The Sun.
London, England, 1830-11-10 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF TIM PUTILIC JOURNALS.

For the first time during we know not how many years,
or centuriest'of years, there was no Lord Mayor's Day yes-
terslay: The company being unexpectedly prevented from
quitting home, " the dinner was put off." Public opia
noon,—the recovering state of the Funds,—theproceedinge
of the official badieses-the Court of Aldermen and Court
of Common Couneil,—all prove that there was no riceinion
for this alarming breach of hallowed custom. What are
we, then, to say of it That it was an unhappy error on
the part of the Lord Mayor Elect, leading to yet worse
tontequences ; but after the apology of his Lordship, who
says that he " shall never cease regretting that he has
noted so erroneously," we are dissented. His Lordship
can do no more than apologize—he cannot recall the act.
But another Alderman appears on the gage, aiding ac-
tively in instilling the mistake, end producing the remelt,
1k has made no apology yet : perhaps he perseveres in the
opinion, that the Duke was, as Beatrice says, to have been
" killed and eaten," if he bad entered the City. The late
Lord Mayor is wholly 'intimated in the affair—he was
outfitted by serious illness : but there is no doubt he would
have conducted himself, on this as on every other occasion,
with perfect discretion—with a due respect far the righti of
his fellowseititens, anti a proper estimate of their public
spirit. We: must now pass over this grievoto hustnesse.
The affairs of State are of greater importance than those
of the City. But one thing we must °beasts—it is as-
sumed that the Duke of Wellingtoes is unpopular, and
certain expressions of the humbler classes of our fellows
subjects, whenever his Grate appeati among them or
near them, would seem to confirm the stumble. Why is
he so ? It is that unhappy note of opposition to reform
wield' he sounded. But how are the street rioters affected
by this ? More thoughtful and respectable persons fuel
regret ; and twat& arid designiag knaves inspire the nn-
thioking and diooluns with passion, or-affected pasaion, on
a subject in which they have hut little Interest. The Duke
of Wellington has done great things fer the poor. fie
has reduced the price of 'beer per pot, by taking off the
duty upon brewing ; and, by the new licence duty, so
multiplied the houses where it is•to be sold, that the poet
man 'can in every way procure his refreshment with in-
finitely greater tame. These bete, besides being a hero,
ought to mike him popular. lt is a curious circumstance
to see pickpockets and prostitutes hire,ng the liberator of
Spain and of Europe, and the conqueror of Buonaparte, in
the etreete of the British nietrsipelis.— Tinter.
We are quite sure that filereroment will not incite the
reproach of abandoning the police now eetehliehed, from
any dokrence to the vagabonds of:all descriptions who per-
- mute-this useful body
,of men with outrageous slanders
and assaults. It is inapostsible to forget the complaints
against the inefficiency of the.eld watch, which were con-
stant and universal fur many years before, any attempt to
substitute a better species of protection to the K iog's oath-
jest, was Made by his Majesty's, Goverutnent. 'Those
complaints proceeded frottarthe respectable portion of the
Stabilise —from heads of familirs and proprietors of lumbers
.--unto and women, who haa4 a real interest in the main-
tenauest of order, the administration id justice, and the
eternity of goods and persons: for neither life nor property
wee there any the slightest safeguard, under the system of
parochial watch. Corrupt, or decrepit, they hadsm ad-
vocaat* but the:parish authorities who Abed in their ap-
pointment, or the pickpockets and houeebreahere, who
were regular, though unarmed sharers 'in .the, profit.
When restreise was sought for against the carelessmes or
other miscopiduct of these watch, the 'Alegi:awe who
might feel for the injury comtnitted had seldom a power
to repair it, insomuch as he could not supersede or con-
troll the magnates of the parish, by, whore the de•
Unguent was upheld, while the parish gentry were
for the moat pert satisfied (that is, in flagrautt, owe)
with giving him a (vitt reprimand ; and, in relight or
moderate ones, altogether overlooked the of ence.e•-•
The necessity, therefore, on behalf a the ainumt, t4a.
