The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-10 00:00:00

LOCAL DUES ON SHIPPING.

In answer to a question from Sir F. THESIGEB,
Lord PALMERSTON said that he proposed to
move the appointment of the committee on the
Local Dues on Shipping Bill on Thursday next,
and as the motion of the learned gentleman ap-
peared to meet the views of the Government with refer-
ence to the duties of that committee, he intended to
adopt it.
POLICE COUNTIES AND BOROUGH BILL.
Sir G. GREY moved the second reading of this bill,
and, in doing so, said that although he most fully stated
the principle and objects of this bill when he introduced
it, much misconception prevailed in the country
with regard to its principle and its objects. A de-
termined opposition having been organised by a large
and influential class of the community, not against
any particular clause, but against the bill itself,
he repeated the grounds on which he introduced the bill,
and which had induced the Government to deal with
this question, in order, if possible, to remove that
misconception. Several alterations, which would
not, however, affect the principle or the
efficiency of the b►ll had been made with the view,
if possible, of making it more palatable to the commu-
nity at large, and secure to the country a more efficient
body of police than at present existed. The right hon.
baronet then read at great length extracts from the re-
ports of the committees appointed in 1852 to inquire
into the state of the police force throughout the
country, and the evidence taken by them, in
support of the present measure, which had
been founded thereon. He considered the house was
disposed to sanction a bill for the improvement of the
police force as laiddown by that committee, which did not
infringe on the local control and management of that force,
and with which it was not his intention to interfere.
(Hear.) The right hon. gentleman next adverted to the
present unsatisfactory state of the police force, and in-
stanced the alarm that pervaded the county of
Surrey, in consequence of the existence of the
" Frimley gang," who committed depredations
with impunity from there being no police force
in that county at the time of its existence, and be
asked the house if it were not better to establish a force
at once throughout the country than wait until some
dreadful act was committed in each of the counties now
without a force (as was the case in the county of Surrey
by the gang to which he had alluded) before they esta-
blished it ? Nothi❑g could be more unsatisfactory than
the present system—that of a force being established
in one county and not in another, whereby the
worst descriptions of characters were able to locate them-
saves in one county, and commit depredations with
impunity. He proceeded next to combat the opinion
that the Government wished to interfere with local
self-government in boroughs, and that in so doing
they were invading the principle of the Municipal Re-
form Act, and said that by that act the boroughs were
bound to return quarterly the state of their police forces
to the Secretary of State. Only a few extra powers
had been sought for by this bill, and he
was at a loss to understand why such an
outcry had been raised on this interference, whilst no
objection was made to the ;prisons of Boroughs and
Counties being under the 'control of the Secretary of
State. As the prosecution of felons and their mainten-
ance after conviction were paid by the country gene-
rally, be thought it only reasonable that the secretary
of State should have some control over the police force,
with a view to effecting suchimprovements as would lead
to the diminution of crime.

[LIFT SPEAKING.]

SHARE MARKETS.

LIVERPOOL, Willem 3.

STOCK EXCHANOR.—The tone of the market has been
firm to-day, and the prices generally & shade dearer than
yesterday. Lancashire and Yorkshire, 83) i—Midlands,
691- 70i—South Eastern, 20i I—Dutch *Rhenish, p.
—London and North Western, 99I—Birkenhead, Lanca-
shire, and Cheshire, 17—Ditto, 22/. shares, 12—blanches-
ter, Sheffield, and Lincoln, 25k.