The National Register.
London, England, 1817-09-29 00:00:00

THE LATE LIEUT. COLONEL POOLE.

Saturday se'nnight aninquestwas held at the King's Head,
'Hackney., on the body of Lieut. Colonel James Poole, of the
ScotsGreys. It appeared that the deceased was a most per-
sonable man, five feet ten incises high, and ma more than 31
years ef age. Although he hadfrequently been distinguished
no his country's eauae, he was pre-eminently so at the great
battle of Watarbito. These, two horses were allot under him
the bat that killed one of his horses passed through his
thigh; and he received a fracture on his head from a lancer.
Everuinea that memorable day, this brave officer had been
in consequence of his wounds, more or less deranged in in-
tellect. He was for some time confined at Brook House
Hackney;.bast had lately been released, and resided with his
wife and mailer, Ida 21, Gloucester-street, Qneen-square.
Sensible of his insane state, however, lie called on Di. Hon-
er), at six o'clock, on the Wednesday evening, and requested
most earnestly to be sent back to Hackney, and, with the
coneectuf his mother and wife, was consigned to a trusty
-servant wheaceompaitied him in a coach, but who found bins
atapified oil their-reaching brook house; deceased hid taS en
epittors, and died at a quarter before three o'clock on the
inerning of Thursday. He had twice before attempted his
',eau life. Being quite satisfiedesn ibis point, tie Jury soon
endorsed a verdict of—lnsanity.
The preliminary subscription for the Canal to connect
the Platens and Western Seas, is already filled up in
Northumberland. The Gentlemen of that county intend
orsressauto Ica fatal iiezbasz

VIM NAT AL REGISTER;

NEW POLICE REPORT.

(Conti ;401 on our lat.)

SECOND REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE ON THE
POLICE Or THE mratopoLts.
Mr. Poytider.—" I have been further led, in my official
situation, to consider the heavy expenses of the crimival jii•
(heat ure of the country ; and referring, as 1 have been induce
ed to do, so large a portion of public crime to the habit of
drinking, it has appeared to ine„ that if any considerable
change could be induced in the national habits in that par-
ticular, a very large saving would intense in this department
of die state, and probably such a saving as would be found
even more than adequate to the revenue derived front distil.
latices. This will appear unlikely at first sight ; but when
the committee revert to the expenses of the Police establish
uncut and the other charges of the criminal department, to the
expellees of public prosecutions, to the sums paid us rewards
fill convictions, to the expenses of removing convicts within
this OM at try, of trying theta throughout the count ry, of sup.
porting them in the prisons anti in the hulks, and above all,
of transporting them abroad. and especially when the very
remarkahle increase is considered which has taken place of
late years in the business, and length both of eessions and
assizes, (a fact by no means adequately accounted fns by the
increase of poptilatime) the above proposition may tint ap-
pear so improbable; at least it seems well worthy of the eon-
eitleratiou of all who are capable of investigatieg the subject,
whether the peculiar facilities fur de inking, which are pro-
vided throughout the country, do nut, by inritisliing to the
poor and uninstructed temptation* to crime which are tun
strong to resist, occasion at the same time, a charge to the
country, in repressing and pituielesig that hich is
inure than equals even in a peciiniery view, to us advan-
tage which can ever be derived f. on such a 'seemed source.
I would observe on two or three of the lest mentioned points,
so far only as they fall within my knowledge ; in the last e
in which I was in office, the disbursements of the sheriffs for
the necessary adminietratiou of justice, only iu London and
Middlesex, exceed 12,0001. In this sum is included one
little short of 40001. paid for rewards on the conviction of
olfeeders in the city and county of Middlesex alone. As to
the length of the Old Bailey sessions, it is within the memory
of 11102. persons, who are now engaged in its business, that if
a session continued from the Wednesday in ante week, to the
Monday in the next, (or five days) it was an extraordinary
circumstance; whereas it has now become a common occnr
rence, fur the session to last a fortnight and three weeks.
This happens, no doubt, in 11 measure, from the increase of
population, from robbery being conducted more upo s system
since it is no longer an adventitious pursuit, bet a eegu tar
