promoters of the Plan, ultimately lost their Money.

Fishmongers' ball is situate on the South side of Thames Street, not far from London Bridge. The Rooms for Business are ornamented with Decorations and Painting, of Varieties, of Fish. The Occupation of a FISHMONGER, must ever have been very profitable. In early Times, large Supplies were necessary for the numerous Religious, and meagre Days, and Fasts, came in rapid Succession: since the REFORMATION, the good Citizens of LONDON, have required Fish as a LUXURY. Forestalling of Fish, was known in the Reign of RICHARD II, and it was enacted in the Seventh Year of the Reign of that Monarch," that the FISHMONGERS and other Victuallers, should be under the Rule of the MAYOR and ALDERMEN. The Salt Fishmongers, were originally a distinct Company, and incorporated A. D. 1438. The Stock Fishmongers, were incorporated A. D. 1509, and united with the former A. D. 1536. At One Time they were so numerous, as to have Three Halls for each Fraternity, and are now One of the Twelve Companies, of which the LORD MAYOR must be Free.

CAMPBELL says, "The FISHMONGER is a Tradesman, calculated for the Great and Wealthy; his Profits are without any Bounds, and bear no Proportion to his Out layings. His Knowledge consists in finding out the cheapest Market, and selling at the greatest Price. This, and the Properties of the Goods he deals in, may be learned in less than Seven Years, without any notable Genius."

Manifold have been the Attempts to put a Stop to these Frauds and Monopolies. The Statute 29 Geo. 2. C. 39. and 30 Geo. 2. C. 21. contained such Regulations, as it was hoped would be Effectual, and Jurisdiction was entrusted to the Justices in Kent and Essex, and to certain Magistrates of the Corporation of Queensborough, and Gravesend, to enforce the Penalties. The FISHMONGERS, notwithstanding, kept the Fish wasting in their Well-boats, contrary to Law, by causing their Holds to be divided into several Cells, with Partitions between them. When a Fishing Vessel came in, as only part of the Cargo was forwarded to the Market directly, the remainder was put into one of these Cells or Receivers: a second Smack arrived two or three Days after, and left part of her Freight, in another Receiver of the same Boat, and so on, till all the Cells were full, when it was kept during the FISHMONGER'S Pleasure. When the INSPECTORS (appointed by Virtue of the Acts above mentioned), found that Fish had not been to Market, and remained beyond the Time, he was told, that what he saw, came by after Vessels; and that the Period for forwarding it, had not Expired, and which, he not being able to disprove, the Trick passed unpunished. It had been a Provision in these Acтs, that an Entry should be made of the Fishing Vessels, as they arrived, under a very considerable Penalty. This was frequently eluded, by prevailing upon those who had the Charge of making the Entry, to leave it to be made by some Waterman, who received the Entering Money, and took the Dues upon pieces of Paper, which remained with him, before they were posted in the proper Book, perhaps Twenty Days. If the INSPECTOR, upon finding no Entry, gave himself no Trouble, the End was answered, and if he did, and prosecuted, the Defendant produced the Waterman's Paper, which brought the Entry within Time, and though this Document might be forged, as the Proof of the

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Forgery was scarcely possible, the Fisherman was still triumphant, and cheated the PUBLIC with Impunity.

To remedy this and other Evils, the Statute of 33 Geo. 2. C. 27. was passed, which enacts, "that the Master of any Fishing Vessel, within three Days after getting to the NORE, with Fish, shall report the Time of his Arrival, to the deputed Clerk, in the Coast Office, at the Custom House in LONDON, under Fifty Pounds Penalty, and the Clerk is to insert the Report, in a Book set apart for that Purpose. The Master is also to leave a true Account of all Fresh Fish, which have been brought alive to the NORE in his Vessel, under a Forfeiture from the Owners, of Twenty Pounds, and Persons destroying, or causing to be destroyed, any Fish, brought from Sea, that is marketable, to be committed to hard Labour for One, and not more than Two Months, and the Clerk of the Coast Office, is, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, in every Week, to return to the MAYOR of LONDON, and the Trustees of the Fish Market at WESTMINSTER, and to the INSPECTOR, a faithful Statement, when each Vessel has been entered, as arrived at the NORE, and also of the Fish she brought, under the Penalty of Five Pounds.

