summary proceedings. The great inlets to vice,
idleness, and crimes, are, ill regulated public houses,
gaming, horse-racing, cock-fighting, profane swearing,
and a contempt of religious duties on a Sunday: to
which may be added, generally, every species of dis-
sipation, which has a tendency to congregate multi-
tudes of people on the same spot. In a new country
like America, where the general prosperity of the
nation depends, in so eminent a degree, on the morals
of the people, the legislature cannot promote the true
welfare of the state, in a greater degree, than by
authorizing magistrates to correct these evils, by
inflicting mild punishments in a summary way, and
by commuting, in various instances that will occur,
the punishment of imprisonment by pecuniary penal-
ties, to be applied to the expenses of the police.
Female prostitution, particularly in the cities in
America, also requires appropriate laws, which will
apply to both sexes; and those should be adminis-
tered in a summary way by the magistrates, by
imprisonment, or mild pecuniary fines. In like man-
ner, brothels ought not to be prosecuted by the tedious
and circuitous process of indictment and trial by
jury. The expense of such prosecutions in this
country, tend much to the increase of the evils of
prostitution, while, through the medium of the chi-
cane of the law, many notorious delinquents escape
justice.

I could not have conceived, until I perused your
accurate reports, that such a number of larcenies
could have been committed in the city of New York

.
It is impossible that depredations to such an extent
should be committed, unless there were many receiv-
ers of stolen goods; such as purchasers of old metals,
old apparel, ships stores, rags, and hand stuff &c.
These classes of dealers require the watchful eye of
the legislature, and much advantage would be derived,
from restraining them from dealing, unless under the
authority of a licence, with power to the magistrates