profession, and front many criminals being able to pay (omit
of tends btained from plunder), large fees to counsel tor the
most Ole and ingenious deiences which can be furnished; but
I am persuaded, that the actual increase of crime will alone
explain the increased length of sessions and assizes; and that
the great cause of the increase of crime itseif is to be traced
to drinking. The average amount of ditties paid at the ex•
cise oefiee, for the last five years, upon foreign spirits, upon
British spirits made in England, amid upon Irish and Scotch
imported, is only about five millions per 22111121; now;
althungli, in cmisequence of the very great extent of smug-
genie, this can by no means be taken as any accurate criterion
of the actual eunsumptioe, it yet shows the proportion in
which the; revenue has been benefited, 25 a question of taxa-
tion; butt it t be remembered, that (ruin this receipt of
five millions, there must be deducted the whole charge of
the excise department, the cost of watching, and punishing
smuggling and illicit distillation, and other necessary outgo-
ings. After these deductions are made, the net receipt on
spirits, which actually arrives in the exchequer, will perhaps
appear of far less magnitude than Many have supposed, and
consequently will so far weaken the argument fur the use of
spirituous liquor which is founded upon the advantage arising
to the revenue. Against this amount of five millions so re•
duced. let the savings in the criminal judicature of the
country, which have been above alluded to, be put, and I
will venture to predict that such a result will appear as will
show that, even as a mere question of revenue, these will
hardly be a pretext for a continuance of the present system,
even if it should not appear that there will be au actual gain
by its abandonment.
I would next observe; that I gm disposed to refer the re-
markable corruption of the metropolitan prison (in addition
to the permission of visiting) to the facility of procuring
spirits; while they are to be had, it is in vain to disguise that
they will be procured even in a prison, and that in spite of ,
the stroagest laws to the contrary. I believe that the late
keeper of Newgate himself used exertions to prevent their
introdnetion, but he could not examine every visitor. This
duty was left to the turnkeys, who, whether from road.
verteuce or design, notoriously permitted the relations and
friends of prisoners to introduce liquor. 'the examination
which takes plare of those who are admitted into the prison,
with the professed object of discovering whether bullies are
concealed about their persons, is a mere formal mockery;
and I have observed with pain, on some occasions, that after
the warrant for execution had arrived, amid even down to
the fatal morning, prisoners have been more or less under
the influence of spirits, which have been introduced by
those mistaken friends who have thought that they were
rendering a service by it to the unfortunate criminal.
I cannot avoid also referring a very large proportion
(perhaps almost the whole) of eouthful depravity to due
source. Iby no means wish to convey the idea that all those
children who commit crimes are themselves drinkers to any
excess (although it will be found that almost all of teens do
drink from their early years); but i wish ratites to state that
the habits and customs of their relatives and friends with
regard to drinking are such, that the children cannot but
be depraved for want of some counteracting principle to
keep them honest and virtuous. 'the children of such tnies
lies cannot properly be said to have any home ; they are s it-
wally deserted by their natural protectors and g maltase.,
and consequently lose the advantage of moral instruction, of
good example, and salutary corers time Fathers and mothers
who have themselves lost the habits of domestic life, can
neither value nor preserve those habits in their children;
when, while their parents Are pureeing their vices, are, of
course, left to follow theirs; hence they are found gambling
in the street, and associating with vicions companions, ey
whom they are taught to thieve, as well as to contract vit-
riotie oihtr habits al depravity. So far from theft being alit
conraged by their parents, it is too frequently a principal
titmice of their support, and, iu many 11142111.1.5, tee 111111:1-
tuna father is himself f I the instructor of .his child es
crime, as well as the participator in his plunder. The rat,'
of female children in such families is still more deplorable,
and It Ls only too twill *unstained that the ruin of mut-

