The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-25 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 25, 1854.

tiguous, and they do so regularly. We do not consider
it-, to be necessary for the protection of the public to
have men specially set to watch the whole of the strand.
The Chairman—Do the metropolitan police watch the
strand of the river ?

Mr. Harvey—Their men do not walk along there,
but the metropolitan police afloat, I believe, have their
eye upon the barges and the waterside, and if they see
any depredations committed' they arrest the offenders
and bring them to the City courts if the case comes
within the City's jurisdiction. Ido not believe the-
metropolitan police on the Southwark side of the river
specially watch the strand there, although it is simi
larly situated to the City's bank of the river.
The Chairman—Then you think that no inconveni-
ence arises to the public from any uncertainty prevail-
ing as to whose jurisdiction the strand of the river
belongs ?

Mr: Harvey—l cannot see cause for any.
The Chairman—Proceed with any statement you may
have to make.

Mr. Harvey—The suggestion has been made that the
City police should be incorporated in the general metro-
politan system. On that point I would say, that if there
were to be one uniform system of police throughout the
metropolis, its real heart and centre ought to be in the
City, and not in Scotland-yard. Where there is one
detective case brought before the metropolitan police
there are ten such cases brought before the City police.
Again, great injury and insecurity to the City would
result from merging the smaller jurisdiction in the
larger, and from combining Cheapside. for instance,
with Whitechapel, and Bishopsgate with Shoreditch,
without reference to the distinct peculiarities of each dis-
trict. The same amount of force which suffices elsewhere
would not do for the City. I will illustrate this by a few
figures. Mr. Hickson has stated the area of the City
to be a mile and a half, and the area of the metropolitan
police to be nearly 700 square miles. Now, the City
police consists of 579 men, and tlgt_motropolitan police
of 5,492. Last year the cost of the City police amounted
to 44,3411., or at the rate of 74/. 17s. 14d. per man ;
and the cost of the metropolitan police was 391,8251.,
or 71/. 6s. 11d, per man ; makinc, the City police to
cost 31. 10s. 24d. per man more than the metropolitan
police. The question of amalgamating the two forces
was investigated years ago, when it appeared to be
thought that 300 policemen would be sufficient for the
City ; but that is far below the number which we now
find it absolutely necessary to employ for the due pro-
tection of the City. Ido not speak under corporate
influence when I say that I consider that the City
ought to have an adequate proportion of police to watch,
and should also have a co-equal authority with the me-
tropolitan commissioners, because to expect the mer-
chants, bankers, and traders of the City, absorbed in
business as they are, if they want advice or assistance,
to go all the way to Whitehall-place for it, would be
tantamount to saying that they must do without the
service of police at all. I have upwards of a hundred
persons coining every day to my office on various sub-
jects
connected with the police, and these persons are not
content with seeing my superintendent—they wish
to consult with the highest authority. The City police,
if I may use the expression, is, in fact, regarded as a
sort of " parental police." A great proportion of the
force is required for special services. A certain number
of men are necessary to keep order in the police courts,
from 25 to 30 constables generally have cases to attend
to, 18 more have the charge of Smithfield-market on Mon.-
days and Fridays, and about 30 additional have to attend
Guildhall on Saturdays, when the omnibus and cab cases
are being heard. It thus frequently happens that from
70 to 80 men are draughted off in this way ; and if there
were but one force throughout the metropolis, and its
extra strength were brought to bear to assist the City
police on occasions like these, the City, no doubt, would
he benefited to a certain extent, because there would be
uniformity of protection. Still I think that the City
should not be swamped in the general system of metro-
politan police, because it should be remembered that
there is this specialty about the case of the City—viz.,
that although the residents number only 128,851, the
number of persons who come into the City daily for
business purposes is 316,000 ; giving a total of 444,851.
The number of persons passing through a single street
(Cheapside) daily, in 14,000 cabs, omnibuses, and
other vehicles, is 52,100; and the number who walk
on foot is 67,500 ; thus making the total number of
persons who pass daily through a single street in the
City, in conveyances and on foot, 119,600. Another
reason why the City requires a greater proportion of
police than the rest of the metropolis arises from the
fact that at night a vast number of warehouses and
places of business, containing large quantities of valuable
goods, are regularly deserted by those persons who are
engaged in them during the day ; and it is only by hav-
ing a large and efficient staff of constables that such an
amount of property so situated can 13,; properly pro-
tected. I will now come to the question of the efficiency
of the City police. This may be judged of from the fol-
lowing statistics :—ln the 10 years ending in 1852, the
City police took before the City magistrates 51,667
persons ; and the metropolitan police, within the same
period, took 660,764 persons before the stipendiary
magistrates. Of the total number, there were dis-
charged in the City 20,346, or about 39 per cent. ;
whilst in the metropolitan districts the number discharged
was 333,960, or about 50 per cent. In the City, there
were summarily convicted, within the same period (10
years), 27,208 persons, or 52 per cent. ; whilst in the
metropolitan districts the number was 278,348, or 42
per cent. The committals for trial, in the City, within
the same period, were 4,113, or 8 per cent. ; and in the
metropolitan districts they numbered 48,456, or 7 per
cent. The number tried and convicted was 2,426 in
the City, or 84 per cent. of those committed ; whilst in
the metropolitan districts the number was 37,480, or
about 77 per cent. of the committals. The number
tried and acquitted was, in the City, 687, or 16 per
cent. ; and in the metropolitan districts, 10,976, or 23
per cent. What I wish to show by these statistics is,
that the offenders brought before the City magistrates are
dealt with in a way that will challenge investigation as
compared with the statistics of the decisions of any
magistrates external to the City. The number of rob-
, beries committed in the City during the same 10 years
ending 1852 was 15,415, whilst in the metropolitan dis-
tricts the number was 122,761, or about Bto 1. These
last figures are apparently in favour of the metropolitan
districts, but the record of robberies committed is not
kept so complete in the other districts as it is in the
City. The value of the property stolen in the City
within the same ten years was 117,3131., of which the
total amount recovered was 66,277, or 56 per cent. ;
whilst in the metropolitan districts the value of the
property stolen was 377,800/., the proportion recovered
being only 86,7701., or 23 per cent. Every case of rob-
bery committed within the City, from the person or
otherwise, is thoroughly investigated when reported at
the statioiss, and the offenders diligently searched for ;
and notwithstanding the great number of persons who
come into the Citfdaily, bringing and carrying away
with them large sums of money, I would be perfectly ready
to guarantee that the total loss shall not be more than 301.
a.day, on an average, and this I think is some proof of the
efficiency of the City police. The number of summonses
issued within the City within the 10 years above stated
was 21,857, the convictions upon which amounted to
18,350, or 83 per cent. In the metropolitan districts the
number of summonses issued in the One period was
36,969 ; the convictions consequent upon which were
31,944, or 86 per cent. I now come to the cost of
maintaining the City police. The Government pays one-
fourth of the expense of the metropolitan police out of
the Consolidated Fund ; and
a similar contribution to-
wards the cost of the City police is paid out of the City's
cash by the corporation. On the occasion of the Duke
of Wellington's funeral, the corporation paid out of its
own funds the additional sum of 2,0001. for extra con-
stables; and, in fact, it never hesitates to pay considerable
sums, on occasions of a public nature, from its own re-
sources. The police rate in the City amounts to 7d. in
the pound, and that of the metropolitan districts is 6d.
but the cost of collection has to be added to the metro-
politan police rate of 6d., which brings it up, in fact, to
an amount quite equal to the City rate. In the parish
of Marylebone the inhabitants pay as much towards the
police as the residents in the City do ; but then Maryle-
bone has only 300 men to the square mile, while the City
has 587, and has, in addition, the entire control over its
own police. My opinion is that no inconvenience arises
to the metropolis from the existence of two police juris-
dictions within it ; and on all great public emergencies
the two separate forces act in- conjunction.

