The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-18 00:00:00

THE CITY RATING FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE POLICE.

Alderman THOMAS
_WOOD, the Chairinan of the
Police Committee, brought up the Report of the Com-
mittee, to whom it was referred to manage or transact
all or any of the matters or purposes which the Court
was required to do by the City Police Act. It stated
that the Committee had turned their attention as to the
monies necessary to be raised for defraying the wages
and other charges and expenses of the Police Esta-
blishment for the ensuing year, in order to enable
the Court to fix the rate for the same ; and also
to fix the number of men to be employed in the
force, and for their better information on these
points they requested the Commissioner of Police to
favour them with an abstract, in a condensed form, of
the number of men of each rank that in his judgment
would be required, with a proximate estimate of the
sum which would probably be wanted to defray the
charges of their wages, &c. ; and they bad subsequently
received a statement in writing from him in reply there-
to, which they had caused to be annexed, for the con-
sideration of this Court,and from it it appeared that the
Commissioner was of opinion that the force should con-
sist of the following number :-13 inspectors, 47 ser-
geants, 482 constables, amounting in the whole to 542
men, at a charge of 30,5711. Bs. for their wages. The
Report further stated that the foregoing amount was
exclusive of the salary and allowance to the Commis-
sioner and the Superintendent, the expenses incidental
to the police establishment for clothing, station-houses,
&c., and also the pensions to the old watchmen, which
their Committee had estimated at the sum of 11,5261.
65., making a total of 42,0971. 143. ; and it concluded
with stating that, under these circumstances, the
Committee felt it to ha their duty to recom-
mend this Court to order and direct that the
number of men to constitute the force, for the
year 1811, should not exceed 542 ; and further, to
order and direct that the rate for the year ensuing be
made at eight-pence in the pound on the net annual
value of all houses, and fourpence per square yard for
all vacant spaces of ground, in the mode prescribed
and directed by the Act. The Alderman stated that
the Committee had devoted a vast deal of time and
attention to the subject, and had come to the conclu-
sion, that, although in theory a much smaller number
of men was necessary to protect the City, in practice
it was found necessary to increase the number voted at
the commencement of the new system. Of the whole
sum of 42,0971., the City was to pay one-fourth out of
its own funds, and the remaitiing three-fourths were io
be raised by a tax upon the inhabitants, amounting to
eight-pence in the pound. Thus, Lenin the City cash
would be taken 10,524/. ; from the Wards, at eight. pence
in the pound on the net annual value of all
houses, 34,168/. The ward charges to be provided for
and subsequently to be charged 00 the wards, were to
be raised by means of a separate rate. After these
observations upon the new teseLsinent on the wards, the
Alderman said, teat, after ell, the inereese was to be on!!
considered as an experiment, and that there was nothing
to prevent the Cant from making such changes US ap-
peared to them from further experience to be expedieut.
They were bound to make a rate immediately or the
police force couid oat be cut:tinned in their operations,
amid the Cievermnent awl the public would hate cause
to accuse the Corpuratioa of inertness. He would have
wished for wore time for deliberation, but the difficulty
and labour 01 making the asse.,sment, to acoomplieh
which, it had been necessary to go from street to street,
and from house to noes; oecupieil so touch time, that
it was impossible to make a greater advauce.
Mr. LAWitENCE was opposed to such an increase of,
expense us the Report recommended, which was consi-
derably beyond the expenditure of the Meiroplitan
Police, to maintain winch no more than sixpence in
the pound was necessary. In Let the rate seemed to
him, considering all contingencies, to be more like a
shilling than eightpence in the pound. But if it were
necessary to add to the expense for pecuniary security,
he thought the City funds, which were applicable to
charges for dinners and gifts to strangers, ought to be
taxed to defray such charges.
Mr. HALE thought that a sevenpenny-rate would an-
swer the purpose. It had been stated that the new
system would be cheaper than the old, that assertion
had been evidently founded in error. Under all the cir-
cumstances he should move that the rate should be seven-
pence instead of eight-pence in the pound.
Mr. ()BEARD complained of the present heavy rating
upon the inhabitants of Ibis ward.
Mr. STEVENS did not think that the new system was

