The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-12 00:00:00

There was some unusual interest connected with what
took place a few days ago, when a deputation of twelve
constables of the City police force attended by appoint-
ment at the chief office, with memorials from the several
divisions, signed by upwards of four hundred men,
addressed to the Commissioner, Daniel Whittle Harvey,
Esq., respectfully requesting his assistance and recom-
mendation to obtain for them an advance in their
present rate of wages. The commissioner read all the
memorials, which, though varying in form of expression,
were to the same effect—that, owing to the present
high prices of provisions, and the great increase of rents
arising from the demolition of the smaller houses in car-
rying out the extensive improvements in the city, rooms
could only be obtained in courts and alleys, badly ven-
tilated and drained, at weekly payments of from ss. to
6s. 6d. It Was further stated that the pay now received
was much less than the wages of men who obtained
places with little reference to character, and whose term ,
of service was limited to six days, while no man could
obtain admission into the City police, who did not bring I
satisfactory testimonials of character and intelligence,
and who did not subscribe to the obligation of being re-
sident within the City, giving his actual service, nine
hours each of the seven days in the week, and being
amenable at all times, on or off duty, to the orders and
at the service of the commissioner.
When the Commissioner had read the several memo-
rials, he inquired whether the deputation desired to say
anything in addition to their written statements, and
invited them to express themselves without the appre-
hension of inqurring his displeasure, as he readily re-
cognised their right to meet and discuss all matters in
which they considered their rights concerned, having
the utmost confidence in their discretion and their
respect for himself and the service.
Thus circumstanced (police-constable 155) Andrews,
of the 2nd class, stated that since he had joined the force
he had married, and now had a wife and five children,
and he detailed the various items of weekly expenditure,
amounting to 18s. 6d., exclusive of meat and clothing.
The other constables remarked that they had nothing to
add to the statements in their memorial.
The Commissioner then said that, before he touched
the immediate subject of this application, he desired to
notice the remarks which had been made at some of the
meetings, as to the preference given to military men, and
the restricted leave of absence during the present season.
So far from military men finding favour with him, he
sometime feared he yielded to an adverse prejudice, for
he'was far from considering mere military discipline and
stolid obedience to orders, neither looking to the right nor
to the left, two good marks, and twopence extra a-day, as
the best qualifications for a constable. Soldiers were ex-
pected to act ; constables were expected to think as well as
to act. Soldiers were expected to be sober when on duty ;
constables were expected to be sober at all times. As to the
leave of absence which for some years past he had cheerfully
conceded to every man in the force, it was true that the
same had been restricted in the present season, owing to
the diminished numbers of the force occasioned by the
unprecedented number of resignations ; and in making
his selection of the men, to whom this favour should
be granted, he considered good conduct had the first
claim ; and, now that the first class was exhausted, it
was his intention to extend the leave of absence to the
next class. And in reference to the number of resigna-
tions, he was led to regret that the memorialists had
not based their claims to an advance of pay upon that
great fact. He was not surprised that police constables
should be unacquainted with the principles of political
economy, for many men in higher stations were not
better informed upon the subject. If large rents and
dear provisions were recognised as the standard of wages ;
if the wives and children of constables were to be ele-
ments in the calculation, the men who had neither, and
lived at the stations, paying only is. ad. for then:lodg-
ing, and other advantages, must expect to have their
pay materially reduced—a measure both unsound and
unjust, and he should be continually adjusting the scale
of wages to the ever-varying prices of provisions. The
claims of the City constables to increased pay rested
upon more solid grounds. Their services were arduous
and peculiar, such as devolved upon no other class of
police. Their height being necessarily greater, the
difficulty of obtaining such was in proportion, and as
men of certain essential qualifications became scarce,
their value was enhanced. Circumstances could
be suggested in which provisions might be a drug,
and lodgings capacious and cheap, and yet the present
pay for police service much under its value. The rate
of pay to the members of the force did not rest with
him. It was determined by the Lord Mayor, Alder-
men, and Common Council, in common council as-
sembled, to which, body he should submit their memo-
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At the close of the interview the Commissioner in-
quired whether, in the event of the claims of the memo-
rialists not being entertained by the Corporation, it was
their intention to resign ? The deputation expressed
their unanimous conviction that the constables of the
City police would never act a part disrespectful to the
Commissioner, or to the prejudice of the inhabitants
I confided to their care.