The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-08-24 00:00:00

credit athiefied in a fns • contd. y to ;kir sabre, shot mug Le
supposed 10 be. its order lo I ring shortly beforel etiosi•
derstioss of the WON' the premise situation of these °eaves,
your Committee Mg leave to draw di allieuliun In dee rm.
lowing extract from the evidence of a person of she Mime or
Vickery, one of the Illometreet offisers, obese lestionouy
Naos this subject is mom impotent.
Wish resrrei to the subject of rewarding lifficers for i a.
traordiumey eervices, to which the Committee has allotted. I
think that she power of rewarding the onierra shusilsi be
in the hands of the Magistrates rather auto of the insides;
for nobody can tell who are most deserviNg of reward fur
activity and exertion's.° well as the Magistrates themselves;
Doi I am persuaded, that iftbis power was left iu the hands
of the !Uagistrates, it would excite an emulation amongst
the ollic•rs to obtain the good opinion of the Mazistrates.
But as this matter stand. at present the wificera are circle*,
of the Magistrites ; for they know, that however active their
'stilton' may he, they will never receive an extra sixpence
from the alike. Ido nut speak merely of Burr-street, for
there the Magistrates du exercise a !sower of rewarding the
officers for extraordinary exertions; but 1 speak of She
officers couneeted with the police in the differesst parts of
the metropolis. 1 held a situation in true of those offices for
feeler years, stud I may venture to say, that with all the
exertions 1 could make, and all the industry I could use,
1 never bad the means of saving a single sixpence for my
family in ease any accident might happen to myself.—
There is another thing 1 would mention to the Cum.
mittee; I am not speaking for myself, for perhaps 1
may never want it, but I am %peeking on behalf of men who
want it; for it is to be observed that amity of Ilseitlficei•
hardly receive more reward for their services that, is just
endugh to enable them to live without brews/Aug thieves ; mud
therefore I should suggest that a provision &humid be made
for suck meet as are vrownded,or receive severe bodily injuries
in the performance of their duly; or who are worn out in the
invite. It is s weary life, and wears men out very fast. And
without praising those men too much, 1 think something
should be dome for those men, who have dome their
duty to the 11116011 of their power, through a long life,
in protecting the lives and property of the public. I hope
the Committee do not thilik 1 am saying too much, when 1
suggest that some trilling provision should be mask in the
nature of superannuation money, fur those men who bare

attained the age of 50, de. or 70 years, to who otherwise
may be incapacitated from age or infirmity, to do their duty.
I got myself nit all to pieces two years ago, and that was in
an attempt to take two men who bad committed a murder;
but I did not expect to live; I *as laid up for six mouths,
and I was in that situation at the time that I should rut have
left my wife and filthily a farthing if I had died."
" Did not the ollke make you any allowance for your
wounds ?—Never a farthing ; they paid my doctor's bill :
bot in fact, they had it not in their power ; I know they
would willingly have done it t and Sir Nathaniel Consul
said be would have done all in his power for me if be could."
" There is no allowance made for old age or tafirmitko
—None whatever. There is to the magistrates and clerks,
but the officers are toosidered as nothing in the thing."
The rumination of the Magistrates to the different offices
is in the CAOIIII%, and, accordiag to the Itlth sec. of the 54th
Gee. Ht. chap. 3?, other constables and office're are to be
appointed by the Magistrates; and any two of them are em.
powered to dis Miss from their employment the respective
officers a *horn they shall think remiss or negligent in the
execution of their duty, or otherwise uofit fur the same,
and appoint, subject to the approbation of the Secretary of
State, others in their stead." Your Committee have bow.
ever, learnt, that since the passing of this Act the Secretary
of State for the Home Department has appointed three per.
suns to fill the sittiation of officers in Worship-street.
Your Committee obperve that Hie Act of Parliament
places the nomination of the person in the hands of the Ma-
gistrates, subject, however, to the approbation of the Seca.
tary of State; no doubt from cooskkiing the Magistrates to
be the best judges of the qualification of the iliffereut caodi.
dates, but imposiug at the same lime the consent of the Se.
cretary of State to serve as a check on their choice. lissome
Matinees the Secretary of State has nut wailed for the nomi-
nation of the Magistrates, but made the appointment him-
self; this breach of an Att of Parliament uo the part of the
Secretary of Slate has produced the result which might have
been anticipated. One of the persons so appointed by Lord
Sidinooth was a worthless abandoned character, • Jew bail,
who was imprisoned in the King's Bench, and not being able
to perform his duty, was turned out of his situation; he is
described by the chief clerk as a mar who hired himself out
as of raudelesit bail, and was sever kouwu at the office till he
came to he sworn in.

_Yon► Committee beg leave to observe, that this interfer-
ence of the Secretary of State is nut warranted by the law
which regulates the police, and will, no doubt, if persevered
In, be attended with the worst effect,. Of the four persons
nominated by Lurd Sidinualh,onedeclined his appointment
another was tensed out of the office; and the remaining two
Were confirmed in their situations, in defiance of the proper
remonstrance of the Magistrates upon the subject.