SVPI'.

titudtet of females for life, takes place at so peaty an age, us ie.
perfectly shocking to humanity. In most of surto custra
has e found the parents the tempters and destroyer.- of their
own children ; indeed it is almost impossible that, without
their einitti4 AMA' or consent, their children cella heernite
abandoned and depraved at so early an age. It is perfectly
tree, that the education of the lower orders is doing mach;
but there are thousands of 'parents who reqniie to be rou-
e ineed that it is either their duty or interest to permit their
children to be taught at all,Arinee they derive a greater profit
horn their ignoristre than they can ever hope to du from
their instruction ; and there is little licpc of convincing Inch
persons, so long as they are rendered insensible to their dd.
diens' ititerests by their own addiction to drinking.
I would further (disci.% c, that the continuauce of the pre.
sent system of drinking has appeared to me calculated to
encourage and perpetuate habits of insubordination and se-
dition ; and I let l strongly persuaded that the enema:vent
loses itifinittly more in the alienation of the minds of its
people than it can ever gain by the largest contrt bution to its
rev 1.1/11C. Cashman, the rioter, who was lately v scented in
London, assured me, the 'lay before his death, that lie hail
been drinking spirits repeatedly before he jimied the mob.
It was in evidence, that same of the rioters who were tried-
amd acquitted, an w ell as Othl'l'S wilt) wets examined, but not
put on 1 heir trials, had been drinking spirits at Sa a-fields, mud
on Ow road to the City; and flout one fire stance ultich
crew to iny knowledge, I Inter tie doubt that spirits were
givers grutnitously to many of the mob. It was furthes in
evidence, that young Watson was tinder the influence of
liquor when he entered Mr. Beckwith'., shop. The nu irderers
of Mr. llursfall, at Iltiddersfield, had all been drinking spt.
tits before they went ant, and ern-award% on the road ofile
waiting for Mr. Iturstall. The frame breakers in Notting-
hamshire and leictederthire, are frittud to have almost inva-
riably drank spirits before the different attacks. Those who
attacked Mr Cartwright's, mill, when so resolete and socceve
fill a defence wits made by its proprietor and his men, were
all under the influence of liquor, and were even supplied
with it diking the progress of the attack by their comrades.
—The effect of liquor upon the Irish, in every scene of de-
predation and murder, needs only to be adverted to ; it is
certain that the abuse of this destructi-e stinnolus in time
country, foments and keeps alive the most atroeions and
appalling crimes, nor will any state of ignorant or savage
life be sufficient to !account for what passes daily in the sister
kingdom, without reference to the peettliar excitement If
spirituous liquors, which (whatever may lr the remote causes
are the proximate cause of almost all the crime and cruelty
which abound there. As far as nay own experience goes as
to the disaffection and discontent prevailing here, I am con-
vinced that the most fertile source of contempt for humans
law as well as divine is to be found in the drinking of spiritS ;
the mind is soured and irritated in consequence of perpetual
excitement ; it is ill at ease in itself, and vents its resentmerlt
upon all around.—among the canses of offence which such it
man finds, it is natural he should manifest most impatience at
what restrains him most; and as covet nment, and law, and
order, are (for the general good) imposing perpetual obstr
cles in his way, lie will hate and vilify them, and seek to
render anthurity contemptible by all the means in his power.
'The morning dram shops, and the evening pnblic-botisc,„ are
well calculated to form and cultivate sae), a state of mind;
factious newspapers, as well as other pernicious publications
help to mislead and seduce those who wish to be deceivedl,
and such as cannot read, hear others read ; seditious compar
nions keep each other in countenance, and treason as.uutea
It confidence and cuurage n hick it would never otberwisa
acquire; hence the most unlawful combinations, and the
most horrid oaths ; hence facilities are afforded to seat pent
suns for collecting together from night to night, which their
awn houses would not supply. In these eases, it is not to 44
denied, that the liquor which is furnished forms one great
source of attractiou, leads to false and perverted reasonings,
to late hours, and to increased expetice, in instances where
expeucea can be so ill afforded ; not even the panne of one
day in the week is allowed, but the Sunday newspaper pre-
sents an inducement when the business of the week is over,
and assists in keeping up the same mend of political and
moral mischief. It cannot be expected, that with suds in-
centives to evil, the slave of his appetites will either fear God
or honour the king. We find accordingly, that, in throning
off the divine government, human allegiance has been sensi-
bly affected in the lower ranks of society, and that site best
security and cheapest defence of nations is a moral popula-
tion; whence it becomes both the duty and interest of ru-
lers to see that at least they do not administer to passions
which are so injurious in their operation.
Upon the whole, I beg leave to state it as my firm con-
viction founded npon some experience, that so far as regards
offences against the laws of the state, the continuance of the
present system is eminently favourable to public crime ;
that inducements of so strong a nature are afforded by autho-
rity for its commission, as the lower (and in some degree even
the middle) class of society, find it impossible to resist;
, and that no influence, arising lions the counteraction of evil'
the wisest and best system of human judicature, can possibly
be found adequate to the pi otection of pnblie morals, or per-
• hapseventually to the preservation of society itself, if some
radical alteration do not take place.

(To be Continued.)

By the following letter it appears that another EN,ft
fish vessel has been insulted and plundered by a pi.
rate :

Extract of a letter from a passenger, who sailed in the Mary,
M'llsane, from Uyde, to Jamaica.
Kingston, Jnly 17.
Nothing particular rimmed from the time we sailed, till
Monday, the 2;id of June, when I was awoke about One in the
morning, by the second mate coming down to inform the ca;!..
lain that there was a vessel astern tiring at us; the Captain
i iiii nediately got upon deck, and I followed him ; we waited
about half an hour, when she tired another Shut, and we di,-
tinetly heard a ball passing over our heads ; the Captain im-
mediately hove to, and on coining /Ate close she spoke us,
and told us she would send a boat on hoard. Upon this n e im-
mediately suspected that she was a pirate, which was actually
the case. Two of their officers and five men boarded us, they
plundered us of two barrels of pork, half a boll of potatoes,
ten gallons of rum, one keg butter, tour bottles pui ter, three
pounds sugar, a few medicines, moue newspapers from one
pas:wager, and a few books from another; some of their sai-
lors informed oar people, that the reason tiny look so little
was because they had hoarded two Spailist bums a few days
before and that they had not room for any thing inure ; their
crew consisted of 97 men, muslly Scots and ; they carried
10 gone; they told us that if we had nut hove to the second
shot, they would have fired upon ua neat time. We were
boarded in lat. 24, 3; lowa. 27.