52 Before the Bobbieswatch in other Adjoining Parishes, where the Pay is greater .. .'. The max-
imum that the allowable watch rate would raise was approximately £1450 and
raising the watchmen's wages would raise watch expenditure to £1386.8s.8d.
While a pay increase was approved in 1771, it did not leave much room for
other expenses.^41
The Commons committee made four general resolutions.^42 The first was:
'That the present Mode of Watching, and Pay of the Watchmen, within the
City and Liberty of Westminster, is very irregular and various, and ought to be
put under proper Regulations,' and thus, secondly, 'it would tend to the
Safety of the Inhabitants' if a regular and uniform night watch was estab-
lished. Thirdly, it would be necessary to levy a rate in order to pay for the
proposed improved watch. 'Proper Regulation' apparently at this point
means having a significant degree of uniformity, rationality, and profession-
alism. The fourth resolution addressed the question of who should have
authority over constables. The resolution stated:that Constables of the Night should be appointed, who as well as the
Beadles, Watchmen, and Patrole Men, should be under the Directions of
proper Persons in each Parish, to be called Directors of the Watch
[Emphasis added].^43Since most of the parishes affected here already had the authority to levy
rates and had established professional night watches, these resolutions were
not proposing any great alteration in the parochial system; local control of
law enforcement would be maintained.^44 There would be a degree of struc-
tural conformity from parish to parish but each locality would still be free to
administer its watch as it saw fit. The last resolution, however, would have
meant parish watch committees would have more direct authority over the
constables. The authority of the bench of justices would be diminished, a
significant change. In the end, this bill died in committee in 1773. Not
daunted, Whitworth changed his tactics in the next session.^45
In November 1773, Sir Charles published the draft bill as a pamphlet, with
an introductory letter addressed 'Th the Inhabitants of Westminster', to gen-
erate public support. He pointed out that an improved night watch was neces-
sary because thieves and robbers 'put in Practice their Schemes of Villainy'
after dark and his proposed bill would remedy the defects in the night watch.^46
Sir Charles pointedly stated that the bill had 'undergone the Examination of
most of the VESTRY -CLERKS these last two years [Capitals his]'. Gaining the
support of the vestry clerks undoubtedly helped Whitworth win the support of
the parish vestries of Westminster. As the chief administrative officer for the
vestry, a vestry clerk, who was often a lawyer as well, was in an advantageous
position to lobby effectively among the vestrymen.^47
The pamphlet summarized the current state of the night watch and
Whitworth's plan. It called for the establishment of minimum standards -