The Express.
London, England, 1862-11-24 00:00:00

INSECURITY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY IN

TEE METROPOLIS.

On Saturday, at the sitting of the Marylebone
Representative Council, held at the Court-house. Mr. Peter
Matthews, churchwarden, in the chair. Mr. W. E. Green.
well, the vestry clerk, read &communication from the vestry
of Paddington, together with the copy of • memorial that
body had adopted to the Home Secretary upon the subject
of the alarm in the public mind, arising from the numerous
street robberies, with violence, which have recently taken
place in the metropolis, and soliciting the co-operation of
the authorities of Marylebone on the subject. —Mr. Hodges
said be felt it his duty to move that the consideration of
this memorial be postponed, because, be said, if they
agreed to it at once, without mature deliberation, they
might find it made an excuse for saddling them with
• very large increase of the police. The police
rate in Marylebone already amounted to the enor-
mous sum of 26,0001. per annum ; from 18,0001.
to 20,06/. in St. Pancras, and from 10001. to
15,0001. in Paddington, and the sum total for the whole
metropolis was somewhere about 2011m001. While, how-
ever, opposed to any further increase in the polioe-nde, be
quite agreed that it was highly necessary the efficiency of
the police should be increased. Mr. Grange supported the
immediate adoption of such a memorial. To the disgrace
of the metropolis and the whole country, they had arrived
at such a state of things, that there was danger in going
into the public streets after dark, of losing not only their
property but their lives by the garotters. Mr. Abrahams
said he was prepared to contend that, if the large bodies of
police occupied at the public places of amusement were
withdrawn and occupied in their legitimate duty, for
which the public paid, and that if the commissionaires were
sworn in as constables and appointed in their places, the
public would be able to receive ample protection. Mr. Freeth
considered the parish of Paddington had done them-
selves great honour in originating this movement, and he
thought it was incumbent on that board, as • body elected
by the ratepayers, to support it se being a step for the pro-
tection of their own lives and property, as well as of those
they represented. (Hear, hear.) Some steps ought to be
taken promptly by the government to stop the fearful out-
rages that were going on night after night in the metropolis.
The other day a lady in St. John's-wood had occasion to
send her servant for the police, and it took two hours and •
half to find one, and then she had to go to a police-station
some distance off. It then transpired that there were no
policemen on day duty in St. John's-wood district. The
consequence was, so bad was the state of things, that people
there were much exposed to danger of being garotted in
broad daylight as well as at night. A very daring attempt
was made upon himself (Mr. Freed), as he was
actually leaving • cab to enter his own house as
early as six o'clock a few evenings ago. The fact
was that the metropolis was infested with returned
ticket-of-leave men, robbers, and garotters, and none more
so than St. John's-wood, and similarly situated &taw' t dis-
tricts. He bad recently travelled through some of the primp
cipal capitals of Europe, and could safely say that in no
capital was there lees protection, or so little care for Missed
property, as in Loudon. Sir Richard Mayne had signally
failed to do his duty in this respect, and he therefore con-
sidered, as representing one of the largest and heaviest taxed
districts for polies, they were in duty boned toga to the Home
Secretary and demand proper protection from the returned
convict, the garotter, and the samein. Mr. Overton said
several applications had been made to government for
police returns as to the number of men employed. hot they
refused to furnish them. —Uultimately the memorial was
adopted unanimously, and signed by the chairman on behalf
of the board.

THE ACCLIMATISATION BooraTT or GRRAT BRITAIN.
—The quarterly meeting of the council was held on Tues-
day, L. Mackinnon, Fag., in the chair. It was tesolved that
the sum of 1501. be granted from the foods for the purpose
of getting from Australia a supply of the Tonga-won'
and bronzewing pigeons, the Murray cod, and • few
wombats., and that this amount shall be handed
over to Mr. Edward Wilson for transmission to the
Melbourne society, in full confidence that the council of
that moiety will do its best to lay out the money
of the British society to the beat advantage. Measures were
decided upon for obtaining from Berlin a supply of that desi-
rable fish the Ludo Perco, for the pure es of breeding, and
Mr. Bucidand was authorised to make arrangements and
incur • limited amount of expenditure for that
purpose. The secretaries reported the receipt of
• present of • great variety of vegetable and
other seeds from Algeria, promoted to the society by
M. Teuton, the coromistioner of the Frunch.Al • colonies
at the International Exhibition. These will be dis-
tributed among the members at the proper season. Since
the last meeting of the conned the society has made eon-
sidsmble progress. Forty-two new members have joined
since the beginning of the month of August. The stock of
Chinese sheep is in • thriving condition : all that wen
offered for sale were readily purchased, and there is a de-
mind for more. Lord Powersoourt, one of the purchasers,
reports the birth of for lambs to one of his ewes. To the
small stock now in theu hands of Mr. Bush, on behalf of the
society, five lambs were added in the month of September.
The turkeys which arrived from Honduras in the month of
September laid twenty eggs, which produced nine birds,
seems of which ars now in good condition. A present from
his Excellency Sir George Bowen, the Governor of Queens-
land, in the form of • pair of the Takgalla tor mound-
building turkey of Australia) is shortly emeded.
INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION. --The process of
evacuating the Exhibition budding is going on with great
rapidity. On Monday, the Bth of December, Masers. Green
sod Son, auctioneers, of St. Michael's-hates, Si. Michael's.
alley, City, will commonce the safe by emotion of the extra-
sive plant, furniture, and stook of the refresh meat depart-
meat, in the Exhibition building, sad from the hummer
quantity of the articles which are to be disposed of, ma-
ring of nearly 3,000 dozen of wises sad spirits, 13,000
dozen of Alsopp's an, sod Guinnem's @tont, together with
the glass, chive. plated goods, table lima. and the cutlery
eareastiag to upends of 2,000 demo, the aide is likely to
bet many days.
CITITAL PALAca.-13ATITIRRT, Nov. 22.-11ALr-
A-43nows DAT.—Admissions on payment, 540 ; ditto by
seems tiolues, %NG : total, 3,243.
• Ovintooams.—Gentlemon who do not inisfd pay-
s, niff riot tee a good coat tea &pm. w tea Ulna at
lisaanon'a, ns. wand. onsods Resew
are WelYie nent.]