Essays vol 1 | Page 9

immediately succeeding the introduction of the measures adopted for putting an end to mendicity, and clearing the country of beggars, thieves, robbers, etc. above TEN THOUSAND of these vagabonds, foreigners and natives, were actually arrested and delivered over to the civil magistrates; and that in taking up the beggars in Munich, and providing for those who stood in need of public assistance, no less than 2600 of the one description and the other, were entered upon the lists in one week; though the whole number of the inhabitants of the city of Munich probably does not amount to more than 60,000, even including the suburbs.
These facts are so very extraordinary, that were they not notorious, I should hardly have ventured to mention them, for fear of being suspected of exaggeration; but they are perfectly known in the country, by every body; having been published by authority in the news-papers at the time, with all their various details and specifications, for the information of the public.
What has been said, will, I fancy, be thought quite sufficient to show the necessity of applying a remedy to the evils described; and of introducing order and a spirit of industry among the lower classes of the people. I shall therefore proceed, without any farther preface, to give an account of the measures which were adopted and carried into execution for that purpose.
CHAPTER. II.
Various preparations made for putting an end to mendicity in bavaria. Cantonment of the cavalry in the country towns and villages. Formation of the committee placed at the head of the institution for the poor at Munich. The funds of that institution.
As soon as it was determined to undertake this great and difficult work, and the plan of operations was finally settled, various preparations were made for its execution.
The first preliminary step taken, was to canton four regiments of cavalry in Bavaria and the adjoining provinces, in such a manner that not only every considerable town was furnished with a detachment, but most of the large villages were occupied; and in every part of the country small parties of threes, fours, and fives, were so stationed; at the distance of one, two, and three leagues from each other; that they could easily perform their daily patroles from one station to another in the course of the day, without ever being obliged to stop at a peasant's house, or even at an inn, or ever to demand forage for their horses, or victuals for themselves, or lodgings, from any person whatever. This arrangement of quarters prevented all disputes between the military and the people of the country. The head-quarters of each regiment, where the commanding officer of the regiment resided, was established in a central situation with respect to the extent of country occupied by the regiment;--each squadron had its commanding officer in the centre of its district,-- and the subalterns and non-commissioned officers were so distributed in the different cantonments, that the privates were continually under the inspection of their superiors, who had orders to keep a watchful eye over them;--to visit them in their quarters very often;--and to preserve the strictest order and discipline among them.
To command these troops, a general officer was named, who, after visiting every cantonment in the whole country, took up his residence at Munich.
Printed instructions were given to the officer, or non-commissioned officer, who commanded a detached post, or patrole;--regular monthly returns were ordered to be made to the commanding officers of the regiment, by the officers commanding squadrons;-- to the commanding general, by the officers commanding regiments;-- and by the commanding general, to the council of war, and to the Sovereign.
To prevent disputes between the military and the civil authorities, and, as far as possible, to remove all grounds of jealousy and ill-will between them; as also to preserve peace and harmony between the soldiery and the inhabitants, these troops were strictly ordered and enjoined to behave on all occasions to magistrates and other persons in civil authority with the utmost respect and deference;--to conduct themselves towards the peasants and other inhabitants in the most peaceable and friendly manner;-- to retire to their quarters very early in the evening;-- and above all, cautiously to avoid disputes and quarrels with the people of the country. They were also ordered to be very diligent and alert in making their daily patroles from one station to another;-- to apprehend all thieves and other vagabonds that infested the country, and deliver them over to the civil magistrates;-- to apprehend deserters, and conduct them from station to station to their regiments;--to conduct all prisoners from one part of the country to another;--to assist the civil magistrate in the execution of the laws, and in preserving peace and order in the country, in all cases where they should be legally called