The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-25 00:00:00

TILE LATE DISTURBANCES IN HYDE.

PARK.

INQUIRY INTO THE ALLEGED MISCONDUCT

OF THE FOLICE.-(THIS DAY.)

The Commissioners took their seats this morning
shortly after 11 o'clock.

The' Chief Commissioner Wortley inquired of Sir
Richard Mayne whether, in consequence of the war or
other circumstances, a considerable change had not
taken place in the constitution of the police by the in-
troduction of a number of fresh and young men into the
force ?

Sir Richard Mayne said there was no foundation for
such a supposition. He said the force at present
amounted to 5,707 men, and the dates of their joining
the force was as follows :-in 1829, 13 ; 1830, 33 ;
1831, 19 ; 1832, 25 ; 1833, 35 ; 1834, 48 ; 1835, 65 ;
1836, 55 ; 1837, 94 ; 1838, 107 ; 1839, 118 ; 1840, 281 ;
1841, 155 ; 1842, 171 ; 1843. 204 ; 1844, 163; 1845, 193 ;
1846, 281 ; 1847, 270 ; 1848, 397 ; 1849, 261 ; 1850, 274 ;
1851, 374 ; 1852, 408 ; 1853, 675 ; and 1854, 967.
Mr. Chief Commissioner Wortley-I see, then, more
than one-sixth of the force joined in 1854.
Sir Richard Mayne said a great many changes took
place the first 12 or 18 months of the men j.:)ining the
force, from their not liking the severity of the duty and
other causes. The resignations had been in 1840, 754 ;
1841, 629 ; 1842, 517 ; 1843, 470 ; 1344, 525 ; 1845,
605 ; 1846, 832 ; 1347, 707 ; 1848, 548 ; 1849, 553 ;
1850, 608 ; 1851, 1,360 ; including the extra number
temporarily engaged the exhibition year ; 1552, 636 ;
1853, 896 ; 1854, 822 ; which included those who had
left the force to join the Land Transport Corps, &o.
The dismissals since 1849, since which time a registry
had been kept, were, 1849, 235 ; 1850, 195 ; 1851, ;09 ;
being the exhibition year ; 1852, 231 ; 1853, 251 ; 1854,
IS9. 300 men were specially employed in the park on
the Ist of July, taken from the reserve of the divisions.
These were bodies of 50 men attached to the S divisions,
and their ordinary employment was the filling up of va-
cancies arising from sickness or leave of absence, or for
strengthening the force on any particular emergency.
The reserve were sciccLed Men, and had, belonged to
the force 12 months. Of the whole force 4,416 were
English, 370 Irish, and 145 Scotch.

Mr. Commissioner Armstrong said he was very glai
to hear of it, because an anonymous letter had been sent
to the, commission stating the force to a large extent
was composed of Irish.
Mr. Chief Commissioner Wortley said the letter was
signed "an English gentleman," but it was not couched
in terms one would expect from an English gentleman.
He begged to say once for all that the commission could
take no notice of such communications. This was an
open court, and any person having a grievance to com•
plain of if be came there would be heard.

Mr. Samuel Fry, solicitor, Strand, was in the Park
on the let of July. He noticed that the crowd appeared
bent on givini expression to their feelings on the Sun-
day bill ; bat that, being frustrated in it, their exaspera-
tion was turned against the police. He saw a young
man, respectably dressed, pocket a number of small
pebbles, which he threw into .the air for the purpose of
annoyance. The police on two occasions went under
the rails to clear the people, and they did it in their
usual manner. Some persons appeared determined to
come into collision with the police, and did so. He
divided the crowd into two classes—one shouting, the
other conversing peaceably. Many were no doubt at-
tracted by curiosity to the park. There was great ex-
asperation on the part of the populace. There might have
been some unlucky blows struck that day by the police
near the Serpentine, when the police endeavoured to stop
the people from rushing across the road, and a female who
ought to hive gone the right way go the wrong way,
she would scream and then the mob cried "Shame," and
it became necessary from the conduct of the people that
the police should use their truncheons. There might
have been individual cases of mistake by the police, and
had they not acted with vigilance and firmness serious
disasters might have resulted.
Cross-examined by Mr. Mitchell—The crowd was not
a good humoured one. He thought it would have been
dangerous for Lord Robert Grosvenor to hate been there.
He oltw a stone thrown at a four-wheel conveyance.
People in vehicles did not appear likely to be alarmed at
the. People--as they drove along they appeared to fra-
ternise with the people. He was attracted to the park
by curiosity. Re saw one man attempt to address the
people,dor Re commenced by observing, he wondered if
and 8:1a abed'
Grosvenor had that afternoon got his "hock
e Bills
water." He was, however, ordered by a police.
man to desist, and did so. - He called the assemblage a
mob, although there were numbers of respectable people
like himself there.
were distributed about the
park, one called on the peopel e to
Sundaybe firmh
bill ut quiet
their determination to get th
withdrawn.
He saw one man•bleedin„e from a blow on the temples,
and be appeared excessively exasperatf 1.
By Mr. Chief Commissioner Wortley—It would not
have been safe for the carriages ordinarilyfewh seen in the
park to have been there this day for
was
would
large
have stood the noise. Although there
number of persons disposed to be . quiet, therea were
of power was
ficient to have created a serious riot. There vmarea suf-
ficient
at his
ne-
cessity for some means being used to protect the people
usually in the park, but as to the quantity
another question.
trweaest, which
ss
vreunleers.,s
Mr. W. Tidd Pratt, son of the celebrated Mr. Tidd
Pratt, reviser of friend
father's residence, 12,
was opposite Lard Robert Grosvenor's house, on the
IjivppeeereieGtyro'
afternoon in question. He flaw' a large crowd of persons
approaching from various directions assemble in front of
Lord Robert Grosvenor's house. They shouted very
much, and the roadway was impeded by_ the number of
persons congregated. At first there was only a few
policemen there. Afterwards a larger body suddenly
appeared, and asked the people to move on. About
three minutes after,they took out their truncheons,
and the street was speedily cleared. He was
on the balcony, and distinctly heard the police
ask the crowd to move on. He saw them strike
about a dozen men, those who would not inolDep and
continued arguing with them, or remained in the door-
',Vie or elute; to the lamp-posts. He saw a policeman
the
stru ack with
crowpiece of tile thrown at him h 3? -. a man in
drawn. ,That was after their truncheons bad been
tremely _no .
on the conduct of the police ex-
Cpl. a n this
occasion.
SS-eXatnined b 11 •
he placard ha
ic fsy r.littchell—He considered from
L 3 a ganing
Loot of
~fthe week previous there would
Lord R. Grosvenor's house on
tte lot, Ihcra wel-a lakes in the balmies of kopo of •