The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-19 00:00:00

461,848. the proportion of crimes to population is, in the
City 1 crime to 158 persons, in the Metropolitan district 1
crime to 277 persons. In this relation crimes in the City
are upwards of 156 per cent. higher than in the Metropolitan
district. The proportion of crimes to inhabited houses is, in
the City, 1 crime to 12 houses, in the Metropolitan district,
1 crime to 37 houses. In this relation crimes in the City
are upwards of 208 per cent. higher than in the Metro-
politan district.

of the favourable to the organisation and management of
ofthe
ended Me-
tropolitan police. He shows that the n
Sir Richard continues to furnish a variety of statistics
to 15 crimes, in
committed is in the City 10 apprehensionspurmopber of crimes
number of persons apprebd t , the
the Metropoli' an district 10 apprehensions to 28 crimes. As,
however, half the number of persons apprehended by the
police were Citydischarged by the magistrates, a comparison
between number of efficient apprehensions is entered
into.i the
sratio was, in the City, 10 efficient apprehensions
to 32 crimes ; in the Metiopolitan district, 10 efficient rip-
prehensions to
37 crimes. The proportion of prisoners dis-
charged by magistrates in respect of those apprehended by
the City police, 1 in 2; by the Metropolitan police, 1 in 4.
If the whole value of a police were to be measured by the
number of magisterial committals in comparison with the
number of police apprehensions, it would appear plain
from these fi.t-ures that the number of persons improperly
apprehended by the City police is double that so appre-
hended by the Metiol olitan. The Metropolitan police are
concerned with much graver classes of crimes, or they get
up their evidence more satisfactorily; of the suspected and
accused persons apprehended by the City police less than
one-half, of those apprehended by the Metropolitan police
fully three-fourths, are committed for trial, The precise
number of criminals committed for trial in the year 1861 was,
in the City, 321; Metropolitan district, 2,997. Comparing
the ratio of these figures to the respective populations of
each district, it is found that such crimes are in the City as
3 ; in the Metropolitan district, 1. Graver offences against
persons are treated in the same manner in Sir Richard's
letter, and he shows that the numbers were in the Metro-
politan district 1,368, being in the ratio of 1 to 2,273, or
0 44 per cent, of the population ; in the City 304-, being in
in the ratio of 1 to 3 ,8, or 271 per cent, of the population
Of offences in houses he supplies the following figures :—ln
the Metropolitan districts, 1,168; in the City, 104; the
respective ratios being 277 per cent., and 782 per cent, of
inhabited houses."

In terminating this section of his report, Sir Richard Mayne
says:—lt fe thus shown that the crimes of a serious charac-
ter, both those against persons and houses, as well as crimes
of every description, are relatively to population and houses
much higher in the City than in the Metropolitan district.
The inference is, that the Metropolitan police are more effi-
cient than the City police fur the prevention of crime. The
percentage of the persons apprehended who are committed
for trial is much greater in the Metropolitan district than
in the City. These results show that a greater number of
persons are improperly apprehended iu the City Tne Me-
tropolitan police act with better discretion, and more regard
to the evidence against the persons apprehended. For the
accuracy of the calculations and results which I have stated
and for other calculations and interesting deductions on
these matters, I beg to refer to a paper attached, by Mr.
Frederick Purdy, secretary to the Statistical Society, and
the statistical clerk to the Poor Law Beard, to whom I re-
ferred the returns for examination and correction.