The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-27 00:00:00

SPECIAL CONSTABLES.

The following circular has been forwarded by
Sir dames Fergusson, Under Secretary of State for the
Home Department, to the mayors of the principal pro-
vincial towns of England :
" I am directed by Mr. Secretary Hardy to inform you
that her Majesty's government have received information
which renders it, m their judgment, desirable that the
local authorities should be prepared to meet any disturb-
ances that may arise during the winter. The means
which offer themselves with the least inconvenience to the
community ate the enrolment of special constables, who
should be in no Casa Called upon for any ordinary duty,
but be so organised as to be readily available in the event
of emergency. I enclose copies of rules laid down for the
use of special aonstables in the city of London and metro-
politan districts, and of cards which are being issued to
individual constables, so that there may be no confusion
in case of their being called out.
"INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ORGANISATION OF SPECIAL
" CONSTABLES.

" The defensive measures to be taken under present sir-
cumetanoes must as far as possible be of a quasi permanent
character—that is to say, must be calculated to last for
some weeks, and possibly throughout the winter. The best
organisation will be that which is calculated to afford the
most ready assistance to the regular police in the event of
an emergency. With this view a police-station in every
parish will be selected as the bead.quarters of the force of
special constables of that paridi. The head-quarters
station and every other police-station in the parish will be
considered as a rallying point for the constables of that
parish. The special constables of each parish will select to
command them a superintendent and such number of deputy-
superintendents as may be required. The superintendent
and one deputy-superintendent will be attached to head-
quarters, and one other deputy-superintendent must be
attached to every other police-station. Outlying rallying
points may be selected at the discretion of the superin-
tendent, and an assistant-superintendent must be attached
to every such outlying rallying point, to act under the
direction of one or other of the deputy-superintendents in
charge of the police-station to which such outlying rallying
point is subordinate. The whole force of the special con-
stables in each parish will be called a division, the
portion under the direction of each deputy-superin-
tendent will be a subdivision, and the detachments
under assistant-superintendents will be sections.
Each deputy-superintendent and saaistant-superinten-
dent should be provided with a list of the names and
addresses of the constables to act under his direction. At
each police-station a similar list should he deposited of the
subdivision attached to that station. distinguishing the
men required to assemble at the station itself and its sub-
ordinate outlying stations (if any) respectively. The num-
ber of special constables sworn in for each parish, and the
names and addresses of the officers appointed to direct
them, should be forwarded as soon as possible to Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Ewart; R.E., Special Constables Com-
mittee-room, Wellington Barracks, S.W. Superin-
...rodents may obtain information in relation to their
duties on application to Lieutenant-Colonel Ewart, R.E.
On the occasion of alarm, for example, the occurrence of
an exrlosion or serious tire, information will be given to
the police-stations of the parish. On the receipt of the in-
formation the police officer at head-quarters will, without
delay, summon the superintendent of special constables,
and, if the case be urgent, direct the spemal constables of
the parish to be forthwith called together. The mode of
summoning the special constables must be agreed upon be-
tween the police and the superintendents of special con-
stables. Every special constable when summoned will repair
at once to his proper rallying point, and there await orders.
In case of doubt as to the extent of the emergency, the
officer in charge of the police at headquarters will confer
with the superintendent of special constables, or, in Ws
absence, with the deputy, before turning out the men. In
the absence of special directions, the superintendent of
special constables, in concert with the officer in charge of
the police, will use his discretion as to the distribution of
the force, and as to the general measures to be taken.
" By order of the Secretary of State for the Home De-
partment. " C. 11. Ew.uar, Lieutenant-Colonel R.E.
" Office of Special Constables, Wellington Barracks,
Dec. 20."

A telegram from Cork says that an Irish-Ame-
rican was arrested yesterday morning on the Waterford
and Lismore mail oar. He was armed with a revolver.

Her Majesty's ships Helicon and Research
which left Queenstown on Tuesday morning in pursuit of
■ Fenian cruiser reported off the cast, have not yet re-
turned.

The two men arrested on Tuesday at Wolverton,
James Connerby, fitter, and Gladwin Meehan, coach body
maker, were brought up at the County Hall, yesterday,
before Mr. J. T. Senior, Mr. W. G. Duncan, and Mr. It.
Rose, on a charge of having, on the 17th inst., at Wolver-
ton, compassed and intended to levy war against our
Sovereign Lady the Queen, within this realm, in order by
force and constraint to compel her Majesty to change her
measures and councils. Captain Drake, the chief constable,
applied for a remand, on the ground that Inspector Breary,
who had charge of the case, was engaged in attending an
implied in a case of murder in another part of the county,
and the prisoners were accordingly remanded until Satur-
day. The prisoners, it is stated, were good workmen,
earning high wages, and bore a respectable character. The
prisoner Connerby was arrested at his house, and Meehan
at his work at the factory. In Meehan's house was a por-
trait of the Fenian " General " Burke.

- -
CHARACTERS AT THE LEEDS NEW
GAS WORES.—The rumours which have been in circula-
tion of late regarding contemplated attacks of • Fenian
character upon the gas works in large towns have in Leeds
fouodaome sort of foundation although it is just possible
that what has taken place to give credence in this borough
to these rumours may be satisfactorily explained. It
seems that on Christmas night a party of Irishmen were
seen loitering and talking together in Dewsbury-road, near
the works of the Leeds New Gas Company, in • manner so
suspicions as to attract the attention of two men in that
locality and a constable (Police-constable Ellis). The
Irishmen after a time dispersed, but were not long in re-
assembling, when, finding they were watched, they again
separated. Two of them were at this juncture followed
by the policeman, who had obtained assistance, and were
apprehended, and they gave their names as Patrick Bray
0) and John Riley (28), and were charged before Messrs.
ershaw, Cooper, and Tennant, at the Town-hall, yester-
day, under the Vagrant Act. Evidence was taken which
set forth the facts we have indicated, and the men, who
could give no reliable account of themselves, were re-
manded till New Year's-day, that further inquiries might
be made into the ease. As • precautionary measure the
gatworb In Leeds are being carefully watehed.