not prosecuted in consequence of the capital punishment." MR. GURNEY considers that "his property as a banker would be more secure, if the punishment were not so severe, because there would be more inclination to prosecute." He also suggested, that if in every town of sufficient importance, an agent was invested with full authority from the Bank of England, to stamp the forged notes that were presented to him, it would be a considerable check to their circulation. In this opinion MR. WILLIAM BIRKBECK, a banker in the Wes: Riding of York, fully concurred; conceiving that if an agent of this kind were authorized to put a mark upon such notes, indicating that they were forged, it would probably throw them back on the original issuer so early, as to show him the futility of attempting to issue others of a similar description. Your Committee cannot but consider the suggestion made by these respectable gentlemen as well meriting attention.

After due consideration of this important question, Your Committee are of opinion, that Forgeries are a class of offences, respecting which it is expedient to bring together and methodise the laws now in being. That in the present state of public feeling, a reduction of the punishment in most cases of that crime, is become necessary to the execution of the laws, and consequently to the security of property and the protection of commerce; and that the means adopted by the Legislature to return to our ancient standard of value, render the reformation of the Criminal Laws respecting forgeries, a matter of very considerable urgency. Private forgeries will, in the opinion of the Committee, be sufficiently and most effectually repressed by the punishments of Transportation and Imprisonment. As long as the smaller notes of the Bank of England shall continue to constitute the principal part of the circulating medium of the kingdom, it may be reasonable to place them on the same footing with the metallic currency; Your Committee therefore propose that the forgery of these notes may for the present remain a capital offence; that the uttering of forged bank notes shall, for the first offence, be Transportation or Imprisonment; but that on the second conviction, the offender shall be deemed to be a common utterer of forged notes, and shall, if the prosecutor shall so desire, be indicted as such, which will render him liable to capital punishment. Respecting the offence of knowingly possessing forged notes, Your Committee have no alteration to suggest, but what they conceive could be fit in all transportable offences, that a discretion should be vested in the Judges to substitute Imprisonment with hard labor for Transportation, where such a substitution shall seem to them expedient. As the discovery of the actual forgers of bank notes has been found by experience to be in the highest degree difficult, Your Committee con

sider the suggestion of the Commissioners for inquiring into the means of preventing forgeries, of offering an unusual large reward for the detection of forgeries, as worthy of serious consideration; to such rewards in general, the Committee feel an insuperable objection. In the case of forgery there are circumstances which considerably weaken the objection. No jury could convict in such a case, on the mere evidence of an informer, unsupported by the discovery of those materials, implements, and establishments necessary for carrying on the criminal system. The reward would therefore have little tendency to endanger innocent men, by false accusation. The evidence on which the conviction would rest must be of a sort which can hardly deceive. The informer would only furnish the key, by which the means of evidence would be found; the reward would rather be for detection than for conviction.

There are several points on which Your Committee are desirous of offering some observation to the House; two of these are of great importance; the First, relates to the best means of enabling Judges to pronounce sentence of death only in those cases where they think it probable that death will be inflicted: The Second, whether the establishment of unexpensive and accessible jurisdictions, for the trial of small offences, with the help of Juries, but with simple forms of proceeding and corrective punishments, might not be a means of checking the first steps towards criminality. These and other parts of this great subject, the Committee hope that the House will allow them another opportunity to consider, by permitting them, in the next Session, to resume, and if possible to complete their inquiries.

The Committee consider themselves as bound to express their gratitude to Mr. EVANS, the learned and most meritorious vice chancellor of the county palatine of Lancaster; to Mr. LONG, a respectable barrister; and to Mr. JAMESON, a young gentleman employed in the study of the law, for the liberal and useful aid which they have afforded during the whole course of the investigation.

Your Committee will conclude by informing the House, that in pursuance of the various opinions and recommendations which they have stated above, they have instructed their Chairman early in the next Session of Parliament, to move for leave to bring in Bills, for the objects and purposes of which this Report is intended to explain the nature and to prove the fitness.

8 July, 1816.

ON SOME RECENT

POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS,

WITH AN

EXPOSURE OF THE FALLACY

OF

THE SINKING FUND.

By A. H. CHAMBERS,

BANKER, BOND-STREET;

AUTHOR OF THE RESUMPTION OF CASH PAYMENTS.

LONDON:

VOL. XV.

Pam.

NO. XXX.

2 A

PREFACE.

ANXIOUS for the public weal, and entertaining opinions on the present financial system of the Country different, perhaps, from the generality of those who devote their minds to political subjects—and as my views may be peculiarly my own-I am induced humbly to submit the following Strictures, with this observation only-that I have not any thing either to hope, or to fear, beyond that of the public opinion, before whose tribunal I venture to appear.