zn improvemect upon the cid. Hehowever thought that
they ought not to despair, for it was probable that
when floe' arrangements were made, a reduction would
take place in the expenditure, and the plan wouid
arrive at a prosperous maturity: He trusted that next
year a diminished expenditure would be exhibited. It
appeared that it was impossible to do without the addi-
tional number of men required in the report, and the
men could not be paid less than was at present al/owed.
There were, however, many expenses in the first year
of a new experiment which were not likely to continue
much longer.
Mr. ICTAYLO,It said that the question appeared to
him to be not whether there was a sufficient number of
men to protect the City, but rather whether those men
were properly
City police were, in
his
opinion, lo i
hho led a
laxt state.fter. T
Theyhe
were to be seen in
pairs, and gossiping with each other and servants at
street doors. While the expense of the system was
increased the business was not so well performed.
Mr. ASHURST suggested the propriety of voting 83.
in the pound in the present emergency, upon the un-
derstanding that the whole of the facts and reasqns
should be taken into consideration, and that the Report
should be printed.
Deputy HicKs supported the Report. He hid al-
ys advocated the old system, and nothing but the
ways
fear of losing the privilege of self.lovernment, a loss
with which the citizens were menaced, if they did not
establish a new police, prevailed upon him to agree to
any change.

Sir P. Launte said that there ought to be a search.
ing inquiry as to the expenditure
greater than could be justified. , which was much
Mr. LART complained of the difficulty of obta4,lng
the assistance of the police, and stated that that feet
was attributable to the smallness of the number of ruin
or the bad management of the body.
Mr. WELLS was not sorry that Bd. in the pound was
required by the Committee, because it wutild draw the
attention of the citizens to the wanton and shameless
extravagance which prevailed.
Mr. MUSGROVE apprehended that the assessment,
if mede by the Court, would be taken advantage of by
the proportionate increase of tithes and other charge
by which the citizens were already heavily burdened.
Mr. R. L. JONES said it was quite impossible that
the tithes, or any Government tax, could be at all affected
by a local assessment. He trusted the City system would
prove by and by to be most satisfactory. There was a
great mistake as to the watching in the City of London
and the parish of Marylebone. Tha immense amount of
property in the City, and its narrow lanes and aileys,
together with the fact that innumerable warehouses
were left whollyunprotected by their owners, required
a degree of vigilance and exertion, not at all known in
the west end of the town.—( Hear, hear.) He be-
lieved that the City police would be effective in an
eminent degree, when a complete c
the force and the Magistrates, and a freedom from
bickering, were established.
Alderman Alderman T. WOOD replied to the objections ad-
vanced, and the amendment was negatived.
The two great points in the Report, viz.—the asses-
ment of cightpence in the
pound, and the increase of
the police force, from 504 to 542 men, were then agreed
to, as was also a motion by Mr. Ashurst, that the whole
of the districts should undergo future investigation, with
a view to a judicious reduction of the expenditure.
PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL IN FOREIGN PARTS.
Tile Report of the Coal, Corn, and Finance Com-
mittee was brought up, on the reference to examine the
allegations contained in the memorial of the City Coin-
! mittee of the Incorporated Society for the Propagation
of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. It stated that the So-
ciety was incorporated by Royal Charter in the year
f
1701, for the receiving, managing, and disposing of such
as might be contributed for the religious instruc-
tion of the inhabitants of the British Colonies, for the
maintenance of clergymen therein belonging to the
England, and for the general propagation of
the Gospel. That the income of the Society for the
year 1838, arising from subscriptions, donations, rents,
annuities, and dividends in stock, anrouted to the sum of
76,5841. 1 Is. Bd., and its expenditure to 78,3831.9 e. 3d.,
leaving a balance due to the Treasurer at the end
of that year of 1,798/. 17s. 7d. ; and it also appeared
that the Society had entered into engagements to ex-
tend its usefulness at a further expense of nearly 30,000/-
beyond what it had incurred in any former year, which
could not be defrayed without resorting to the sele of
part of the available stock, amounting to 37,000/.,
should the bencvolcru of the public not he sufficiently
extended to the Institution. Tile rep-, rt tiler% recom-
mended the grant of 2001, in aid of the funds of the
Institution.

Mr. WELLS warmly opposed the gr,-:nt too body he
considered to be richer than the Corporation itself, and
inov.7.d as an zrtinclrneut that the report lie on the
t ihlc.

Mr. GALLOWAY SCCOrlat',l the am.7,nchm:at.
Mr. MAITHIMS said that the funded property of the