. offending, and induetrious classes of society, to have
some better system instituted than that of watchmen, was
evident to the whole world. The correction of one fun•
damental vice in that establishment was likewise very
obviously acquisite,—we mean the substituting an autho-
rity, certain, uniform, consistent, and centre!, for the
flueteting end oftentimee conflicting powers under which
the administration of justice, either through the instru-
mentality of the parochial watch, or against its malprsee
tires, was to he obtained. The new police, long called'
for, was at length eel on foot; and, notwithstanding a few
interested murmurs, it was hailed as an immense imp ove-
, meat in the art of protecting society hoot thwarts:or vie-
knees of unpriocipled men. To speck of the pollee sye•
ter elosellys within one year of:, its existenceo Pea fest its
its kind, would be an idle mierepresentetion. But to re-
tuuntiate its menthe's, end to make ruffianly assaults ration
their persons, musts in the eyes of all Engliahmen, be a
find and iniquitous mode of warfare. For enmities,: We
earl state, that so fur as close and pretty frequent opportu-
niti es of observation qualify us,to speak of the new pos
'icemen, as a body, their demeanour has appeared to us
becoming and creditable. %shave witnessied, more than '
once, in these muchsabuved successors of the Meta, ex
-
unlike of activity, courage, temper, and discretion. We
between, also, cases of wanton and unmanly 'outrage against
these lame policemen, too ,well calculated to bring all tlieir
• patience as well as bravery to the test. :NeSertheless, that
certain of their number have now and then condueSed
themselves so as to justify complaints to- their sttse-
SS, riots, is manifested by the fact, that many of -them
have been dietnissed the service ; and it list not yet reached
our ears that this Commissioners at the head of the a*t"'
bliehment have shown an unwillingness to visit the itst-
:, proprieties, or even inadvertenciese of piles:-constables,
with punishment fully adequate to the occasion. As for I
objcetioros to the extreme of this new force, we have 01-
ready statsele in former artieles, than an excessive levy for
such art object met be the fault of a culpable parish or
district adminiatration, and may possibly be chargeakile to
these very men who, once- hearing bad the petronage of
the watching system:, and now the inanegesnent of the, pa-
coati-al funds, first make a job of alwiratiwn unnecessary
and illegal usesesentents anti, next, another job of their Ms.
juat and scandalous attacks upon the reputation of the
police constables as compared with the exploded watch.
,To one pariah we can ourselves testify, as silarding an in-
stance of the reduced taxation being simultaneoua with, or
subsequent to* the introduction of the police system. The
parish the speak of is that of St. Margaret's, Westminster,
where the parochial assessments have actually been died-
niehed snore than 21i per cent, within the lest twelve-
months. However, it is not the quisition of expense merely,
ou which the merits of this Natatory institution ought to
he allowed to turn, As a protecting power we stand -by
the 'mike, conceiving it err, -he one more ant:admits than
ana' that his ever before existed- in this country, and less
objectionable In its general constitution, though we 4434
It is capable of improvement in some of its details.* once
more we trust that jebbtrli allli thieves will be oissp-
pointed, tiled that the polieemstehlishment will conciliate
every, (ley more general and decided support from all the
better portions of society,— Times,
We call the attention of our readers to an edvertisement
on the subject of a proposed escort of citizens for their
Majesties on the occasion of their visit to' the city. We
are satisfied that all the city of London would be an escort
to their Majeetitsi, and that there is not One man in the
whole of ,tire tettrrterenrt population- iho would not clod
himself in their defence. Still it sney he as well that the
trust should be confided to a chosen body; on whom the
reeponeibility wain! rest of proserving order..—Aforninp
Chronicle. -

The conflagrations in the .netinty ni Kent, and soma of
the pinches of the adjoining Counties, were last night
adverted to in the House. Sir Harbert Peel stated that
the Senretary of the Treasury was at the present moment:
at Maidstone, endeavouring to trace the causes of that
extraordinary mystery' whidi bad, up to the present
Moment, tlUded their moat ea rt. rul investigation ; there
wetu also at 'Maidstone everylicesofficcr who, in ti*
present state of the metropolis, could be spwed, lle
added, that the Brest were neither executed by the hands,
nor devised by the beads of the peasantry of the county
of Kent. Sir Edward Knateldnill improved upon Sir
Robeit for he not only said-.-u he multi dedittk that
the . crinflagrations in t county of lient seeret bit
•eaused by the peasantry of the land bet that "he was
persuideil that the peasantry were actuated by a very this
front feeillig from that which influenced the authors of
these outrages the peasantrY were, he was *arrived, full
of
attachment to their employers, And the least likely in the
world to Commit acts of that diabolical character." The
pea,santry,aray, he strongly attached to their employers', but
the going about in lands to break machines was an oild
evidence of attachment of labourers to employers, This
reminds its of a happy sarcasm of the late Mr. Tierney,
uttered with rekenee to a man Who stole some Sheep, and
Wititiot the late Mr. Kenrielt Wotwitlistaroling
the strongrst svideriee of erhal to screen—thit the badivi.
thud irs questima oght be it Very In) oust Man' but
.he hul-
a very odd Way of dealing with cheep We do not mean
to say that tile,pree ntry are etinco tied in the cordlagras
tiere,, but We know that the tnirihlment of Irish-labourers
in hay time arid harvest, try stole t, the prices of lahour at
that partial ot the year when werhineo used.' to calcu-
late on making something to pay- their eintage rents
ami clear off odd scum kc-. has led to great in'
• •
• See the um estion of A cacreverstent, Styled '0 4, iltfornier
not a Itevolutiontsh"