The Sun.
London, England, 1833-08-23 00:00:00

into. Mr. Acland, on that occasion, brought forward
affidavits, and was heard at great length in support of
them, and it was after that hearing that the rule was
made absolute. A Bill had been brought in to do away with
the power of the King's Bench to proceed upon criminal
information. If that Bill had been persevered in he
should have resisted it to the utmost, believing that course
of proceeding highly essential fur the protection of this
country.
The petition was then brought up.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL brought up the report of the
Committee on Public Documents.
Mr. BARNARD presented a petition from Lewisham,
Bromley. and other places in the county of Kent, against
the malt tax.
Mr. CLAY presented a petition from the inhabitants of
St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, praying for the abolition of
the police force. The Hon. Member regretted very much
that he had been called upon to present this petition.
He regretted it as an indication of what he was bound
to believe was the case, the growing distaste of the inha-
bitants of the metropolis to the police force—.that force
he thought, under proper regulations, highly useful to the
metropolis. There was one point he should consider
himself wanting in duty if he did not revert to.—
(Hear, hear.) He thought it appeared clearly that the
police force had been most injudiciously employed to
obtain information on political subjects. The means,
for instance, whereby the body of the people bad thought
it right to endeavour to obtain redress for what they
considered political abuses. In his opinion it was most
inexpedient that they should have been so employed.
Such an abuse had taken place in the employment of
Pupay,—that employment had been most injudicious,
and the individual had acted decidedly wrong ; but he
(Mr. Clay) thought it was more the fault of the sys-
tem than the individual.—(Hear.) He did not mean
to moot the point whether it was right for the Ministers
of Crown to take means to ascertain the proceedings of
the people or to inquire into their intentions to commit a
breach of the peace, and he thought they judged most un-
wisely in employing persons, if they had done so, whose
duties ought to be strictly municipal. The whole efficiency
of such a force depended upon their having the
confidence of the people, and no doubt could be
entertained that that confidence would be soon lost
if they were to be employed as Pupay had been. Such
was the feeling of the people on the subject at present,
that when the police were in the act of securing pick-
pockets and other depredators, there seemed a desire to
prevail to effect a rescue. He would not now attempt
to enter further into the subject, as the question of the
value and efficiency of the force would come before the
House in the course of the next session.
Colonel EVANS conceived that so long as this force
Was under the direction of Ministers they might be made
applicable, and would be supposed to be so, to political
purposes. He hail stated yesterday that he bad great
objection to the police force in a financial point of view.
The money at its service for the present year was up-
wards of 315,000/., enough for the payment of 7,000 or
8,000 troops.
Mr. COBBETT could not think any thing more un-
just than that the Police should be supported at the expense
of the whole country. He had heard, with great surprise,
the Hon. Member for Westminster the other day charging
the Government with throwing on the people of Edin-
burgh an expense for its support to the tune of sixty
thousand pounds.—(Hear, hear.) What would they
say when they found they were c filled upon to pay
such a sum for watching the property of the fundholders
and Members of Parliament.—(Cries of " No, no.")
He would say, Yes, yes, it was for their protectio❑ ; and
he was sure he could not see what business they had here.
--(Laughter.)
Mr. ROBINSON observed, that when it was asserted
that there was a great jealousy on the part of the people
towards the police, it should be ascertained what class
of person were alluded to. He could easily conceive
one class who would have particular and personal rea-
sons for disliking the police—(a laugh)—and also ano-
ther class, viz. the householders, who felt the expense
to be oppressive. As to the former class, he felt no
sympathy with them, and with regard to the expense,
his Majesty's Government had every disposition to lessen
it as much as they could.—(t-fear, bear.) With
regard to the police themselves, when it was considered
what class they were composed of, and at the nature of
a large portion of the population, be would ask whether,
since its establishment, it had not essentially answered
the objects for which it was estoblisbed ? There might
have been some inconveniences and some complaints of a
few of the police, hut let the House consider how few
there had been. He hoped that while those instances