Mr. G. W. K. Potter examined... 4 am secondary of
the Poultry Compter, and was appointed in 1831. My
official income amounts to 1,0001. per annum. My
duties are the same as those of under-sheriffs in all other
counties throughout the country. I attend the Courts
of Aldermen and Common Council when matters con-
nected with the sheriffs are under consideration ; and I
also prepare the register of the Parliamentary voters
within the City.
Mr. George Payne examined--I an,
police receiver in
the city of London. My duty is to examine and certify
the police expenditure, amounting to 40,0001. per
annum, and also to press forward the collection of the
arrears of the police rate. lam appointed by the police
committee, and receive a salary of 3501. per annum. I
wish to make an explanation in answer to the statement
of a previous witness. Mr. Elliott, when examined by
the commission, stated that the citizens lost 10,000/.
a-year by the separate police jurisdiction, and that the
metropolitan commissioners of police estimated that the
police of the City, under a combined system, would not
cost more than 25,0001. a•year. Nov, the answer to
this is, that the estimate of 25,0001. contemplated that
only 300 policemen would be required for the City,
whereas the number actually employed, and necessarily
so. is 579. The police rate in the metropolitan district
raises a clear 6d. in the pound, and actually amounts
to 61d. or 7d. The average number of men em-
ployed in watching the City on an average of the last
ten years, was 545. The cost of this excess of men
over the 300 included in Mr. Elliott's calculation would
be 17,1501. Now, deducting from this last amount the
sum paid towards the police out of the City's cash (an
item exactly corresponding with the allowance made
from the Consolidated Fund towards the support of the
metropolitan police), viz., 0,7801., there would be left a
balance of 7,3651. in favour of the citizens, as compared
with the expense to the ratepayers of the metropolitan
police. If the City were only to have 300 men, as con-
templated by the plan for consolidating the separatii
juriedictione, a net courpeauY rat, would bo itacient, I