The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-20 00:00:00

in comparison with the English government,
stands out in glowing colours ; had the Earl of
Malmesbury been Foreign Secretary, there would
have been a different state of things at the present
time. --?ours, Mr. Editor,
A CONSTANT READER.

THE LIVERPOOL POLICE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES,

SIR,—A few days ago I addressed you a short
note on the subject of the inefficiency of the Liver-
pool police, which met your approval. It is to be
regretted that this subject is not more vigorously
taken up, in all its bearings, and purified by being
passed through the crucible of public opinion:
That the police regulations—or rather the want of
regulation—for the maintenance of order, the sup-
pression of crinie, and the prevention of other
evils of daily occurrence, are lamentably deficient,
is no longdr doubted ; consequently the question
is naturally suggested : Why' should such be the
ease ? When the present High Constable WaS se
lected to fill that important post, it was the pre-
vailing opinion the police force generally would be
governed with that degree of vigour and caution,
with respect,td discipline and iiiitilifidations, as to
constitute it, if not the best, at least one of the
most efficient of public bodies; that it would be
regenerated from the disorganised state into which
it had fallen since the resignation of Mr. Whitty.
We did not expect that the men would be merely
instructed in the mechanical system of semi-mili-
tary tactics—to " wheel into line," " eyes right,"
dress up," &c:, and that this should be the sine
qua non of a police-officer's duty. Drill them by
all Means ; but let it be by instilling into them the
true nature of the service they have to perforin—
let them be frequently catechised on the principles
Which constitute moral law and order—let intelli-
gence, perspicacity end activity, be the passports into
the force. Weed out the numerous indifferent cha
racters, who are incapacitated, both morally and
mentally; let the superior officers, Inspectcr%, &c.,
be superior also in mind, arid they will not
(as now) arrogate and assume such fantastic
tricks as to render themselves the Objects of
ridicule which they have not the discrimi
nation to see. At present the subordinate
apes the superior—the manner looses nothing
iii the transit, and renders the picture a mass of
incongruities. The police, from the head constable
down, are the servants of the burgesses; they are
paid and clothed at the expense of the burgesses—
therefore the burgesses have
,an undoubted
_right
to insist that their servants shall be competent to
discharge their duties in a proper manner. It can-
not be that Captain Greig is ignorant of the ma-
terials requisite to form an efficient police force; his
perception cannot be so obtuse as not to know that
the continual blunders perpetrated by his sub-.
ordinates arise principally from utter unfitness,
because his own position would be thereby com-
promised and commented upon in no very com-
plimentary terms; still the public will be led to
believe that he does not energetically use the
influence accorded to him, from his commanding
position, to sweep away an evil which is every day
becoming more intolerable

It cannot be denied that vice and immorality
exist in this town to an alarming extent, that
that most horrible state of human depravity—pros-
titution—shows its hideous features in every
street, lane, and court, in Liverpool ; that its im-
portunities, by fallen frailty, are suffered to prevail
unprevented—that abandoned language is uttered
with impunity. Yet do the police interfere to stop
it? No ; in nine cases out of twelve, they do not !
Why ? If Captain Greig does not know—and I
believe he does not—l will tell him : It is not at all
times convenient ! He does not know that many
—too many —of his men are in the habit
of receiving largess from wanton demireps to propi-
tiate the favour of the man to suffer them to pursue
their traffic unmolested, and of which they
are not slow to take every advantage. He
does not know that there are " boozing kens"
in which the police are at all times welcome to a
fee in the shape of a glass of spirits merely
to "keep dark." •He does not knoW that
the blackguard exhibitions of cock-fighting
.and dog-fighting are also bought over by an
acquaintance with the policeman, who has, at
times, bets depending on the issue of the fight.
I could adduce many other cases of malversation
but the facts will keep. So long as this state of
things exists, how can we expect to have au
efficient police force ? Unoffending citizens will
still continue to be dragged off to bridewell for
merely " talking too loud" in the streets ; poor
venders of apples and oranges will be brutally
hustled, kicked, and otherwise abused (as I have
seen) in their endeavours to earn an honest penny ;
and respectable publicans will be annoyed
by the most unfair system of espionage on
frivolous pretexts, while brothel-keepers, low
beer-house keepers, and other rendezvous for
:iniquity are suffered to revel. in security, be-
cause the policeman has been " mugged " to
keep dark." This state of things cannot be
suffered to exist much longer, otherwise the better
classes of our community must, in self-defence,
emphatically insist upon a sweeping reform in the
police organisation. What are the watch-commit-
tee about—are they indifferent ? And whatever
Mr. Mansfield may think, he does not give- that
free and open expression of opinion on the many
flagrant faux pas which come under his notice.
This is a fruitful subject, and with your permission
I will recur to it ; for there is something radically
wrong, and the public have a right to be put in
possession of the facts.—l remain sir, &c.,

CIVIS

HOME FOR THE DESTITUTE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES.

SIR,—It is gratifying to find that:the press is not
entirely dead to the misery of our fellow-creatures,
and that one section of it, at least, is not afraid to
be found sympathising with an unfortunate portion
of the community.

Your article in to-day's Times suggests an
excellent remedy for stopping one of the channels
by which the dead sea of prostitution is supplied :
that is by erecting homes for destitute and friend-
less females, and servants out of place, in large
towns.

The picture you have drawn of the scenes at
night in some parts of the town is but a shadow
of the reality ; for beneath the surface of society
here there lies fostering a must horrible mass of
crime, immorality, and disease, which seldom or
never meets the public eye, but continues from
day to day to spread its baneful influence, without
any steps being taken to arrest its destructive
effects.

While reflecting on
.such a subject, it brings to
mind the k
crusade. preached by Neile and other
so-called ministers of the gospel of Christ, against
poor servant girls, because' they thought right to
worship Ciud ao thair fathers had done, and exercise
that freedom of opinion which he and utile.. a aro
so boastful of possessing.
If among the unfortunate frequenters of our
streets are to be found any of these poor girls
who, driven by want, and the allurements of
vice, have adopted a course so destructive as this,
how will such men answer for their conduct on
that day when they shall stand face to face with
these miserable creatures before the throne 'of the
Father ?—Yours,
Liverpool, Dec. 14th, 1853.

REGENT.

POLICE ABUSES

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES.

Sin,=Your excellent article against the brutal vio-
lence of our police, induces'Me to point out a system
prevailing in the force, certainly not so revolting
as the Unsparing violence of men in authority, but
equally tyrannous and un-E nglish. I refer to the
Continual vexatious summonses issued on frivolous
informations, not warranted by any flagrant or in-
jurious breach of law; but arising out of these two
causes : Firstly—The Watch Committee; in their
wisdom,grant a doceur, or gratuity, to thoSe officers
who have "distinguished" themselves by the largest
number of informatiOns during the year. This I am
credibly informed, becomes. to the Unprincipled,
(and it is plain there are many such in the force). a
premium for oppression. Secondly—When fines
are inflicted and not paid within a certain time, a
warrant is issued, which is served by the officer
laying the information, and for each such service
he receives one shilling and sixpence, thus the
poorer the victims the more certain the reward of
their persecutors. Now, as a rule, there should be
no inducement beyond his regUlar pay for a police-
man to do, his 'duty, and the Watch. Committee and
ML gistratesare to-blaMe in inciting the public ser-
vants to aots.,of oppression, while serious services
(if unattended with extra fees) are neglected and
the time of courts wasted. I am told one indus-