The Sun.
London, England, 1812-01-06 00:00:00

7 fIE POLICE.

The following article:on the Police of and the
frequent depredations committed in the Mutroiio
is extracted from the last number of Mr..GoLD-
S/VIITH'S Antigallion Alonior.

To shew what the Police of Paris really is, and
what weans it possesses to prevent crimes, is the ob-
j4let of this article.

I have already had occision to Jecnark,ip,my va-
rious publications, that Atnost every fifth man in
Paris is spy. Sixty thousand are legokrly cmployed
(or political purposes, some 61 these ce,;ainly force
part of those' whose \duly it is to ket look-out
diet thieves, desei;ers, itnd suspiciOtts
ters ; eApecially the Military huPice, wliose parlic.-
lar department it is to look after deserters, persons
who evade -conscription, ot-liccrs abseot on Icave, or
from other causes. But the put ipal office which
has the attributes cf lookin4 after thieves, and such
like delinquents, is destniguished by the title of the
Prefeaure de Palice.

This office is composed of different divisions or
departments.
The First Division, is for. the Secret Police, to
which the spies send, their reports about political
affairs—smuggling—permission to distribute gun-
powder and salt-pet re—permission to carry fire-arms
—the delivery of passports and at:P*les de .urele (1)
—permissions to preach—the acc,unt of every
suicide which is committei—accidental d arils—
still-born infants--,the buryin-grounds —private
places for burials—interments—the takil.; deaci-bo-
dies out of the cround—printing—boasellers—
journals and pamphlets—bill-stickers—balla:l-sqiger,:
criers of • dying speeches, murdt-rs, aec.,(called in
French Cotporteurs)—frauds on the Stamp afice
--lotteries—t heat res—ball s cow:ens— fire-works
museums--7-ex hibit ions—private sucieties—paintings
—engravings---caricatures—brrit hels —Women of the
town—permissions for women to wear men's attire,
&e.--all come like w ise within the limits of this 'di-
vision. The English of all this is, that nothing of
:he above-mentioned matters can be done without a
special permission from, or notice given to, this Di-
vision of the Police.
Second avision.. For robberies—trmrders—in-
cendiaries—rcoining—weicchis and measures—fur-
nished Icidgings (2)—lodges -- poachers— pawn-;.
brokers • (3) nvad-houses— beggars---vagrants--
prisoners of the different jails of Pais, and for such
who have been liberated from prison--agar anterior
of the prisons— he permissions given to visit the pri-
soners (4)—trtn-!erring of prlsotters—th2ir depat-
tore for the gallies—the hospitals—workliouies—
and foundlings.
Thifd. bivision. For illuminations seaven-
gers—duog carts—common sewers fountains—
public cisterns—engines and enine-houses—water
carriers chimney-swceuers -- fires litters • to
convey the sick and wouncred—disse.ffing houses
manufaaories apothecary and druggists chops
--grocers--the herb ships—midwives—surgeons
—quack medicines—spoikd medicines (s)—vac-
ci:.,ation inoculation.— epidemical diseases, no-
tice of t hie') must .131 sent immtdiately to the
Police—diseased aniinals—diligences—public car;
riages-.—coachmen—posf-i,oys—vaggoners—public
Forte's— hawkers of lottery tickets markets—
slaughter houses—bakers—tallow chandlers— pas-
try cooks—the public exchange—regulations for
prices 01, provisions— the police of tile river—
bargemen.

These are the different attributes of the PrefeFfure
of the Police of Paris. In addition to th'e number of
persons eMPloyed'at the Prefeaure, and as out-door
agents or spies (for, on every branch of which the
Police takes recognizance, regular spies are employ-
ed, as in political matters), there is an Inspector Ge-
neral of Police, residing at the Prefecture, who in
the first instance takes cognizance of everything that
concerns tlce affairs of Police, and who has under
him twenty-four OfTicirs de Paix, one of .‘whom
attends regularly at the Police, to receive complaint,,
and transmits it to the different divisions. These
persons reside in different distrias, and the< Police
agents who reside-nearest to them apply immediatdy
to them for advice; should any thing occur. But
independent of these Odiciers de Paix, there are•4B
Commissaires de Police, one to each district of Paris,
who have alwa}s soldiers to attend thorn, and who
likewise employ spies. The duties of these Com,
missaires are to .aprehend robbers and other suspi-
cious charaaers, to suppress riots, &c. These Coln-
missaires transmit eve-y morning,_ before eight
o'clock, their reports of what Is occurred ju their
respei...tive di,tricts, to the Stmietary General of the
Prefecture of the Police, who opens them in the
presence of, Mid reads. them, to, the Prefect ; front
thence the reports are sent to the. Chiefs of the dif-
ferer.t divisions .whom they concerns The Com-
missary,tuust, make distinct reports for each division,
so.that. ibe.Secretary -General has only to read them,.
and.forward them to the divisions they are intended
for. rbe examination of thieve, -previous to their-
commitment for trial, does
.not take place before
the- Police, but before persons'appointed for that
purpOse, called Magistrates de Surele four in num-
ber, one for each distritt in 'Paris.
• Yet, with all this unity and % igour in the system

of, the Police of Paris, there are Constantly murders
and robberies committed, and that too beyond pos-
sible suppoSition; for even were the sane system of
Police to be adopitd in this country, we could not

attain to'ihgt which the Fre:.ch do. - How can we

introduce Cartes de Surer ? How can we compel,
as the law now stands, the keeper s.of lodging-botises
to send the names of their inmates ? How detect a
(1). Every man in Paris must have a Carte de Sure* whe-
ther Foreloer or "Frencltman, and on winch is a description
of his person, age, &c. alid in every respect something like
a passport, only- that, it is smaller, and about the size of a
common card.

vv
.... .
(z) Every landlord of a furnished lodging is obliged to send
in the name, to this Division of the Police, of every French-
man-Ns lin lodges in his house; the names of Foreigners are
sent to the First Division. -
(3) Pawnbrokers arc established by, Government.—Per-
sons who pledge are obliged to produce their Carte de &trete;
if they cannot do that, their property is stopped and the par-
ties taken to the Police. The. -pawnbrokers- transmit daily
the names and residence of those persons who pledge their
ptorriy.
(4) With the exception of State Prisoners, those can only
be visited by a peimission of the Minister of the Police.
(5) If an Apothecary or a Druggist lias any medicines by
him which are spoiled, they must give notice of it to this
Division of the Police ; it must be brought there and des_
strayed. It a prescription of a suspicious kind is ordered,-
laoticcinust be inimedlately sent to the Police.