The Express.
London, England, 1855-07-07 00:00:00

the conssquenes of the affray of last Sunday, or bee
it been gradually epinging up for some time put?
Has this exasperation its origin in anything peculiar
in the organisation of the police, and its Maims to
the " Imperial Government?" Hu it been intiressed
by injudkions instinct on the part of the authorities in
whom is vested the management and direction of the
police? Ever since the Metropolitan Polies has been
centralised and placed under the immediate control of
Government, there has been a tendency to extend its
field of action from mere police cues properly so
called to political cases. It has been shrewdly re-
marked, by one of the ablest German writers of the
day, that the political character attributed to the
police in countries like France and Prussia has mate-
rially diminished their efficiency as thief-catchers.
They look upon themselves as above that branch of
their business; they can scarcely be brought to con-
descend to any meaner employment than watching
and arresting state delinquents. They moreover
have learned to affect a kind of semi-military cha-
racter ; to regard themselves as the confidential
agents and defenders of Government in opposition to
the people. Now, the English idea of a police force is
simply that of a number of servants of the people,
whose business it is to protect their masters against
thieves and other members of the criminal classes. It
is of the utmost consequence is our wealthy and
populous cities and towns that the citizens and the
police should stand on a friendly footing, and that the
former should have entire confidence in the letter.
Now it has been frequently remarked, that of late the
diligence of the police in restraining nocturnal depre-
dations and assaults has considerably abated. It is
also complained that many of the police force are apt
to give themselves strange airs when summoned to
act by private citizen., especially if the latter are of
the humbler walks in life. In short, there are good
grounds to fear that the characterof our metropolitan
centralised police is rapidly approximating to that of
the continental police. Gentlemen in uniform, bri-
gaded under a veteran colonel, assume airs of dignity,
ludicrous enough, but irritating to the people. The
evil appears to have been increased by the
development of the detective system, and the
increasing employment of policemen in plain
clothes. Nor has the wide latitude allowed to the
police in demanding admittance into the houses of
publicans been witheut its effect. And there also
assess to be some reason to fear that the alienation
between the people and the police—consequent upon
these causes—has been further exasperated by the
tactics of the authorities on Sunday last. The Home
Secretary and his lieutenant, Sir R. MAYNE, seem to
have been so bent upon displaying their strategetioal
talents—so eager to gain a brilliant victory over the
crowds in Hyde-park--as to forget that the first
great duty of an English police is to "keep the
peace." War and victory, not pace, would almost
appear to have been what they sought. A committee,
or commission, of inquiry, to do any good must
investigate all these questions. Merely to
allow the battered and braised victims of police zeal,
or angry policemen who have been roughly handled
to put their complaints and recriminations on record,
will only serve to increase the bad blood which
already exists between the police and the people.
What is really wanted is not so much redress for the
past, as security for the future. It is the interest
of every honest, peaceable citizen that the growing
hostility between the people and the police should be
quenched— that the police should be rendered as effi-
cient as possible in the discharge of their legiti-
mate functions—and that the country should be

guarded from the infliction of an organised political
police under the Imperial Government. If any indi-
vidual policeman can be proved to have acted with
brutal violence, let him forthwith be dismissed. If
any private individual can be proved to have received
bodily injury at the hands of the police let him have
redress". If excessive punishment, unwarranted by
the Magistrate's sentence, have been inflicted upon
any one imprisoned for his participation in last Sun-
day's disturbance, let the official who is to blame be
held responsible. But let all private persons and
members of parliament abstain from mere re-
petition of exasperating stories of mob yin-
lence cr police brutality. Above all, let in-
quiry be directed with a view to ascertain
whether it be not desirable to return to the old
English constitutional principle of vesting the ma-
nagement of the local police in local authorities and
whether the excessive extension of the so-called " de-
tective system " ought not to be arrested ? At the
same time, let an attempt be made to ascertain
whether the control over the police which the
Central Government has been allowed gradually to
usurp was wisely and judiciously exercised on the
late occasion. Bat will Sir GEORGE GREY—whom
many people think the principal cause of last
Sunday's disturbances consent to such an
inquiry ? Assuredly not, unless it is earnestly anu
perseveringly urged upon him. No man likes to give
up any power he possesses; no man likes to have
his conduct called in question. here then is an im-
portant inquiry, necessarily leading to important re-1
forms, which will not be easily obtained. Let the
people concentrate their energies for an effort to have
it set on foot, and fairly and fearlessly followed out.
Bat to this end they must desist from noisy and aim-
lees demonstrations, which have " more cry than
wool" about them, and grapple in earnest with the
more practical task. If—as some seem to expect—
we are to have street demonstrations, what security
have we that a few incendiaries may not break into
and plunder some howls ? This would be exactly
what the abettors of compulsion want ; for it would
frighten the great bulk of the ratepaying class into
throwing themselves for protection upon any force
Government might KO fit to employ. In this coun-
try the people have always lost at the game of
1 violence.