ganisation, with which the Customs Board was so closely and for so
long a time connected, changed its character when its sphere became
national rather than particular. Its duty henceforth was primarily for
the protection of the country than for the prevention of smuggling.
But between 1822--when the Admiralty yielded up their responsibilities
to the Customs Board--and the year 1856, when again the control was
returned to the Admiralty, no material alterations were made in the
methods of preventing smuggling, the most important event during that
period--apart altogether from the actual smuggling incidents--was the
change which had been brought about in 1831.

During the different reigns and centuries in which the smuggling evil
had been at work, all sorts of anti-smuggling acts had been passed. We
can well understand that a certain amount of hasty, panic-driven
legislation had from time to time been created according to the sudden
increase of contraband running. But all these laws had become so
numerous, and their accumulation had made matters so intricate, that
the time had come for some process of unravelling, straightening out,
and summarising. The systematising and clarification were affected by
the Act of January 5, 1826 (6 Geo. IV. cap. 108). And one of the most
important features of this was to the effect that any vessel belonging
wholly or in part to his Majesty's subjects, found within four leagues
of the coast of the United Kingdom, with prohibited goods on board,
and not proceeding on her voyage, was to be forfeited. Any vessel or
boat, not square-rigged, belonging wholly or in part to his Majesty's
subjects, and found in the British (as it was then frequently
designated) Channel or Irish Channel, or elsewhere within 100 leagues
of the coast, with spirits or tobacco in casks or packages of less
size than 40 gallons; or tea, tobacco, or snuff, in any package
containing less than 450 lbs. in weight--this craft was to be
forfeited. And vessels (not square-rigged), if found unlicensed, were
also to be forfeited. But whale-boats, fishing-boats, pilot's boats,
purely inland boats, and boats belonging to square-rigged ships were
exempt.

But, of course, smuggling was still very far from being dead, and the
Revenue cruisers had always to be on the alert. Some idea of the
sphere of activity belonging to these may be gathered from the
following list of cruiser stations existing in the early 'twenties.
The English crui