The progress of crime between 1749 and '54, was perhaps less rapid than might have been expected among a population of 5,000 or 6,000, composed of such materials. During the first five years there were fifty criminal trials on record, many convictions for grand larceny, which was then the subject of capital punishment. After the appointment of Chief Justice Belcher, convictions were less frequent; most of the executions, as in the time of the general court, were for stealing or receiving stolen goods. The Dockyard was first established at Halifax in 1758. It was extended and improved in 1769. The date over the gate is 1770. The walls have since undergone several renewals. The Town Clock was erected early in the present century jointly by the garrison and the town. The merchants of Halifax raised a subscription towards the object. It was placed at the head of George Street for the convenience of the inhabitants. It was managed by the garrison. The late James Dechman, senior, was keeper, and resided in the clock for many years; he died about 1829 or 1830. According to the plan of the town made by Col. Desbarres in 1779 or '80, and published in his nautical charts in 1781, there was a nine-gun battery about where the Ordnance wharf now is, and the five-gun battery a little to the north, but on an angle with the other. Gerrish's wharf, since known as Marchington's wharf, was immediately north of the five-gun battery, and Joshua Mauger's wharf at the foot of Jacob Street. Proctor's wharf appears to have been situated near where Cunard's old wharf now is. The old market wharf, known as Fredericks' wharf, and afterwards as Beamish's wharf, was as at present. Fillis' wharf appears to have been that now known as Mitchell's, south of the Queen's Wharf. Terrance Fitzpatrick's wharf was situated about the spot now occupied by Esson & Boak's wharf. Crawley's was to the south of the latter, and Collier's about where Pryor's wharf now is. There was a battery at the Commissioners' point at the south end of the Dockyard, and the storekeeper's wharf ran out to the south of the Commissioners' point somewhere, apparently, in the vacant space between the Dockyard and West's property. Joshua Mauger's Distillery was situated between the Dockyard and the present hospital grounds. Guns were mounted on the careening wharf. Three batteries with ditches and enclosures were formed by Col. Spry, Chief Engineer, on the lower side of Brunswick Street; one on the corner of Brunswick and North Streets, one on the south corner of Dockyard Lane, and the other down Gerrish Street below the Dutch burial ground. It was generally understood that these works were on the opposite or western side of Brunswick Street, but Desbarres' plan places them on the east side. The works on Citadel Hill appear to consist of a small enclosure, but no regular fortifications appear. EARLY PRINTING IN HALIFAX.