The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-26 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir,—My knowledge of men has taught me this lesson—to
look on every action which is the result of deliberation as
the expression of some feature, constitutional or acquired,
in the actor's general body of habit. According to this
principle, every action is not only a fact in itself, but it is
also generally 'the index of a series of similar facts which
have preceded it, and the promise of another series of like
facts which are to come.

Acting on this principle, I reported to Major Greig, on
Monday last, two of his men, police officers 151 and 163,
for deliberately kicking about the dirty street of Scotland-
road, the perishable commodities of cabbage and onions,
by which two poor widows strove to floater out a
miserable existence for their little ones. And, acting on
this same principle, I now think it my positive duty to let
the public know how those charges were investigated by
Major Grieg on Wednesday last,
It was after nightfall on Tuesday when a gentleman,
apparently an Inspecting officer, called to my address,
with my letter to Major Grieg in his hand, to let me know
that, on the morrow, at three o'clock, the matter of my
letter would be investigated, and asking me more than
once if I would attend. The investigation came on accord-
ingly, before the Major and two gentlemen, members, I
suppose, of the watch committee.

Beingcalled, I was asked by Major Grieg what I had to
say against 151, who was then present. I reiterated the
particulars stated in the letter which the major had
before him, namely, that, as I was going up Scotland-road
on Saturday night last, about eight o'clock, my attention
was attracted to a crowd upon the flag way, which was
sympathising with a poor woman, whose basket of onions
I myself saw scattered in the miry channel, but that I
did not see the constable commit the act for which I
reported him upon the evidence of several persons in the
crowd. Being asked what he had to say to my charge,
the constable denied it. Major Greig then turning to me
reminded me how careful I ought to be in making such a
charge upon the information of others, and without seeing
the offence committed, of which that charge was the subject.
I assure you, sir, I stood half astonished when I found
that I had come in for reprimand instead of 151, and that
the case was thus to terminate in the very teeth of the
facts mentioned in the letter before the council. These
being some of those facts, so mentioned, which are hero
expressed in the words of the letter—" The poor hucks-
ter's name whose little property was so treated is Mary
Roach, and she lives at No. 24-court, Paul-street baths, in
that neighbourhood. Mrs. Crowley, of 47, Raymond-
street, is an eye witness ; and Mr. John Boyle, engineer,
of No 4, 45-Thomas-court, Hornby-street, is another eye
witness. Several others offered their evidence but I did
not deem it necessary ; and on my going away the last-
named witness can testify that I was followed by two
Women, one of whom affirmed she saw the policeman 151
coming out of a public house immediately before the act,
and several affirmed he was drunk." But if I was
surprised at what;:the Major said to me in the face of
those facts, he seemed to be quite taken by assault when I
assured him that those very witnesses were present
outside waiting to be called !
Mr. Boyle stated that he was going down the street
at the time in question, walking immediately behind the
defendant, whom he saw, without any provocation,
deliberately raising his foot and kicking a poor woman's
basket of onions about. Witness further stated that
the woman and the basket were not on the flags but in
the street.

Mary Roach stated that she is a poor widow with five
in family, and that the officer on duty, 151, spoiled two
shillings worth of onions on her and left them on her hands.
That he kicked her basket without saying a word, and with-
cut it being on the flags. In reply to the major's question,
how that could injure them, Elbe said that wet causes onions
to heat. After all this, the major turns round to me and
said, can you believe it—that that big man is capable of
doing such an act, he denies it, don't you believe him ?
My reply was, that I had no control over my crednlity, that
belief is not optional, but the result of conviction, that con-
viction is the result of evidence, and that the evidence is
before us ; concluding by sayine. respectfully, that I did not
believe him. Upon this reply, which is here given in
almost the identical words used on the occasion, the major
intimated that I could leave the room. I instantly complied,
requesting that the other witness might be called in, and
giving as a further and most conclusive reason for holding
the accused capable of committing the act with which he
stood charged, that the remaining witness if called in
would testify that she saw him not only kick the
basket, but about the same time (a little previous)
she saw • him knocking down a little girl who stood
in his way, throwing her in the sloppy street. Hear-
ing this, one of the two other presiding gentlemen observed,
that that made a second charge against the accused.
Again I requested to have this important witness examined.
but the Mejor refused, saying they had enough ! The
witness had to go without being called, and
I had to go without being asked one word in
reference to the second charge which I had made in the
same letter to Major Greig against another of his men, 163 !
Seeing, at the outset, how little of the judge and how
much of the advocate the head constable was betraying, I
thought to give the public a verbum vsrbo report of the
whole investigation, and was proceeding to take notes,
when the gallant gentleman informed me that it was not
allowed in his room. Ido not object to this, nor complain
of it; and I mention it merely as an incident which has
some significance. Nor do I complain now of the unfortu-
nate officer who so defied the very principle of civil order,
which he is paid to maintain. I complain at present of
nothing but the M ijor's part in this inquiry, fearing very
much lest it may be an index to a series of similar parts
which mighthave preceded it, and the promise of another
series of like parts which may be yet to come.—l remain,
Sir, very humble servant, J. 11. GRICENE.
Soho street, Nov. 20, 1856. _ _

P.S.—This immediate good may result fr- m this totter,
that if the complaints against certain members of the force
should continue to increase, as they do notoriously at present,
the public may alter the venue and regard them as civil
offenders amenable to the civil magistrate. J. H. G.

We read in the South Eastern Gazette that since the Lord
Chancellor, having purchased the estate of Holwell, has
become, during the vacations, a resident in Kent, it has been
suggested that the Kentish barristers and solicitors should
express their satisfaction at this event by inviting his lord-
ship to a public dinner. We understand that the subject
was mentioned a few days ago to Lord Cranworth, whose
answer was such that steps will shortly be taken to give
effect to this suggession. The projected dinner will taka
place in Canterbury.
RECIPROCATION OF ROYAL COMPLIPIENT3 AND FAV)URS.
—lt was not the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, but
the Broad Riband of this Order, which the Marquis de
Moustier lately delivered to the King of Prussia in the name
of the Emperor Louis Napoleon. The Grand Cross was
lately conferred on Prince Freidrich Wilhelm in the early
days of his present stay in Paris ; the Broad Riband is the
first class of the Order, generally conferred on reigning
monarchs, while the Grand Cross is only the third. The
equerry, or head groom, who took over to Paris the four
horses the King lately sent as a present to the Empress,
has received from the Emperor a golden snuff box, with the
Imperial cipher on it set in diamonds, and inside the box
were 2,000 francs for the two attendant grooms. From
another side— namely, from Said Pacha, the Viceroy of
Egypt, the King has been presented, in return for some
beautiful vases from the Royal Porcelain works here, with
four splendid Arabian stallicls, the beauty of which, if the
private reports that have reached this place from Cairo are
to be trusted, exceeds any thing that the Desert has for
many years contributed towards the ennobling of the equine
race.