THE PREFACE. T HE Duty and Nature of my Office, Joon prompting me to confider of, enquire, and fearch, into the Authority, Manner, and Execution thereof; I had naturally a Recourfe to fuch Authors as bad published any Thing concerning the Rights and Priviledges of the City of London, from whence 1 extracted the following Teftimonies; which, though at first intended meerly for my own Information, are now (upon à longer Obfervation of their Invafion by feveral illegal Prac tices, and the ill Confequences that must náturally iffue thereon) defigned as a Means to induce fome more able Hand to erect a much more ample, and perfect Superstructure, then ohat I am capable of, or would pretend to : And as it may not be unacceptable to the Reader, to have the feveral Parts of this Work connected, and in a brief Manner laid before him, I shall here, by Way of Preface, inform him, That its Intention is to fet forth the Beauty and Value which the River of Thames is of to the Publick, as well as to the City of London; to prove the faid City's Power on the faid River; to exemplify, from Time to Time, the Execution of that Power; to remonftrate the evil Confequences that must befal the City by any Abridgment, Neglect, or Abuse of that faid Power; and to point out fome few Methods, in order to reform what is amifs, Supply what is defective, and fecure it from any illegal Attempts that are, or may (by Force or Art) be made to injure, or invade the fame. THEY that live on the Banks of this famous River, can never too much admire its Beauty, nor fufficiently extol its Usefulnefs. For whether we confider its Navigation, either as to the Number of Ships daily arriving from, or failing for all the known Parts of the World, with the Riches and Neceffaries Neceffaries of Life; or the Number of the Smaller Craft of different Sorts and Sizes, that ferve not only for Pleasure, but the Profit or Conveniency of the neighbouring Shores; or whether we confider the infinite Number of Men, whofe entire Livelihood depends thereupon, as well as the great Nurfery it is for the raifing of Sailors for the Publick Service; I fay, when we confider all these, and the many other Benefits; together with that invaluable Bleffing we have in its FISHERY, we may justly fay, it far exceeds all other Rivers in the known World. SHOULD not fuch a River be therefore carefully preferved from all Obftacles and Damages that may accrue either to its Navigation or Fishery? Surely, fuch was the Care and Confideration of former Ages, which induced the Wisdom of the Legislature (almost from the earliest Account of Time) to repofe fuch Powers in the Magiftracy of the City of London, as to enable the Lord Mayor of the fame, to hold Courts of Confervacy, to enact Laws or Orders for the Prefervation of its Navigation and Fishery, A 4 and and even to fine and imprison all Defaul ters or Offenders against fuch Laws and Orders, which should, or might be made, from Time to Time, for that faid Purpofe; by the faid Lord Mayor; and, alfo, to nominate, appoint, and conftitute a Sub-Confervator (or Water-Bailiff) for the better Executing the Office of Confervator of the Jaid River and Waters, within the Jurif diction of the faid City. AND, accordingly, the antient Guardians of this truly imperial City, have als ways looked upon this noble Jurifdiction, as one of their greateft Honours; and have often fhewn, by enacting new Orders, not only their Care of this great River, but; likewife, how much they regarded fo great a Trust, as the Profperity of its Naviga tion and Fishery. BUT, furely, there never was a Time iwhen the Abuses or Devaftations in the latter were fo frequent and numerous as of late Years, and that even in open Contempt and Defiance of the City's Authority and Jurifdic Jurifdiction; which, if not foon remedied and prevented, muft, in a few Years, be loft, and the Fishery of this River entirely deftroyed; and all this only, by a few desperate Fellows, in Comparison to the whole Body of Fishermen, who often, in Combination, and Defiance of all Laws, Rules, or Orders, now in Being, deftroy the Brood and Fry of Fish therein, and that meerly for their Scales, which they fell to make Beads on; and then either feed their Hogs, or bury in their Dunghills the Bodies of that Fry fo destroyed. NAY, thefe Defperado's are lately become (through Impunity) fo daring and open in this iniquitous and horrid Deftruc tion, as frequently to contemn, infult, refist, and even, at Noon-Day, affault the Water-Bailiff, and his Deputies, in the due Execution of their Office, in Searching for, Seizing, and Taking away, their illegal Nets and Engines. IS it not then Time for the CONSERVATOR of this profitable River, to do all that lies in his Power, to preserve, and fave from |