The Sun.
London, England, 1829-11-24 00:00:00

MR. WALKER AND THE POOR RATES,

We insert a second letter from Mr. 'Walker,
the Police Magistrate for the Whitechapel di.
vision, which more than the first merits the con-
sideration of all those who are desirous of re-
forming the irregularities and improving the con-
dition of the poor. We would indeed invite
particular attention to it ; and presume we may
refer those who require farther information on
the subject, to the high-spirited and active
writer. What say St. Giles's, and St. George's,
and St. Martin's-in-the-fields to Mr. Walker's
statements ?
" TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

" Police-office, Lambeth-street, Nov. 23, 1829,
" SIR,—Having observed my name mentioned in
the account; given by some of your cotemporaries,
of the Police Association set on foot in the parish of
\Vhitechspel, and those accounts containing many
inaccuracies, I shall be obliged to you to insert the
following statement. The plan which has been
adop.ed, occurred to me some years since, and I only
waited till I had sufficient authority to put it in
practice under my own superintendence. It is simply
this :—The old police remains as it was, and of 49
regular, and 19 supernumerary watchmen, not one
has been dismissed, but a reduction to a certain
extent is in contemplation. To three former patrol-
nine have been added, at Is. 6d. a night each,
and their duty begins at dusk, and ends at ten,
when the watchmen come on. The Association is
composed of subscribers of one guinea, and of
active members ; both classes are selected by ballot
from the respectable inhabitants; the latter acting
ender the directions of the legal authorities of the
parish. Such of the police and resident Magistrates
as may choose to countenance the Association are
considered honorary members. Donations are re-
ceived for trio current expenses. There are nightly
social meetings, and four of the active Members in
rotation go round the parish every night, two and
two, at uncertain hours, from half-past eight in the
evening till six in the morning. The room is kept
open for their accommodation, with newspapers;
and refreshments are always to be had, for which
they are allowed two shillings each. The duty of
the active Members consists in superintending the
watchmen, in taking care that there is no disorder
in the public-housee, and that they are closed at
proper hours, in visiting the watch-house, and ge-
nerally in preserving the peace of the parish. I
have always been sanguine as to the effect which
might be produced by the moral influence of such a
system ; but the present Association, though not a
fortnight old, and as yet but imperfectly organised,
works with a facility and efficacy which quite ex-
ceed my expectation. The duty, which will not re-
cur above once a month, is found even in the outset
to be very light, and disorder is already disappearing
as if by magic. On Saturday and last night, which
are usually the worst night; in the week, the only
charges brought to the police-office were two men
for being drunk in the streets, and three boys and
a negro for sleeping under a pent-house---no robbery
or other offence. The parish contains a dense popu-
laation of 30,000, and one of the worst quartere in
the metropolis. I have myself been round several
times, and on every occas'on have been surprised at
the quietness, the extreme civility, and prompt obe-
dience which, with one solitary and trifling excep-
tion, I have every where experienced. Even in the
lowest lodging-houses (where beds are to be had
from 7d. down to 2d.), several of which I visited at
the dead of the night, accompanied by some mem-
bers of the Association, all was quiet and orderly,
and we did not hear a rude expression. One of
the gentlemen present, who resoembers the houses
for many years, was forcibly snuck le;ith the great
improvement that had taken place, and particu-
larly with the circumstance that in no instance
eveie there two males in the same bed, whereas
formerly there used to be often as many as six. I will
here take occ tsion to correct a statement in one of the
papers, of an intention to root out these lodging-
houses. Though to the eyes of those nursed only
in affluence, the scenes we saw would have been at
first considered appalling scenes of misery, yet on
examination we found no appearance of hanger or
cold, and heard no compLlint, except from a writer
of begging letters, who, I learnt, decamped the
next morning; and I am more and more persuaded
from each suereeding day's experience, and the best
opportunities of judging, both on the bench and off,
that the quantity of.;Jistress really existing is grossly
exaggerated, and that such exaggeration has a most
pernicious effect. I will conclude with stating my
firm conviction, that the Police Association on the
one hand, and the strict mode adopted of administer-
ing the poor laws on the other, are able together to
produce a rapid and signal diminution of crime, dis-
order, and pauperism in tile parish of Whit echapel ;
and that similar effects may be produced throughout
the land by the magistrates and parochial authori-
ties only acting in concert, instead of in opposition,
as is unfortunately but too generally the case.--1
am, Sir, your obedient servant,
4. THOMAS WALKER."

IMPORTANT INTELLIGENCE.-Sir CIIAS.
FLOWER' Bart. has arrived in Dublin,— Water/. Chron.