were borne in mind, it would not be forgotten what a
vast amount of good they had done, the amount of crime
they had probably caused to be avoided, and the mischief
they had prevented.—(Hear.) If any idea were enter-
tained of reverting to the old system, he thought
it a great absurdity, and he would not for
one moment entertain such a proposition, although pro-
bably it might be necessary to have some revision of the
present system. It was his own conviction that the
police force was a most valuable one under proper regula-
tion, and greater evils than those now complained of
would result if his Majesty's Government consented to its
abolition.
Golonel EVANS said he had not alluded to the class of
persons who had a natural and personal objection to the
new police, but he contended that there was an almost
universal feeling iu the respectable householders against
the system.
The petition was then ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. G. F. YOUNG wished to put a question to the
Hon. Member for Cricklade (Mr. R. Gordon) respecting
a reply which that Hon. Member had yesterday given to a
question which he (Mr. Young) had put to Ministers.
Either he (Mr. Young) had misunderstood that reply, or
it had gone abroad in an incorrect shape; the lion.
Member had been made to say in reference to the question,
whether the private traders would be allowed to send out
ships to Canton before the expiration of the charter of the
East India Company, that the Company could prevent
private traders from sending out ships before that period,
but that he (Mr. Gordon) had no reason to suppose
permission would be refused. He (Mr. Young)
had understood the reply to be, that the Honourable
Member had no reason to believe the Company would
relax their privileges. He should be glad to hear which,
was the correct account.
Mr. R. GORDON said he was happy that the question
had been asked him, for he thought the error must have
arisen from the manner in which he had explained himself
yesterday. He had wished to be understood to say that the
Board of Control had no reason to believe that the East
India Company would relax the power they possessed of
preventing private ships from proceeding to China before
the expiration of their charter; and he stated as his rea-
son that, from the quantity of tea i❑ their stock, it would
be injurious to themselves were they to permit private ships
to trade with China before that stock was disposed of.
Mr. YOUNG presented a petition from the shipowners
of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, complaining of the difficulty,
depression, and distress of the shipping interests which
they chiefly attributed to the reciprocity system, and the
frequent change in the navigation laws, and others affect-
ing that interest. By the Reciprocity Act, the ship
owners of this country were placed on a level with the
foreign owners, and it was impossible for them to com-
pete with success, unless they were allowed to fit out in
as cheap a manner. On looking at the cotton manufactures
of the country, he found that they had a protection of 10
per cent. the silk had 30 per cent., and linen enjoyed a pro-
tection of 40 per cent., then why should the shipowner alone
be left without any ? All they asked was one of two things,
either to have the restrictions which pressed so heavily
upon theta retnoved, or have a protection the same as
other interests in the country. He felt strongly on the
question, and would bring it forward eariy next Session,
in order to afford the House an opportunity of giving
them one of these alterations.
Colonel EVANS presented a petition from the chairman
of a public meeting at Wakefield, praying for the repeal
of all taxes upon knowledge, and the treatment which a
person named Hodson had received in the House of
Correction, to which he was sent in default of payino-
-201., a fine imposed upo❑ him for selling a❑ unstainpe(7l
publication.

- The case was commented upon by Mr. C. Wood, Mr.
Cobbett, the Solicitor-General, and Mr. Hill; but no-
thing further than what appeared a few days ago was
brought forward.

METROPOLITAN POLICE.
Colonel EVANS gave notice of his intention early next
session to move for the appointment of a Select Committee
to inquire into the present establishment of the Metropo_
litan Police, with a view to lessen its expense, increase its
efficiency, and render it amenable to local authority. Tile
llon.Member also presented a petition from the householders
of Castle-street, St. Martin's, praying that if a National
Gallery was built in Trafalgar-square, some communication
might be left in a direct line between that street and
Charing-cross.
Mr. S. RICE said, that as far as was consistent with
a due regard to the convenience and separate depart rents
of the National Gallery, the interests of the petitioners
would be attended to.

Mr. M. D. HILL wished to know whether it was in
the contemplation of Government to furnish any new and
peculiar privileges to the Royal Academy, or set apart