The Sun.
London, England, 1827-11-28 00:00:00

POLICE INTEL LIGENCE.

BOW-STREET.—A gentlenaan named Walsh, who
stated himself to be one of the churchwardens of Camber-
well parish, applied to Sir Iticuaan BIRICIE yesterday, re
lative to the charges demanded by. police-officers for their
time and assistance.

The applicant stated that the parish of Camberwell
usually applied to the public-office at Union-hall when in
want of the services of the ciVil power. On such occa-
sions the Magistrates very readily afforded the required aid
but the parish had to pay rather dearly for it, as the offi-
cers charged 141. a-day for attendance On the occasion
of Peckham fair, the applicant said it was deemed advis-
able to apply for a strong body of police, as serious riots
were apprehended. An application was accordingly for-
warded to the Secretary of State, and a detachment of the
Bow-street patrol, 'under'the direction of two inspectors,
was ordered to attend to the neighbourhood of Peckham,
fOr the purpose of quelling any disturbance that might
arise. When their attendance was no longer reqUired, the
inspectors were desired to furnish a bill of the expences in-
curred, as was usual in such cases. A bill was accordingly
made out, in which there appeared a charge of only 3s. 6d.
a day 'for each man, exclusive, however, of the two in-
spectors, who contended that they ought not to be placed
upon a footing with the common men. Now the applicant
said, he•could see no reason why the officers of Union-ball
should charge l 4-s. a day for their attendance, while the
patrol of .11ow-street were content with a much smaller
allowance ; and be wished to be informed if the pay of
police-officers Continued while Peridrming duty of this de-
scription, as that might account perhaps for the charge of
the Union-hall officers,although in that case the BoW-street
patrol would he very inadequately paid if 3s. 6d, a day
was meant to recompense them. • •
Sir RICHARD BIRNIIC said, that the fact of the. officers
at Union-ball charging 14s. a day for their attendance
might very easily be accounted for. There were only eight
principal officers attached to the several police offices, and
the magistrate. not having any other disposable force at
for-
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their command, had only those eight officers to send
cers,
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ailt7—ayistea meant the Ifow.-street patrol,—whose assistance
ruight,be procured at 3s. Gd. a-day.
-M.. Welsh—la. that allowance meant to be in lieu of
their Government pay?
Sir ItrcilAeo BIRNIE—No. Their pay goes on as usual.
Mr. Walsh—That being the case, I think the officers at
Union-hall were somewhat exorbitant in charging I 4s.
Sir ttic,110,14.13 151 R.. 1 .4—The difference of commodities,
you know, makes a difference in price. I can tell you,
that there is not one of the principal officers attached to
this establishment who would have served you for less than
a guinea a-day, besides charging at least 14s. a-day for ex-
penses, so that on the whole you may co sidec yourself
tole] ably well off.
Mr. Walsh—l am informed that the Bow-street patrol
have only 255. a-week.
- Sir R. ThaNixr-Our principal officers have no more,
but it may be considered in the light of a retaining fee ;
they are not, of course,, depending- upon that allowance.—
Soine people (continued Sir. R. Birnie) are for paying
officers too high, and others too low. I remember an old
gentleman, and you may remember him also, Mr. Walsh—
I mean Mr. Coutts, the banker,—who once applied to me
for an officer to protect his grand-children on the occasion
of their being presented at Court. I sent him an officer,
and he paid him for his trouble according to the regular
rate of payment ; but, not content with that the old gen-
tleman called upon me in a day or two after, to consult
-with me as to the amount of remuneration he ought to give
the officer over and above his regular allowance. I told
him that it was quite unnecessary to think of such a thing,
as "the man hiniself considered he was sufficiently paid
alieady. But no, Mr. Coutts would have it that lie was
his debtor, .and he actually named 20/. as the sum which
he intended to give him. I had great difficnity (added Sir
Richard) to induce Mr. Coutts to reduce this sum to 101.,
which he paid into the hands of the officer himself, who,
as you may guess, was agreeably surprised with such a pre-
sent for an attendance for a few hours only..
Mr. Walsh soon after retired, Sir RICHARD BIRNIN as-
suring him that he might always have the assistance of the
BOw-street patrol on the terms mentioned.
The widow of the unfortunate man Lowe, who was con-
victed of colouring base money, and executed pursuant to
his sentence last 'Thursday, applied on Monday evening for
parish relief. She was in a beastly state of intoxication at
the time, and the magistrate ordered her to be turned out.
It appears that the friends of the deceased having obtained
possession of his body, proceeded to wake it after the Irish
fashion, in a room in Little George-street, St. Giles's.
In the course of the night, which was ushered in with
the most boisterous carousing, a regular row took place.
The lights were knocked out, and the flame of one of
the candles that surrounded the coffin having communicated
to the winding sheet, it is said that the right arm of the
corpse was nearly burned from the body. One of the
combatants applied at this office the next morning for a
warrant against some of the rioters. He complained of a
cut head, and both of his eyes were in mourning.

On Saturday night, about eleven o'clock, a
row took place at the Yorkshire Grey public-house, in
Barrack-street, Colchester, which terminated in the death
of the landlord, who, during the riot, left the house to pro-
cure a constable, and was followed by the party, one of
whom struck him a blow on the head which caused his
death. The man who is suspected to have given the
deadly blow, directly absconded ; BLAND, the town ser-
geant, and another person, were here on Sunday in pursuit,
but the person they sought was in the mean t►me appre-
hended at the Bird-in-Hand, Coggeshall. An inquest was
to'be held upon the body yesterday. Some accounts state
that the blow was given with a pale, pulled from a fence,
with a nail in it, .which being driven into the temple,
caused instantaneous death.—Essex Herald.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN , LAMBETH
Mmitsll.—Al),,tit four o'clock yesterday morning, a most
alarming fire broke out in Gibson-street, Lambeth Marsh,
behind the Olive Branch public-house, the opposite cor-
ner to the Theatre. The premises, occupying upwards of
half an acre of ground, were enveloped in one general
blaze. The furniture was all scattered about, and the
whole of the Marsh appeared like a broker's shop. The
progress of the devouring element was not checked until
seven o'clock. The fire not only threatened the inhabi-
tants of Gibson.street and Lambeth Marsh, but the te-
nants of the houses in W;lliam-street (in a line between
the above named places), were also placed in a state of
the greatest alarm, as the backs of their premises also took
fire, and are slightly injured.