The Sun.
London, England, 1828-04-15 00:00:00

POLICE OF THE METROPOLIS.

The Committee appointed to examine into the
State of the Police, when their labours ceased
for the holyclays, were pursuing their inquiries
with the greatest activity, and the public may
look forward with some degree of confidence to
the result of their labours; but it is generally
imagined that, owing; to the advanced state of
the -Session, and the sumber of persons who
are vet to examined, no Bill founded upon
the evidence can pass thrtme,h Parliament during
the present Session. It will he remembered that
the state of the metropolitan police was one of
the first objects to which the attention of Lord
Lansdowne was directed on his entering into
office. We believe that the articles upon the
abject which appeared in this Journal, contri•
bitted in no small degree to strengthen his Lord-
,ship's determination to cause a revision of the
police system ; and with that view the Noble Se-
cretary planned several judicious measures, some I
of which have been adopted, and had collected a'
mass of evidence with the intention of causing a
Parliamentary Committee to be moved for to
prosecute the subject. His Lordship's suc-
cessor, in following up- that design, not only
~vinced a regard to what was clue to the
intentions of his noble predecessor, but
also to the public feeling upon the
subject. The Police Committee, in pro-
secuting theft. inquiries, are particular in direct-1,
ing their attention to the subject of the corn-
pounding of felonies, and the part which certain
fagistrates and police-officers have taken in the
restoration of stolen property. In pursuing this
branch of the subject, it is said that facts have
been disclosed which astonished the committee,
and called forth the indignant comments of some
of the members. A gentleman, whose profes-
sional assistance has been on several occasions
exerted successfully in negociating for the re-
covery of bankers' parcels, is said to ha,,-,e
and his evidence has implicated, not only some
of the police-officers of high character and stand-
ing, but others also of still higher pretensions
amil more exalted station, who, if not actually en-
_gage a in negociating with thieves and receivers,
were proved to have been something more than
mere passive agents in these transactions. The
parties thus implicated,
defence set up by the p
was the total imgossibilitti of recovering stolen
property from a certain class of thieves by any
other means than by compounding with them
for the whole or, part of the amount ; and evi-
dence has been gone into to show to the com-
mittee' the way in which negotiations of the kind
have been hitherto conducted, We believe that this
led to some inquiry with respect to the re-
covery of the Warwick notes, and that the
gentleman alluded to furnished the committee
with some astounding particulars respecting that
transaction, which have not as yet been laid be-
fore the public. The practice of compounding
felonies appears to be a necessary evil, which
-ieust prevail more or less so long as the police is
constituted as at present. That some Magis-
trates think the compounding of felonies not only
no crime, but a positive merit, the following cir-
cumstance, of thc truth of which there is no
doubt, will serve to shew:--,Some tine
,ago a
gentleman had his pocket picked at Doncaster
races of a very valuable gold watch, He imme-
diately came to town, and proceeded to one of
the police-offices, where he stated his case, and
,applied fur the assistance of an officer to help him
to recover the watch. The Magistrate to whom
the gentleman applied referred him to one of the
principal officers, who, on hearing the case, and
receiving a description of the suspected party,
promised his assistance. " But," said the olcer,
s, you must advertise the watch, and offer a re-
ward for it before I can do your business." The
gentleman accordingly caused advertisements to
he published, describing the watch, and offering

forty guineas for its recovery. When this was
done, the,officer called upon him, saying " Your
business is in a good train, Sir ; I have discovered
where your watch is, but you must pay some-
thing more than the reward for it. The fellow
who has it is a Jew." The gentleman con-
sented to give 20 guineas more. " If you will step
to the office at 12 o'clock to-morrow, Sir, you
shall have your, watch,"- said the officer. 'fbe
gentleman attended at the appointed hour, and
the officer was called in. " Well, 8., (said the
Magistrate), what have you done about this gen-
tleman's watch ?"—" I have recovered it for him,
your Worship, (said the officer), and here it is,"
'drawing the precious bauble from his fob, and
presenting it to the Magistrate with one of his
best bows. " Upon my word, (said the Magi-
strate emphatically), you have done it well ; you
deerve great credit." Then, turning to the
gentleman, and handing him the watch, he said,
"You see, Sir, what we can do, when we like
to go about it." Leaving this anecdote to speak
for; itself, we trust that the committee, whose
lab Ours we commenced by noticing, will resume
their inquiries whit unabated ardour, and that
the most severe investigation will take place with
respect to that part of the subject under consi-
derition, which-relates to the recovery of stolen
property, by the mediation of those whose ,
business it is to protect it, and bring thieves and
receivers to the bar of justice.—Times.