Star.
London, England, 1828-09-08 00:00:00

THE POLICE OP'•THW METROPOLIS.

•
(Continued from a former Sus.)
Repori of the Select Committee appointed to inquire into the
• Clone of the !serene in the Number of Cbrismitments and Con-
victions in London and Middlesex. and into the State of the
Polies of the Metropolis. and of the districts adjoining thereto.

WARS/MI IN CAID OF TWINY AND WACO WASS/LOTS.
Your Committee have had summitted to them sug-
gestions for alterations in some existing atatuter, that at
first view seem likely to afford beneficial changer, and
to be worthy of the attentiqn of those on whom the
preparation of a new police law may devolve.
Yet as many more or less invade the principle upon
which. legislation is constitutionally conducted. it would
be imprudent to notice any of which your Committee
do not entertain such an opinion as would justify the
recommendatiOn for their adoption.
Mr. Dyer, an experienced Magistrate of the Public-
office at Bow-street, has noticed the great inconvenience
which is produced by the necessity that exists of furnish-
ing the Magistrate with a written information in cases
in which a summary jurisdiction is, given to, him. He
states, 44 that the technical accuracy requireJ in an in-
formation before a justice is such..t..at the most exten-
sive practice and longest experience in the profession
are not sufficient. in drawing op, to ensure ultimate
success and certainty, not to escape objections being
taken to the manner of setting out the offence in this
mode of proceeding ; there is, besides, additional delay
created by it. In order to avoid these difficulties, and
to tender the punishment of olfences more easy and
summary,the proceeding by summons should, he thinks,
supersede the necessity of commencing proceedings by
vititten infOrtnation, which amounts to an absolute de-
nier of justice to the poorer-.or busy Classes, and sum
Mary jurisdiction becomes in fact dilatory; and be-
quently, nisgatorj.”
Another impediment to the administration of justice
has been represented ri arise from the delay occasioned
by the necessity of having the warrants issued, in cases
of felony, " backed" by local Magistrates ; for while a
constable, who is sent, under the warrant of a Justice,
to apprehend an offendert is waiting to have the warrant
" baclked," it is obvious that the culprit miy escape ; and
with; tegard to searchAvarrants, still greater iinpedi-
meat are interposed, for, too •power being giien to
magistrates to give . effect by endorsement to those
issued out of their jurisdictions, no steps can take place.
in" search of stolen property until proceeding; have
been:capered before the magistrate within Whose_juria-
diction are situate the premises to be searched. Under
such. legal impediment!, Mlle prospect of succesi Can
:timid a process so dilatory and so diciest, with reference
to ant protection that the parry suspected ought to de-
rive." The rediedy, therefOres' recommended by Mi.
Deer is, that in a case where the charge is fcir felony,
the warrant issued against this per‘on should run into
all counties and over all jurisdictions, without being
backed by, the local magistrates; and that, in the case
of a search-warrant, the local magistrate should have
the.powey to back and to authorise the execution of
ihepr+ginal warrant,
„. flut your. Committee do ontpee any reason for mak-
ingppy dininction between the cases, and recommend
that in future, warrants, whether to
:apprehend the pe--
SOO or to search the premises, shall be executed in all
puts of the kindom under the authority of the magis-
trite from whom it- original! issues, who alone can
mit °tight to beiesponsible for the legality of the pro-
teedings.
•
earbkie h
le
a I CI! 10110111111 MAIM
• In forthei improireireentof the law, your Corismittee
haie ha* esecroght under their consideration by Mr.
Gates (a solicitor of extensive practice, and much em'
Ogled by bankers in the prosecution of forgery cases),
4pl=endefect by which forgers very generally escape
t; and as the opinions of this gentleman are
given Unnewhat in &air, they cannot be submitted to
the House in a ckarde way than in the following extract
.iron hit evidence: •
• " Have the goodness to give the Committee any in-
• formation you can; mfrowthe subject of forgery ?—M y
intention it more particularly called to the subject of '
fOttiry ; aid the difficulties that present themselves
with reference Co that crime aria mortis respect of the
existing law On that subject than tfie poliee ; and if it
-is not faelgn to did object ior *Wok the.Comnittee
ath met, and they will- petthit nit, I Will state what I
Catilder to -be a Very ieteat timissiob air defect in she hi
sport that itthlein •I dO ;now *art can illusulte
•• hafting 4 belt recent tate. • A person
Ilsld olhahied the tisettey'foe three avid checks upon
hoirsi of .a...-z-'o)* Chet% are-eutively in the hand-
wadings of lie cannot be tried fbr the forgery
of char fdi Wauf ors Venda ; foe,- as the law at present
elttinogh Yon ea show the whole of the check
or of exchange to be in the Itandwriting of a CV*
taro individual; you cannot rotten* for the forgery
aleis foci Mtn dhoti While u was wringers, and nr 19
not id 26 that is ifoliossible that die Orion cad=
Alid forgery escapes punisl anent. aside's be dere
• • the *tete, tithe issue:neat also,whiCh is eery seldoui
dthinikle thb bill or check is generally Rites to goose
• is Oi it. of irh6oi there are too Many 'loitering
I%Oit tile strati:, who fur a strident or sixpence would
take the check to the. banker-at where, if it is discovered
at the counter to be a forgery, the man it on the out-
look at the ddor or in theneighhourhood to ascertain
that fac_t, and iirakdiately be finds his messenger does
not rettifft,lij tlitinse by which he supposes he could
sit the money, be is gone, and before you can get out
of the hem* be it oat of the way, by which means the
greatest tritisinal escapes punishment.
• Would not a Jury. film: the presentation of the
cheek in Westminster, presume the writing of it there?
—NO, the rule is this suppose you detect a person who
is the forger in the uttering, you can only indict him
idecessfully fit the uttering; and although we have
=Mots in, the itidicenient for the forgery, it is Me hies
liable rule of the Judges in charging the Jury (except
in cases where the party has been seen writing the in-
striltheK a there is other evideacetantamoont to that•
aii)l6 teU theitt; a 1 there it no evidetue *bete the forg-
ing took plaice, they cannot find a 'redid of guilty on the
counts for forging, but they may use the proof of hand-
*ridgy as bringing home to the person a guilty know.
ledge oldie uttering, knowing it to be forged, that is
id etas Where the forger hiniself is in cuitody,
'Aid: Was the ease of .—; but is we canna prove
where the writing of the checks took place, and the
petit* who uttered them cannot be identified, it is
lid:able to convict him in either of aerie cases.
is there any other difficulty that presetile itself hi
• prosecuting that triage?--No; these whO are in the;
habfrof committing forgeries confidently screen them.;
Rivet by this defect in • the• law ; and there it net dee
case in a. hundred where yOtt tan get a conviction foe;
the forgerj. If an Act of Parliament was to pass ter
remedy That defect, the crime of forgery must, in nil
opinion, of necessity decrease."
'won Senses SibORTAD Ti AY 16111113 GASIALEPIAR:
Wks evils that prevail is countuactiOn of
-pine add etiolation that has (Or its object the improve&
slight Of the babies of the 10itlit dater, none weeks. with