None of the Fish mentioned in the ACTS (viz. Salmon, Salmon Trouts, Turbots, Ling, fresh Cod, and half fresh Cod, Haddock, Skate, fresh Ling, Lobsters, Soles, and Whitings), shall at any time after Arrival at the NORE, be put into a Well, or Store-boat, under the Penalty of Twenty Pounds, nor be delivered out of any Fishing Vessel (unless when sold by Retail,) except that employed to carry it directly to BILLINGSGATE or WESTMINSTER, and no Fishing Smack, &c. is to remain above One Tide with the Fish, Accidents of Wind and Weather excepted. A Breach of these Restric

tions, subjects the Offender to be committed to the House of Correc tion, for One, and not more than Two Months, and if the INSPECTOR neglects his Duty in these particulars, he is liable to Twenty Pounds Fine.

By the Statute 2 Geo. 3. C. 15. made to encourage the Carriage of Fish, by Land, to the METROPOLIS; no Person who shall sell, or be concerned in the Sale, of any Fresh Fish by Commission, is to buy, or be any ways interested in the Buying, such Fresh Fish in his Care, on any joint Account, under the Forfeiture of Fifty Pounds.

No Person is to sell, at any Fish Market within the Bills of Mortality, or within One Hundred and Fifty Yards, of such Fish Markets, and during the Market Hours, any of the Fish specified in the ACT, before he shall have first placed up a true Account of all the Fish, he shall then have to sell, distinguishing the several Sorts of such Fish, and the Quantity of every Sort, respectively, under Ten Pounds Penalty, and no Person is to have in his Possession, or Expose to Sale, any Spawn of Fish, or any Fish Unsizeable, or out of Season, or any Smelt, which shall not be five Inches from the Nose, to the uttermost Extent of the Tail.

By the Two last stated AcTs, a general Jurisdiction over Offences, created by them, is given to all JUSTICES of the PEACE, within their respective Districts.

The Foregoing, explains the Precautions, which have been hitherto adopted by the LEGISLATURE, for the Augmentation of this Species of Food, and for the Reduction of its Price, so as to bring Fish within the Reach, and thereby promote the Com

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forts, of the labouring and inferior Classes. The Account preceding this Description, has enumerated the Consumption, of various other Kinds of Provisions, &c. it may, therefore, be no improper Addition, to shortly trace the POPULATION, and its large Increase, within the last few Years, wherein Examinations to ascertain the Numbers, have been resorted to, whether such Inquiry refers to the METROPOLIS, abstractedly, or to the collective Body of the People, in ENGLAND, WALES, and SCOTLAND.

LONDON is less Populous, for its Extent, than some other great Cities. More Room is enjoyed by Individuals, and their Families, and a given Number of People, is spread over a larger Space, than is usual for the same Classes, in Foreign Countries. From the Report on the Population of ENGLAND, published on the Authority of an Act, passed 43 Geo. 3. including the Suburbs, it appears to contain, 837,956 settled Inhabitants, but the Strangers who are in LONDON, for Pleasure or Business, probably extends this Number, to nearly a MILLION, and it has been rated still higher, but the Fallacy of Conjecture on such Subjects, may be proved, from Sir WILLIAM PETTY'S "Political Arithmetic, A. D. 1683," when he endeavours to demonstrate, that the Growth of LONDON, must stop of itself, before the Year 1800, at which Time, Sir WILLIAM adds, the Population would be, Five Millions, Three Hundred Eightynine Thousand Persons, although the CITY has been undoubtedly enlarged, since Sir WILLIAM's Computation, his Plan must be extended some Centuries farther, before his latter Prediction can be verified, supposing the Increase to be, in the past Proportion.

The ACT, for Numbering the People of GREAT BRITAIN, was passed the last Day of the Year, 1800, and which directed a general