Star.
London, England, 1816-09-06 00:00:00

POLICE ()Fmk METROPOLIS.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN lIEFOZIUTHE COM-
MIT ME OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, ON Tlig
STATE OF THE POLICE OF THE METgoPous.
The Hon. Heuer Mar BeNseT in the Chan

Joszeu MEBCERON, Esq.. a Middlesex Magistrate,
ex.tmined.
The Committee have had in evidence before them,
on the part of Mr. King, the Rector of the Parish of
Bethnal-Green, that a prosecution was commenced
by him against you, some short time back, for hav•
ing altered the Parish Rates after they had been made
and allowed; they have also examined the Vestry
Clerk, end inspected the different Rate Books, in
which they find several alterations, which are stated
by the Clerk to be in your hand-writing, and to have
been made subsequent to the Rates being allowed,
and that the Rates so altered, increased, or dimi-
nished, have been collected on ; the Committee think
it right to communicate this evidence to you, and
wish to know whether you have .toy rental Its to make,
or any explanations to give t—No further than that
business has been, I believe, satisfactorily explained;
it was the cause of an action in toe Court of King's
Bench, and there the Parish was satisfied it WAS all
throuith a mistake, and that whatever alterations
were made, and whatever money was received, had
been rer,elarly brought to the Parish account.
Are the Committee to understand, that you admit
you nude the altetatiera ?—Certainly not.
Da you kitny, then, that those different entries in
the rate book are in your hand-writing ?—I should
wish to see them.
Are you aware that you ever dial make any alte-
rations in the Rate Books?—Certainly.
After the Rate had been allowed ?-0 no : but
not since our late Act at Pailianieut,
What Act was that ?—The sad of Ole inesent
King.
The Committee have felt it to be their daty to
shew you the evidenca that was given by the Rev.
Joshua sing, upon part of your eoeduct as a Magi-
strate in your district ; they wish to know whether
you have any explanation to give upon that sti!j,:ct ?
[T)te Rev. Jos!ltta King's evidence put into the wit-
ness:6 itandj..=-I...liave-; -1. -w4li to state, that with
tospect to that part of the evidence detailing bullock-
driviog through the church-yarsl an Sunday, I was
DOI atqualited with the fact till I came out of church.
What did you do in 'consequence t—There was'
nothing to be done, the bullock was gone; I inquired
of the Stkfoii, and he told Me the bullo'ck was gone;
I knew nothing of it. . Wilk respect to that part
where Mr, King ',eye?' )11,1.3.ti:sie,,reasoo to believe
that the Officers of my. Eilteith-freqUently connive at
and sanction the „fractious Orbuilock-lionting," 1
believe it.to be totally•ualOutided, as tar as relates to
the Officers. With respect to' where the witness
rates that j &dived Mat " I was fond of bullock.
hunting, and that in my' younger days 1 was gear-
tally the first in the chace," such conversation never
did take place, and the fact is totally fake. A con-
versation did take place respecting his getting into
he Commission ; he wished to know what expense
it ivoald he, which • I told him. I never mentioned
' to hint my idea of recommending Mr. Timmins as
a Mlgistrate.
You were called upon by the Committee to pro-
duce a list of the Public-houses belonging to you,
I and the names of the tenants, do you produce it ?
here it is. Witness produced the following List Of
1
Public-houses belonging to Mr, Merciron, and Names
of .Tenants :
SIGNS. SITUATIONS. TENANTS.
White Swan, Swan-Ft ico , Me,sr.. lianbury.
Seven Slars, Fleet-street, atto.
Black BA Ttoma"-street, Adams.. .
Ship, Brick. lave, Smith.
Two Brewers, Ditto, Mackay.
Ktog's Arms, George-street, Carteldj. •
Red Cross, Hare-street, Vi'llitling.
Queen's Head, Fleet-street, LEVI is.
Bricklayers'Arms, Narrow-street, Bradshaw.
Clay Hall, Old Ford, Taylar.
Duke of Argyle, Laystall-street, Chipman.
List of Public-houses belonging to others—Rents
received by Mr. Merceron ;
SIGNS. SI tPATON S. TENANTS.
King's Arms, Slater-greet, Hall. .
Halt Moon Bacon-street, Am:
Adam and Eve, lirkck-lam, Battall.
Turkey-Slave, Ditto, Pruvo.
Buck's Head, Junes-street Green, • - . •
Fox and Hounds, Hare-street, Burchall.
Whits Hone, Ditto, Butter. ,-
Hare, • Brick-lane, Burcha ... •;-• ..•
Fighting Cocks, St. lobo-street, Butler.
Rain and Magpie, Fleet-street, Whiting.
Three Sugar Loaves, St. John-street, Butler.
Would you say any thing else respecting the evi.
device given by the Rev. Mr. King ?—ln answer to the
question put to Mr. King, whether there was any
personal difference 'between himself and me : I have
to ,ay that there is very great personal difference be.
tween Mr. King and myself, I having been indicted
for a misdemeanour and perjury by the Rector, and
which proceedings were the subject of an action and
a trial. And I further add, that whatever fortune I
have has been procured in an . honourable way. 1
deny electing the most ignorant and the lowest clia-i
Teeters to flit parochial offices and audit my accounts.!
As to the account of monies received from Govern.
eclat, I refer to the vestry books for a just appropria-
tittti of. those sums; and I say that every farthing

