The Sun.
London, England, 1849-07-04 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN POLICE.

Lord DUDLEY STUART rose, pursuant to no-
tice, to submit a motion for a Select Commit'ee to inquire
into the manner of making the assessment in the several
counties for the maintenance of the metropolitan police,
and into the expenditure thereof; as well as into
the general administration of the force, and espe-
cially into the recent annual increased charge of
upwards of 35,0001 on the county of Middlesex.
He trusted the House would bear with him while he
bristly stated the grounds upon which he
made the motion. He trusted the House would bear
with him whilst he endeavoured to convey to it—and he
promised to do so in the smallest possible amount of
time—a knowledge of the whole circumstances connected
with this most important subject.—(Hear, hear.) A
motion for such a Committee of Inquiry was not only
not unusual, but not unreasonable. There had been a
great many such Committees appointed, and only a few
years ago—in 1844—a motion almost similar was made
by his lion. Friend who was now on the Treasury
benches; and he hoped, therefore, indeed he had no
doubt, that he would have the support of his Hon.
Friend the Secretary for the Treasury. That motion
wa., however, resisted by the Government of that day,
and accordingly no Committee was appointed.
There had now been no Committee on this
important subject for fifteen years, and he must
say that that alone was a sufficient reason for
the House agreeing to this Committee, supposing
there were no other; because ho must say, if this police
force were at all necessary, that it formed a kind of
anomaly in our constitution. When the force was first
established it was resisted, as not being altogether in
harmony with our old-fashioned notions of constitu-
tional liberty.—(Hear.) It was felt that it was neither
more nor less than an army, which was paid out of the
pockets of the people, not by money annually voted,, but
by money obtained under an Act of l'arliament—a princi-
ple which was not altogether consonant with their notions
of what was right and proper; and that being the case,
he thought it would be admitted at any rate
that the expense and management of this
body ought to be watched with a jealous and vigilant
eye.—(Hear, hear.) Another reason for his asking for
this Committee was that within a short space of time
the expense of the force had been materially increased,
and that a heavy additional burden had been placed ou
the inhabitants of the metropolis and the surrounding
districts. It had often been a matter of astonishment
and perhaps exultation to Englishmen that there were
5) few soldiers in the capital, but they were little aware
of the fact that they possessed a vast body of soldiers
which, though of a military character, assumed a desig-
nation denoting a civil capacity.—(Hear, hear.) There
was in this metropolis an. array of upwards of 6,000 men
composed of policemen-5.500 metropolitan police and
600 City police, and though they did not carry arms
with them, they were not the less an army,
for they were supplied with arms and weapons
whenever the Government thought necessary. Since
the beginning of last year there had been added to +he
metropolitan police more than five hundred men, en-
tailing an additional expense to the community of
45,0001., being about one-seventh of the whole.—(Hear,
hear.) Now that might be necessary and proper, but
did it constitute any rea,on why that additional expen-
diture should be allowed to pass without some inquiry
being called for on the part of the inhabitants of the
metropolis ?—(Rear.) The total sum paid for the police
force in 1847 amounted to 329,2081., and in 1848 to
374,9291., and those sums were exclusive of the pay-
ments on account of the Superannuation Fund, and also
on account of the Police Courts. That increase of ex-
penditure was a sufficient ground for inquiry.—
(hear, hear.) It was drawn from the people
in a way which was oppressive, because it was
unjust and unequal; and though its injustice had been
admitted by the Government in an official communica-
tion, they did not propose to afford any relief to the
people, and yet repeated representations had been made
to them to continue to do without it. The expense of
the police was provided for originally by a rate of Bd. in
the pound. Afterwards, 2d. in the pound was taken
from the Consolidated Fund, and 6d. in the pound was
levied. In 1847 the magistrates of Middlesex raised
the valuation of the county by the enormous amount of
two millions and a half ; they raised it from 6,367,4561.
to 7,792,1681. The effect of that was to add to the an-
nual police rate paid by the ratepayers of Middlesex the
sum of 36,6171., while nothing was added to the bur-

dens of the inhabitants of other counties. This was
represented to the Government, and they felt the justice
of the complaint, and undertook to provide a remedy.
On the 30th of December, the f.dlowieg t.ttPr Wa .1 writ-
ten by order of Sir George Grey, to Mr. Flood, the ves-
try-clerk of Marylebone :—" Secretary Sir George Grey
directs me to inform you that he has considered the re-
solution of the joint vestries of St. James's and St. Mary-
lebone, which you forwarded to him, requesting a reduc-
tion of the quota on which the police rate is levied, in
consequence of the greatly increased valuation upon
which the county is now assessed, and I am to
inform you that Sir George Grey proposes to
introduce a Bill to authorise the Commissioners of
Police to reduce the police-rate one penny in the pound
fur the year, in their warrants issued to parishes in the

