or her; the court upon motion made by Mr. Common-ferjeant, will order that all bonds for payment of the orphan's portion, &c. fhall be delivered up and cancelled, and recognizances to

be croffed.

If a father is a freeman of London, he cannot devife the difpofition of the body of the infant, by the ftatute 12 Car. 2. &c. if he do, yet the infant shall remain in the custody of the mayor. and aldermen; and this cuftom to have the cuftody of the orphan's perfon, and of his real and perfonal eftate, extends to lands out of London. Sid. 363.

The ftatute of 5 and 6 W. and M. cap. 10. enacts, that the lands, markets, fairs, &c. belonging to the city of London, (except fuch as belong to hofpitals, and are liable to the repairs. of London-bridge) fhall be chargeable for railing eight thousand pounds, per ann. to be appropriated for a perpetual fund for orphans: and towards the raifing fuch a fund, the common council may affefs two thousand pounds yearly, upon the perfonal eftates of the inhabitants; alfo every apprentice is to pay two fhillings and fix pence, when bound, and five fillings when he is admitted a freeman; and four fhillings per ton, is granted upon wine for the increase of the fund. This fund is to be applied for payment of debts due to ophans, by an intereft after the rate of four pounds per cent, for ever; and no perfon is compellable to pay the principal money, &c. The chamberlain mifapplying any of the monies appointed, fhall forfeit treble the fum: and any perfon to whom fuch money is payable, may affign and transfer the fame in a book kept by the mayor and court of aldermen,

SECT

SECT. VII.

Of Juftice-Hall Court.

T

HIS court is held by the king's commiffion of oyer and terminer, at JusticeHall in the Old Baily, eight times a year, for trying of criminals, for crimes committed within the city of London and county of Middlefex; the judges of this court, are the lord-mayor, aldermen that are paffed the chair, and the recorder, who on all fuch occafions are attended by both the fheriffs, and generally by one or more of the national judges. All offences committed in the city are tied by a jury of citizens; and those committed in the county by one of that. The crimes and mifdemeanors tried in the court, are, high and petty treafon, murder, felony, perjury, forgery, petty larceny, cheating, libelling, falfe weights and meafores, &c. the penalties incurred by which, are the lofs of life, corporal punishment, tranfportation, amerciament, &c. The charge of a prosecution in this court is but a trifle, for the encouragement of people to profecute rogues. Roy. Char. Lond.

SECT. VIII.

The Cozoner's Court.

HE lord-mayor being perpetual coroner of the city, this court is held before him, or his deputy, who is to inquire into the caufe of the death of any perfon, who, upon fight of the body, is fuppofed to have come to an un

16

timely

untimely end; as he is likewife into the escape of the murderer; and concerning found treasure, diamonds, and wrecks at fea. Royal Char. Lond. 4 Inst..4.

SECT. IX.

The Court of Escheatoz.

Τ

HE lord-mayor of London being perpetual. efcheator within the city, this court is alfo held before him or his deputy, to whom all origi nal writs, Diem claufit extremum, madamus, devene runt, melius inquirend, &c. are directed, to find an office for the king, after the death of his tenant who held by knight fervice. The efcheator may alfo find an office for treason, felo ny, c. Royal Char. Lond.

.

SECT.

X.

The Court of Confervacy.

T

HIS court is yearly held eight times before the lord-mayor, at fuch places and times as his lordship fhall think fit to appoint, within the refpective counties of Middlefex, Effex, Kent, and Surry; in which feveral counties he has a power of fummoning juries, who for the better prefervation of the fifhery of the river Thames, and regulation of the fishermen that fish therein, are upon oath to make inquifition of all offences committed in and upon the faid river, from Stanes-bridge in the weft,. to Yenfleet in the

east;

eaft; and to prefent all perfons that are found guilty of a breach of the following ordinances. Roy. Char. Lond.

First, That no perfon fhall shoot any draw-net, &c. at any time of the year before fun rifing or after fun-fetting; that no fisherman fhall ftill-lie, or bend over any net during the time of the flood, whereby falmons, &c. may be hindered and kept back from fwimming upwards; that no fisherman or others fhall ufe any fpear called an eel-fpear, nor exercise any flue trammel, double walled net, or hooped net, to deftroy'the fry of fifh; that no fisherman ufe any mill-pots, or other engines, with the heads thereof againft the fream; that no fishermen fhall rug for flounders between London-bridge and Westminster,

c. but only two cafts at low water, and two cafts at high water; and that no flounder be taken under the fize of fix inches; that no fisher. man, or other, fish with, or use any angle with more than two hooks upon a line, within the limits of London bride; that no Peter-men fish further weftward than Richmond, to which place the water ebbs and flows; that no fisherman keep two boys in one boat, unless one be at man's eftate; nor take up any wreck or drift upon the water, without notice, to the water-bailiff, &c. and all fishermen fhall be registered, &c. under divers penalties and forfeitures.

Thefe orders are for regulating the fish weftward, between London bridge and Stanes bridge; and there are feveral orders for the government of the fishery eastward, between London-bridge and Kendal, touching unlawful taking of fmelts, whitings, fhads, fish out of feafon, royal fish; fuch as whales, fturgeons, porpuffes, &c. and prefenting the fame at the court of confervacy of the river of Thames.

By an order of 10 July, 1673, no perfon fhall' draw the fhores in the river of Thames, fave only for falmon, by perfons empowered, &c. and

none

none shall fish with a net under fix inches in the meah, on pain of twenty pounds, and the water-bailiff hath power to authorise two honeft fishermen in any town, &c. to be affiftant to him, in fearching for and feizing unlawful. nets, . no fisherman or other person shall caft any foil, gravel, or rubbish, in the Thames, whereby banks or fhelves are raised, and the common paffage hindered, nor drive any piles or takes in the faid river, upon which the like danger may arise, on the penalty of ten pounds.

And by statute 27 Hen. 8. if any person shall procure any thing to be done to the annoyance of the Thames, in making of fhelves, mining, digging, &c. or take any boards or stakes, undermine banks, walls, &c. he fhall forfeit five pounds.

And for the more effectual preservation of the navigation, and fish in the river Thames, the lord-mayor as confervator thereof,. has his affiftant or deputy, the water-bailiff; who, together with his fubaitutes, detect and bring to justice all such persons as fhall prefume to destroy either the current or fifh of the faid river.

SECT.

XI.

Of the Court of Requeffs.

T

HIS excellent court, from its reafonable and equitable proceedings, is commonly called the Court of Confcience, had its beginning in the ninth of Henry VIII. anno 15.18. An act of common council was then made, where by it was ordained, that the court of lordmayor and aldermen fhould monthly appoint two aldermen and four commoners, to be commif, foners thereof, who were to fit weekly in Guild

bail,