A

SHORT SKETCH

O F

TEMPORARY REGULATIONS

(UNTIL BETTER SHALL BE PROPOSED)

FOR THE

INTENDED SETTLEMENT

ON THE

GRAIN COAST OF AFRICA,

NEAR SIERRA LEONA.

THE SECOND EDITION.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY H. BALDWIN, FLEET-STREET.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

153904

ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS. 1899.

FRANK PLEDGE.

T

HE moft certain and effectual mode of securing peace, right, and mutual protection, for any community, is the old English system of mutual Frankpledge, or free-furetyship, given by all the housebolders, for themselves and each other, in exact numerical divifions of tens and hundreds; which, in the English lawbooks is called " Maxima fecuritas”"the greatest security," though it is now unhappily neglected, and consequently crimes abound and increase; so that, B notwith

notwithstanding the horrible increase alfo of bloody laws to intimidate offenders, yet there is no effectual fecurity from violence and robbery, either in our streets or roads, or even in our chambers; fince the houses of the rich and great, nay of the first officers of the ftate, are not exempted from the nocturnal intrufion of housebreakers, infomuch that even the Lord Chancellor and Honourable Speaker of the House of Commons have lately experienceed the common danger, and the deplorable want of the antient "Maxima fecuritas." That fundamental system of English polity is fo little known among us at prefent, that many well-meaning perfons are induced, by their fears, to with for fecurity, on a much lefs eligible plan, formed on the model of the arbitrary fyftem of government in France, commonly called police, the introduction of which would be an utter perverfion of the first principles of

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legal