Star.
London, England, 1830-12-01 00:00:00

MILTROPOLITAN POLICY..

Mr. WILKS rose to move for various returns respecting the expense
of the Metropolitan Police, &c. He said, in consequence of the inten-
tion (of Sir R. Peel) to move for a committee to inquire into this sub.
ject, he would not trespass on the house now with remarks. The jeer.
lousy as to the character of this force, however 'audible it might be,
required no particular comments from bim on the present occasion ' • it
vas not necessary to oppose, or join in the complaint ; that question did
not fall within the scope of his motion. But as to the al4.at re-
garding the additional expenses, &c. be considered that they were well
deserving of the most serious consideration of the house. Hence he
moved for accounts. In some places, the increase of rates, on
account of this force, was declared to be as much as 130 per cent.
In very many it was 10, 20, 30, 30, and 80 per cent.—.nay, some
went so far as to declare, that the Increase of their burdens
for this item of charge had been as much as 1,000 per cent. To
set all these matters in their true point of view—to enable the House to
judge of the truth or error of such allegations—to place them in a situ.
ation to arrive more correctly at the facts—induced him to move that an
address be presented to his Majesty, praying him to give directions to
have prepared an account of all moneys levied and paid in the metro-
politan police district for and in respect of the nightly watch"
for the year preceding the employment of the metropolitan police;
an account of moneys demanded from every parish and place since the
employment of the metropolitan police; also return of a ny general or•
dere issued by the Secretary of State, or the Magistrates appointed un.
der the Metropolis Police Act, since 7th June, 1830.
Mr. MABERLY made some observation that was cheered, but its
purport did not reach the gallery.
Mr. LAMB mid he had no objection to the motion, as far as the
same could be made out; how far all the informationcould be distinctly
obtained, so as to meet the hon. member's object of accurately contrast-
ing the expense, he could not tell ; but whether more could be obtained
towards the elucidation of such object than already appeared in the ape
pendix to the Police Report, he was not prepared to say.
Sirß. PEEL observed that he did not rise for the purpose of op-
posing the motion. He could have no objection to the production of the
returns; but if the hon. member (Mr. Limb) in having the returns
prepared did not take care to have the several heads of outlay carefully
specified, so as to show what really were the charges connected with
the old watch—he knew not of what use they would be. According
to the wording of the hon. member's (Mr. Wilke's) motion, those who
were hostile to the police might return what were the wages given to the
watchmen ; but would that item show what had been the expense to
the several parishes of the old watch ! They ought to have also the
several contrac,s, and all the outlays connected directly and indi.
reedy with the nightly watch. (Hear.) It might be perfectly
true that in some parishes the expenses would appear greater
titan what had been incurred by the wages of the nightly watch ;
and it also might be correct, that elsewhere there were additions
to the extent of a hundred and thirty or one thousand per cent.—for
there were some parishes that had taken good care to have no regular
watch at all, trusting to their neighbours for all the protection they had.
In other instances, it was found that large lebts had been contracted
for the building of watchhouses and for °tint. matters • the discharging
of those debts became requisite, and of course had tended to swell the
amount of charge. He repeated, however, that without a distinct spe.
ciliation of all the sums that had been raised, and of all the expenses in.
curved on account of the parochial watchings, the required returns
would not accurately contrast—the object sought by the motion, the dif.
terent expenses of each system. (Hear.) Without that distinct speci-
fication, the comparison would not be full and correct.
Mr. HUM E said, that there was very considerable dissatisfaction on
the subject of the new police, particularly on the ground of the addi-
tional expense that it imposed on the several parishes; and if there were
not all the cause for complaint that some alleged, as to the increased ex-
pense, the sooner that was made manifest the better. That the dissatis-
faction on account of the new system, on account of the increased bur.
dens that it imposed, was very great, moat hon. members knew as well
as himself. He had three petitions to premien that subject; they were
now waiting in an adjoining room ; but for reasons generally known he
should not present them that evening. [We believe the hon. member
alluded to the indisposition of the Speaker.] The expense was increased
in many parishes to an extent that could not be borne. In one parish
the expense was advanced from 1,4401. to upwards of five thousand
pounds.—(Hear.) In fully equal proportions had the expense been in-
creased in several poor parishes, and where the rents had been decreasing
for some time ; and that rendered the inability to meet the new burdens
so much more difficult. Under a proper system, an improved police
might be most beneficial; but if it were to be so ruinously bur-
densome, its practicability, in many instances, would be very ques-
tionable.

The motion was then agreed to, and various accounts ordered ac-
cordingly.
Mr. HODGSON rose amidst cries of " Adjourn, adjourn," and then
said he would adjourn, until Tuesday next, his motion for' A Return,
by the Town Clerk, of every City and Borough in England and Ireland,
returning Members to Parliament, wherein theright of election is solely
or in part in the free Burgesses or Freemen at large, of the number of
persons entitled to the freedom of such City or Borough, by patrimony,
marriage, or servitude, who have taken up their freedom in each of the
four last years from the present time."
The Colonial Acts Validity Bill was read a second time, and ordered
to be committed on Thursday next.
The Consolidated Fund Bill was read a second time.