The three districts with the three Inspecting Commanders were as follows:—­

District 1.—­Land’s End to the Port of Carlisle inclusive.  Inspecting Commander, Captain John Hopkins.

District 2.—­North Foreland to Land’s End.  Inspecting Commander, Captain William Blake.

District 3.—­North Foreland to the Port of Berwick inclusive.  Inspecting Commander, Captain John Sayers, “whose duty it is constantly to watch, inspect, and report to us [the Customs Board] upon the conduct of the Commanders of Cruisers and the Sitters of Preventive Boats along the district.”

For it was because they required a more effectual control and inspection of the officers employed in preventing and detecting smuggling that this fresh organisation was made.  Certain stations were also allotted to the commanders of the cruisers, within each district—­two to each station—­and the stations and limits were also appointed for Preventive boats.  The “sitters” of the Preventive boats were those who sat in the stern of these open, rowed craft and acted in command of them.  The Collector and Controller were also addressed in the following terms, which showed that the Board were still doing their utmost to rid the service of the inefficiency and negligence to which we have had occasion to draw attention.  “You are to observe,” wrote the Commissioners, “that one material object of the duty imposed upon the Inspecting Commanders is to see that the cruisers are constantly and regularly on their stations, unless prevented by some necessary and unavoidable cause, and with their proper complements of men and boats, and if they are off their station or in port personally to examine into the occasion of their being so, and that they are absent from their station no longer than is essentially requisite.”

At the end of every year the Inspecting Commanders were to lay before the Board of Customs the conduct of the several officers within their district and the state in which smuggling then was, and “whether on the progress or decline, in what articles, and at what places carried on.”  For the Board was determined “to probe the conduct of the Preventive officers and punish them” for any laxity and negligence, for which faults alone they would be dismissed.  And in order that the vigilance and faithful duty in the commanders and officers on board the cruisers “may not be deprived of fair and due reward” their rate of pay was now increased, together with some addition made to the allowance for victualling, “and also to provide for the certainty of an annual emolument to a fixed amount in respect to the commanders and mates, by the following regulations":—­

  INSPECTING CRUISERS

  Commander, each per annum, L200 to be made up to L500 net.

  1st Mates, each per annum, L75 to be made up to L150 net.

  2nd Mates, each per annum, L50 to be made up to L75 net.