The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-04 00:00:00

had not quite disclosed the whole truth, as they had
omitted to state that the young men in their room
were in bed with them—at least, so the landlord of
the house declared.

Mr. HARDWICK said, even supposing the women
had brought these young men into their own room for
an immoral purpose, what authority had the police for
interfering? A landlord might find out that he ha.)
unawares introduced an improper lodger into his
house, but it was no part of the duty of the pike to
assist him in turning out this lodger. The landlord
must take those steps to clear his house which the law
pointed
Inspector
Baker said the landlord, Thomas, and a
o
person named Gabriel, whose house communicated
with Thomas's, made the charge against the two
young men and women. Their charge was, that they
believed the young women had obtained possession of
the room by fraudulent representations, and that they
had introduced the two young men into their room
for the purpose of planning a robbery in Gabriel's
Illuse. This belief was strengthened by the fact of
one of the young men having been formerly in
Gabriel's employ.

Mr. HARDWrCK said the story of the contemplated
robbery was apparently got up for the purpose of
procuring the assistance of the police in ridding the
house of an improper lodger. But he wanted to know.
as these parties were in custody and locked up on so
serious a charge, how it happened that they had been
discharged without the sanction of the magistrate ?
The police had no authority to dischirge of their own
accord any case when once given, and so jealous were
the Legislature of entrusting them with any portion
of such power, that they were expressly forbidden.
notwithstanding the inconvenience which occasionally
occurred to discharge cases of drunkenness without
the sanction of the magi..trates.
Inspector Baker said there was a mistake here ; the
parties were not locked up on any charge. It vvis
true that they were taken down to the cells by the
gaoler while the charge was being heard, but as soon
as he ascertained that the charge was not likely to be
pressed, he directed all the parties in custody to he
liberated.

Mr. HARDWICK said it was quite clear the police
had exhibited most extraordinary ignorance of their
duty. They had no authority, and as far as he could
see, they had no excuse whatever for acting as they
had acted. He had always been most ready to afford
protection to the police, and to bestow approbation
where they did their duty properly and efficiently ;
at the same time he felt it to be his duty to mark his
sense of misconduct on the part of the police in an
eqaally stringent manner. He hoped the inspector
woul a teach the constables, who had so completely
mistaken their powers and functions what their duty
really was, that he might not have the painful task
of animadverting on the conduct of men who were
intrusted with important responsible situations.
The inspector said he never would have sanctioned
the interference of the constables had he been made
acquainted with the circumstances of the case.
Mr. HARDWICK desired a constable to go to Hed-
don -street, and see that the young women obtained
their property.
A foreigner of military appearance, accompanied
by another foreigner, who could speak English, ap-
plied to Mr. Hardwick for so;ne pecuniary assistance.
The spokesman said that he had recently become
acquainted with the state of distress to which his
foreign companion was reduced, and he had consented
to accompany him to the court, to ask if the magis-
trate would relieve him from his distress. The
foreigner was an Austrian Pole. He had resided at
Warsaw and in other Polish places, and had contrived
to render himself so obnoxious to the Russian govern.
ment that he had been obliged to fly for his life. The
political offences had been so distasteful to the Russian
government, that his own government would not give
him shelter, and after making his way to Trieste, he
was enabled, through the kindness of the English Con-
sul, to make his escape to England. He landed at
Liverpool, and was recommended by the police
there to make his way to London. He had taken
the advice, and had been living for some
time at an hotel in Leicester-square, but
being without money, or means of getting any just
at present, the proprietor had told him he could not
be allowed to stay any longer. The Pole, who was
of high connexions, and whose only offence was of a
political nature, was exposed to perish for want in
the streets if some relief were not afforded to him.
The Pole had neither papers nor persons to refer to
in support of the truth of his story, and he (applicant)
knew nothing but what the Pole had told him.
Mr. HARDWICK said he would not pronounce an
opinion one way or the other as to the accuracy of
the Polish gentleman's representations; but the term
" political martyr" had a wide range of meaning
among foreigners, and frequently included offences
which went by a totally different name in this country.
It could hardly be expected that every foreigner who
was obliged to fly from the police of his own country
should have a claim for support and assistance on the
police of this. It was placing magistrates here in a
very invidious position. Looking at the applicant's
case as one of personal distress, and without reference
to his alleged political offences, he would present him
with half-a-crown from the poor-box to help him to
communicate with his friends.