The Sun.
London, England, 1822-03-09 00:00:00

EDINBURGH POLICE BILL

Mr. ABERCROMBIE presented a petition, signed by
5,000 inhabitants of the City of Edinburgh. against the Bills
before tile House, for regulating the Police 'of that city.—
Arnongvt.these were the names of individuals known tq all per-
sons, as belonging to men of the highest respectability, educa-
tion, and talent ; and these were in unison with the great
body of the inhabitants. He had had•the honour of proposing
another Bill upon the same subject, which met with the uni-
versal support of those whom it concerned, while the Bill
brought in by the Learned Lord opposite met with general
execration.

Mr. W. DUNDAS only wished that the two measures
should be compared, and that the House should sitspend
its judgment until they were duly examined by a. Com-
mittee. •

The petition was laid on the table.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE presented a similax petition from
the Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh. '
Sir J. NEWPORT said, that the subject deserved the at-
tention of the House. _ _

Mr. DUNDAS•said, that the allegations contained in the
petition were merely assertions, and that the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet seemed to think that enough to call upon the House to
act, without further examination. _ . .

Sir R. FERGUSSON said, that the contents of the petition
was not merely assertion for one chief officer of police had al-
ready been convicted of fraud.

...Mr. HUME spoke againgt the Bill in support of the Peti-
tion. The Right Hon. Gentleman had called those who op-
posed his system, Gentlemen Radicals : for his own part, he
would rather be a Gentleman Radical than a Gentleman Col.-
ruptionist.
The LORD ADVOCATE said, that from the manner in
which Hon. Members opposite had diScussed the question, it
would appear that the Bill in question had for its object the
management of the public funds. Its only object was the im-
portant one of giving to the city of Edinburgh an efficient Po-
lice. For the last ten years the Police had been maintained in
a state which was not surpassed by any other in the kingdom.
Daring that time no crimes had remained undetected, and yet
no severities of domestic interruption had been resorted to.—
With regard to the,Officer alluded' to, the charges had been
twice investigated, and as often had he been'acquitted. He had
made these observations to put the House in 'possession of the
facts of the case.
. Lord A. HAMILTON wished the House to examine the
Bills in question narrowly, and not suffer the interests of a
whole city to be overborne by a junto of self-elected Magis-
trates. The Officer who had been alluded to had confessed that
he signed false accounts, and he would ask die House whether
this Was not milversation of office ?,
Mr. ABERCROMBIE explained.
Mr. S. WORTLEY said, he thought it desirable that some
agreement should take place between the two parties.
Mr. KENNEDY supported the Petition.
The Petition was ordered to lie on the table.

A Messige from the Lords announced that their Lordships
had agreed to the Importation of Arms in Ireland Bill, and. se-
veral others.

Mr. KENNEDY presented another Petition a. nainst the
above Bill, from the Inhabitant Householders of the eight
southern district of the City of Edinburgh. Also a similar
Petition from Clerks of Advocates in the same City.—Refer-
red to the Committee upon the Bill.
Sir R. FERGUSSON presented a Petition to the same effect
from about forty Advocate§ of the Scottish Bar.—Referred to
the Committee. _ _ .

Also a similar Petition from the incorporated trades of Tai..
lors in the same city.—Referred to the. Committee.
Mr. BARRETT presented a similar Petition from another
of the incorporated trades o? the same city. Referred to the
Committee.

.......
Lord A. HAMILTON addressed a few observations across
the table to the Lord Advocate,which, together with the answer
of the Learned Lord, were inaudible in the gallery. The sub-
ject was understood to be, a complaint that tne Lord Advocate
had brought in a Bill not corresponding to the notice which he
had given of it.
Mr. S. RICE said, that in an early, part of the Session he had
given notice of a motion for the repeal of the Window Tax.
But as an Hon. Member on the other side of the House had
taken up the subject, he should be happy to leave it to come
from such a quarter. If any assistance which he could render
to the Hon. Gentleman would be acceptable, he should render
it with great pleasure. In order to clear the subject as much
as possible, he should now move for returns of all taxes repeal-
ed in England within the last ten years,- and for corresponding
returns for Ireland. Also for a return of the amount of Malt
Duties collected in Ireland within the last ten years, together
with an account of duties collected upon retail of Spirits Li-
censes.—Agreed to.
Mr. LENNARD gave notice of a motion, which was not
audible in the gallery. He wished also to ask the Right Hon.
Gentleman opposite when the House were likely to be in pos-
session of the printed evidence taken before the Commissioners
for inquiry into the state of llchester Gaol.
Mr. PEEL observed, that if the Right Hon. Gentleman ad-
dressed himself to him, he was not the person to give him the
information he required. The evidence had been ordered by
the lictise to be printed, and the Clerk would best inform the
Honourable Member how far that order had been carried into
execution.