_ _

More dreadful certainty than the obscsre houses which
are opened in every. part Of the town under Orions de-
signation% but better known under the comprehensive
was do Flash Hearts; they are the resort of noto-
rious thieves, of professed gamblers, of. idle and dis.
solute persons of both sexes ; are frequently kept with+.
out license, and never io conformity' to the provisions
enacted by law; from the penalties of which, it has
been proved to your Committee, that the keepers be-
come secured by their annual contr Unarms to t.unmon
inlormeis, and by the accustomed negligence& con.
nivance of the public and parochial authorities.
To tbese. sinks of profligacy and dissip niers, your
Committee learned with concern that sundry
police-
of6cers are (as has been stated to have been.the case in
former times) in the habit of resorting, under thript.
cious pretext that their object is to •see and to become
acquainted with the persons of notorious characters, in
order that they may the more readily counteract them
when in the pursuit of plunder, and securetheir persons
when become amenable to law. lint should' suelfreally
be the genuine purpose under which they act, the ob-
jection would scarce be mitigated; such, however, is
evidently not the motive. Habits of intimacy are
formed with those that ought to shun their presence;
in proof of which, sanctioned by the imitation of the
very keepers of these brothels, officers participate in the
annual feasts and entertainments prepared to welcome
and to gratify the Abandoned and accustomed fre-
quenters of such plaCest But none of the justice:, and
:taste any of the officers, have defended the practice
on the score of necessity. Your Committee therefore
trust that the magiitiates will be-required to take deti-
sive and effectual steps for the suppression of this long-
endured nuisance, by the prosecution of every unlicensed
victualler, and by compelling those that are licensed
to observe such good rule and order as can alone war-
rant the renewal of their license. talbtives of equity to-
vrardi the licensed and orderly publican claim 'such an
exercise of magisterial authority—motives of sound po-
licy towards 04 community at large prohibit any li-
cense or act, be it of commission or omission, that can
serve as a cloak or a protection to a disorderly publican.
(Te be captioned.)