county of Middlesex, provided the present assessment is
not reduced, and Sir George Grey trusts that an ar-

rangewent may be made to give the parishes the full
benefit of this reduction, if sanctioned by Parliament for
the ensuing year." That was the official statement made
by the Government, and the inhabitants were told that
they would have to pay 20.0001., whereas the fact was
that they had to pay 25,0001.; that was a most extraor-
dinary increase to add to the burdens of the people of
Middlesex, and he thought afforded a good ground fur a
Committee. The Right Hon. Baronet (Sir George
Grey) no doubt intended fully to carry out what he ex-
pressed iu that letter, for he brought in a Bill
on the subject in the early part of May,
but after being read a first and a second
time, the order of the day for going into Committee was
put off from time to time, until the 27th June, when the
Government, at two o'clock in the morning, and without
giving notice to any of the parties concerned, moved
that it be discharged. And when theyconsidered that the
object of that was to continue on the metropolis and the
community at large a heavy tax for police, which was
generally much more numerous than was necessary, and
was objectionable in many ways, there could be no
doubt that the people had a right to complain of the
way in which their requests had been refused. He did
not complain so much of the conduct of the police as of
their number and cost. The metropolis might be as
well and as effectually protected with a much less
number of men and a smaller amount of money.
The increase of expense had been 25,0001., and the police,
for whom they had so much to pay, were not so ad-
mirable in their conduct as many persons seemed
to believe, since there were many cases 'on re-
cord in which the police had greatly exceeded their
duty and oppressed the people. Doubtless, it might nut
appear in this light to fine ladies and gentlemen who
were glad of the assistance of these well alressed men to
enable them to find their way to their carriages; but
such was the fact. But let the House inquire whether the
people were of the same opinion, and if they spoke the truth
they would say that wherever there was a policeman there
was a petty tyrant.—(Cheers.) When it happened that
there were no -other witnesses to an offence besides
policemen they were most unscrupulous in their
testimony; and yet, upon the uncorroborated testimony
of a policeman men were convicted and sentenced to
the most degrading punishments. In saying this he did.
not speak without the book, since he could show that a
man was sent for trial, charged by a policeman with the
most horrible offence, and that the jury, after hearing
the case for a few minutes, stopped it, and acquitted tb e
defendant. By the returns it appeared that from 60,000
to 64,000 were continually taken into custody and chargssd
with offences, but the fact that out of that number
2.000 were discharged showed how ill the police dis-
charged their duty. Now this was a state of things
that ,ought to be looked into, and if the House were
to inquire into the matter they would see
why the number of police was so much larger than it
should be ; why it was kept up like a large army in:1849,
when there was peace and quiet. Indeed, the Govern-
ment said, because there were apprehended dis-
turbances in 1848, they were unwilling to allow
the number of the body to be diminislaed,
But they should be diminished in number, because their
present extent interfered with the comfort, and liberty,
and character of the people. The effect upon a people
thus constantly tyrannised over must be bad. He thought
they should inquire into all these things, and. if it
could be shown that they behaved perfectly well, or
that the police force was kept up cheaply, and that it
was inexpedient on public grounds to have a diminu-
tion of their number, why, then, the people
would be satisfied to pay for them.—(Hear.) But let the
Government bear in mind that they were not taken by
surprise upon this matter, siuce notice had been given
by his Honourable Colleague, who he regretted was
unable to attend from ill health at the close of last
session. He might occupy the House longer upon
this matter, but he felt that he should stand a greater
chance of the motion meeting with its approval, if he
were, without, further preface, to move it.
Sir G. GREY said that he thought there was but one
opinion in the House with regard to the metropoliitan po-
lice force as to its real value and efficiency. He did net
think it necessary to enter very fully into the statements
of the Noble Lord who had brought fore and the
present motion. With regard to the imputations; which
the Noble Lord had thrown upon the conduct of the
members of that force, he could only say that ;;r2 cases
where they had been detected in the practices wl e'ch the
Noble Lord charged upon them, and where the magis-
trates did not punish them, the Commissioners of Police,
sanctioned by the Secretary of State, had al.vays
availed themselves of the summary power whi c.h they
possessed,
and discharged the men. With refer-
ence to the motion izO the Noble Lord, he did nof think
that he had laid sufficient grounds before thee House
to justify the granting of a Committee. He had con-
fined himself entirely to empty allegations, rind had
produced very little evidence to support thetrei; and
in those very allegations there was Leothtrig
new. A similar inquiry to this, which was :nought
for, had been granted in the year 1834,
and the result had been to satisfy the House to ad the
public at large that the management of the police
force was carried on in the best possible