The Sun.
London, England, 1826-10-31 00:00:00

they are thus dricien by necessity to sake up the di-

ficiency by plunder: But who ran expect common
honesty for eighteen-pence or two shillings a night—
s cold winter's night ! If honesty is to be purchased,
it must, like other commodities, find its invn level in

the market, and rise in price according as there is an
increased deniand or scarcity of the article. On this
principle the price paid fOr ;justice must be in the in-
verse ratio of that paid for honegY; A watchman
who is paid too little for his honesty pays himself vdr,
conscientiously, bylevying contributions on the public
in the shape of swearing an assault against the first
man he meets, and then compromising the charge for
a small compensation. And many people are thus
imposed upon, because they dread the very idea
of figuring at a police-office, where the Ander
will get six other watchmen to swear to the
assault. But the caprice of these preliminary
traps of justice is as proverbial as their insolence
and gross corruption ; and they are, in a great
measure, encouraged in their iniquitous proceedings
by the too easy belief of the Magistrates to their iM-
.
probable fabrications. In nine cases out of tett the
watchman's complaint carries the day, and when the
tables are turned against him, he is merely let off with
a reprimand. A watchman, like the owl, reigns, or
fancies that he ought to reign, sole monarch of the
night, and will let no other music than his own
disturb *the midnight gloom. It was but the
other night that a gentleman, in going home along
the New Road, beguiled the journey by whistlinf
his favourite air of " Over the water to Charlie" '
when he was suddenly arrested in his musical career by
Charlie jumping over the .kennel to him ! But that
was not all, the Gentleman was actually lodged in the
watch-house, to roost with other birds, for making a
disturbance. The thing was too preposterous—but
although the gentleman had paid so dearly for his
whistle, the watchman was only reprimanded ! If a
stronger
.proof of watchmen's aversion to other music
than their own were wanted, we might instance a case
in the City, where the guardians of-the night actually
broke open a house where two females were singing—
and because they did not choose to desist, they were
carried off to the watch-house ! Here is a precious
sample of personal security in a free country ! These
watchmen were admonished to be more circumspect
for the future, and threatened with being suspended—
not *by the neck—but by the Parish Board. To come
nearer home, one of the thieves, who had robbed our
office, was suffered to escape by a watchman of St.
Martin's, who opened the door, to his friend, saying,
" let him have another chance.!" and the fellow fled,
hilt the watch which had been stolen was not found on
the other thief.

And these are the witnesses to night charges and
assaults, upon whose slippery evidence so many inno-
cent people are committed weekly to take their trial at
the Sessions ! If the steps to the temple of jus-
tice be so corrupt and rotten, how can the fabric
stand ? But this accounts for the vast disproportion
between the number committed and those convicted,
which clearly proves that the Magistrates should be
more strict in their investigations, or their power
of committal abridged. 'But nothing so much opens
men's eyes in these matters, as experience, and for
the benefit of the community at large, we should
like amazingly, that Mr. PEEL were one night taken
in
up disguise on suspicion of being concerned in some

burglary, or disturbance of the peace, and he would
be greatly edified by the pilgrim's progress to the House
of Correction: If he happened to bribe one watch-
man, and thought himself secure, he would be taken
up by another for attempting to run away, and so
fleeced by.the whole gang. But if he should threaten
to complain of their misconduct to the magistrate,
they would add assault to robbery, and all swear what
a rough customer they had to deal with before he
could be finally secured ! He might attempt to write
a memorial to the Secretary of State, and hand it to
be forwarded to the Home Office, but the watchman
would coolly light his pipe with the petition, and
smoke the complaint in the Right Honourable Gen-
tleman's face ! Only one such lesson would go farther
to purify the ,administration of justice, than a thousand
volumes of, legal absurdity about the improvement of
the criminal code.