They likewise instructed the attorney-general to prosecute, with the utmost severity, all persons opening books for public subscriptions; or receiving money upon such subscriptions; or making or accepting transfers of, or shares upon, such subscriptions; of which they gave public notice in the Gazette, as “a farther caution to prevent the drawing of unwary persons, for the future, into practices contrary to law.” This effectually frustrated the plans of plunder, exercised or contemplated at that period. How necessary so vigorous a resistance was must be obvious from this fact, that innumerable bubbles perished in embryo; besides an incredible number which could be named that were actually set in motion, and to support which the sums intended to be raised amounted to about 300,000,000_l._ The lowest advance of the shares in any of these speculations was above cent. per cent., most of them above 400_l._ per cent.; and some were raised to twenty times the price of the subscription. Taking these circumstances into account, the scandalous projects would have required seven hundred millions sterling, if such a sum could have been realized in the shape of capital. To such a height of madness had the public mind been excited, that even shares were eagerly coveted, and bargained for, in shameless schemes which were not worth the paper whereon their proposals were printed, at treble the price they nominally bore. From a list of only a part of those that the air of ’Change-alley teemed with, the names of a few are here set forth: _Projects_ For supplying London with cattle. For supplying London with hay. For breeding and feeding cattle. For making pasteboards. For improving the paper manufacture. For dealing in lace, hollands, &c. For a grand dispensary. For a royal fishery. For a fish pool. For making glass-bottles. For encouraging the breed of horses. For discovering gold mines. For an assurance against thieves. For trading in hair. For loan offices. For dealing in hops. For making of china ware. For furnishing funerals. For a coral fishery. For a flying machine. For insuring of horses. For making of looking-glasses. For feeding of hogs. For buying and selling estates. For purchasing and letting lands. For supplying London with provisions. For curing the gout and stone. For making oil of poppies. For bleaching coarse sugar. For making of stockings. For an air-pump for the brain. For insurance against divorces. For making butter from beech-trees. For paving London streets. For extracting silver from lead. For making of radish oil. For a perpetual motion. For japanning of shoes. For making deal boards of sawdust. For a scheme to teach the casting of nativities. JOINT STOCK COMPANIES OF 1825.