,

reCeitt'll on that
aCCCSOV.t was I atity .. j •ugbE
forivard to the Parish account, ancr '4l fuck, the
parish is well satisfied. I deny 11..ving initigated the
mob to attack a parson of the name of Shevili; 200
Velar; men present will Speak to that. I units
satisfied with the opinion the parish have of ma
has not altered for thirty yearS, and I will eldeaiola
to keep it.
Do the Vestitiet adjourn to the church yard ?—lti
two instances they have, the Vestry-room not being
sufficiently large.
• Is that statement, of yoar having given three cheer*
standing on the steps of the c!,urch porch, corrvct
do not recollect such a circumstance : some years
ago it might have been so, but I cannot speak with
certainty as to the time ; • I do not deny it; :t was fa
consequence of some national rejoicing.
Were you then acting as a Magistrate ?—Nn, as a
Vestryman.
But were you then acting at a Magistrate, and at
the same thne as a Vestryman, when you stood ors
the top of the steps of the cnorch, cheering .—Cer-
tainly not.
Were you then in the commission of the peace,
that is what I mean.?—Lt the time that took place,
I think not ; 1 do not reaclkct the time; brit it Might
have been whilst I was in the commission, as T was
one-and-twenty or two•and-twenty years in the cum:
mission.
It might have been since you wore in ;he commission
of the peace?—Yes. I now re er to the charge exhi-
bited against me by the ftettor, founded upon a seat,
of oaths taken before the Commons, the Court of Delo.
gates and the Chancellor ; and I refer for the whole
proceedings in that case to Messrs-. Aldridge And
Smith, my Solicitors on that Occasion. I deny. that
I committed any perjury in the business ; the charge
is wicked, malicious, and untrue:
The property, in pint of fact, there spoken 04
was it ever restraed to the parties ?—ln consequence
of the decision of the will of this poor woman, wh4
was declared an ideot, a lease, that was part pf the
property I had ; and that lease (het will being set
aside) went back to the heirs at law; but the lawsuit
was against her executors, dm Key: Mr. Nate, ap4
the Rev. John Moore.
It has been stacti to the Comentee, that there N
a close intimacy acrd conaexion between Mr. Han-
bury and yin; and one of the evidences of that,
which the Rev. Joshua King has named is, that he
heard you declare, when you were on better terms
with him than you ate on at present, that " Haabury
was a devilish good fellow, that he was always send.
•
ing you presents; that he supplies! your house.with
hear gratis, and that the %%ea 1;dor: r had seat yogi
hdr a bar; el of porter ;" is tit it •stao,..ient Arne 04,
hzliese lie only part of the statement that is trite isi.
that I might have said that Hanhary was a devilish
zood fellow, for I have a very great regar..l for him;
The presents that. Mr. lian'3ory sends me, areAs*
more Cian now aud'then he sends me a hare and *
brace of pheasants; and as for sup,dyiag my house
with beer gratis, 1 deny it. 1 requested, myself,
thaahe %%mild send me half a barrel -4 porter at a
time, for which T pay him ; it is it favOur he does me;
am very fond of his porter; I pay him tor.it, and
take the receipts for what I have paid him; and
have done that two or three years ago. j never had
a pint of porter from Mr. Millbury but what I pai4
[or. • •
_ _ _

Do you not know k is a received opinion in the
district, where you are residing, or have you not often
heard of it, that victuallers who come with any othey
recommendation than that of Banbury and Tru,
man, have but little chant::: of obtaining a lizence
—1 have heats that so mentioned.
In point of fart, do not. nearly two-thirds of the
public-houses in that district deal with Messrs. Ban-
bury and Truman 2-1 cannot speak with certainty
as to tkat, but 1 should suppose that a great many of
them do deal with them.
In going along any of the streets in that district,
is it not written on the sign of very neatly every pub!
tic-house, that they deal for their beer with Messrs.
Hanbury and Truman ?—Certainly, on that account,
from the locality and•the influence they possess, Mr.
Banbury being a respectable, charitable man, and
doing a great deal of good. Another thing, the
weavers prefer Banbury's porter.
Of that list that you have given in cf your own
houses, and the !lutists for which ycli receive the
rents, do not the greater proportion of them deal
with Messrs. Millbury and Truman ?—There appear
to be eleven houses it:longing to me; two of d?em;
Mess's. Banbury and Truman otcupy as my tenants;
the others are let to those differint people mentioned
iu the list. •
In point of fact. do not the others subledo Messrs.
Banbury Z—Many of. them are; the greater prepor,
tioo of them are; 1 have nothing to do with the other
people to whom the houses are let ; I have no con.
trout over my own tenants, as to whom they may let
the houses to.
. The whole of them deal with Messrs. Hanbury and
Truman ?--/). great proportion of them do ; there
are three or four of them 1 carnet speak to. I beg
leave to state, that they are all old public-houses, of
upwards of .50 years standing, and that I never ap-
plied for a new licence since I Mtve been in the com.
missionkof the peace, which is upwards of twenty
years.
you have stated to the Committee that you never
recollect any complaints madk against any of those
houses ; do, you continue of the same opinion ?—That
is not quite so; with the exception of the one house
called the Seven Start, with that exception, I have
no occasion to alter that opinion! They were never
made to me. •
Do you make it a kV of your duty to ascertain
that your tenants conduct themselves with propriety,
and manage their houses with decorum I—Not more
than for the publicans in genteel; I make no distil .
tion ; and .1 believe/ Abe public•houses in• Beth*
Green are as orderly as any other pnblic-houoes jp
the ttiyisitta....—(ll be ecohnif4)