JB/150/304/001

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Committee of Finance — Pk Colquhoun Esqr IId Examination

Examination of Patrick Colquhoun Esq.r one of the Magistrates
of Police by the Honourable the Select Committee of the House of
Commons on Finance — Monday 5th March 1798

Question

Knowing that you have turned your attention to the means of
improving the Police of the Metropolis you are desired to state to
the Committee such measures as appear to you to be most expedient
for reducing the Public expenditure on the subject of Police?

Answer

At least four fifths parts of the expence of the Police Establishment
arises from rewards paid on the Conviction of certain descriptions of
Felons and the subsequent charge of maintaining Convicts in the
Hulks and in transporting them to new South Wales.

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1 Expence of the Bow Street Establishment including 67 Patrols paid
out of the Civil List about — £6000

2 Expence of the Seven Public Offices subject to a deduction of about)
300£ a year for fees and Penalties the whole amount subject to a charge on )
the Consolidated fund — )14000

Total Expence of Police for detecting and apprehending Delinquents 20,000

3 Expences of Rewards for certain Classes of Felons after Conviction)
from Civil List supposed to be about pr Annum — ) 15,000

4 Expence of maintaining Convicts at home — about — 30,000

5 Expence of Transporting and Clothing Convicts sent to New )
South Wales supposed to be about — — ) 35,000

Total presumed expence after Conviction exclusive )
of a very large additional sum paid out)
of the rates of different counties — ) £100,000

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The measures therefore that appear to me best calculated to
reduce this expence is the Establishment of a more correct and energic
System for the prevention of Crimes as the surest means of lessening the
number of Convicts and thereby diminishing the expences which are at
present incurr'd incurred in rewards for apprehension and detection
& in maintaining and Transporting Convicted Felons.

The increase of Crimes and of Course the vast accumulation of
Convicted Felons within the last twenty years and particularly since
the adoption of the System of the Hulks and of Transportation to New
South Wales has occasioned a great augmentation of expence

Identifier: | JB/150/304/001"JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 150.
Date_1	1798-03-05	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	150	Main Headings	police bill
Folio number	304	Info in main headings field	committee of finance - p. colquhoun esqr iid examination
Image	001	Titles
Category	copy/fair copy sheet	Number of Pages	3
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	d1 / / / d4
Penner		Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public	see note to letter 1329, vol. 6	ID Number	50525
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