Star.
London, England, 1816-08-28 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Yesterday an Impost was held at the Triumphant Chariot,
Halken-street, Grosvenor-place, before J. li. LULL, upon
the bogie{ of Mrs. Mary K Irby, aged :3 1, and (horde Kony, her
infant son, fifteen mositlis old, who died in consequence. of
being upset by a COAC111111!1, 11!) Slll:Utiv night, near II) de ['ark
Corner. The Jury proceeded to .'. Georce's liospita', and tot*
a view of the bodies, after which they returned to the friun.'s,
pliant Chariot.
Mr. William Pittman, Hot, ,e Sorg !on at the deposed '
that George Kirby, and Mary Ids mintier, veer- broullat
to the Ho-pital on timidly lair, about nine o'clock. IhTonetit
exami• ed Mary Kirby, and found several fractures of the r.bsi
on either sidc, also a ti-s:c:ure on the left thigh. [-le perceived
something wrong Lihneit the chest of the tilt stir, w:ltc't he could
not at that time specifically -!eteratioe oil. %Vittiesii atresetleit them
b .th till they died. Ihe child died on Monday morning, at live
o'clock, and the mother a little after eight o'cLick on Monday
' evening. lie had since opened their bodies, and &et:erred in
' that tr. the child two of the bones of the back separated, atiel a
rupture in the liver, which produces! profu.e bleeding, and which,
' iti his °Lillian. Wai the cause at his deaths Hein vent opens.! the
body of Mrs. Kirby, and found fits ribs fractured on the right
sidai, and tour 011 the left ; broken part of some tit the ribs
rani ti:c left side had lacora e.I the lungs ; the wounded limes Wed
veep much, so much a: to lid up the cavay of the Lit side lit the
chest. preventing respiriiiiin. Thee, ii.jur.e., in Oilman:on% upi.
neon, were "h. cauw 0/' Mary ICirt,y•t .troth.
I homas Henry, biihnigilig to Mr. li;OW11.4 Patent Cask Ma-
nufactory, Kiag's-road, deposed, that on ~utiday evening laq,
about ten minutes past nine o'citsik, lie wits tin tto to? of NI,.
John Smith's Ciielsra Coach, which was drawii by two !liaises,
fiting-frhm tsiivo. The tremor was very dark ; the coach pa-std
through Hyde Palk Currier Fun:pike Sit a good trottiag rate• and
perisaes a little layer than usnal, it cootinuej at that pace; there
trs another tuaeh a.ticail ut them with !tilt-, which at first was
near Mehl, but at last ten or twelve yards truss them; watiess
supposed v that time they were an hundred yards trom the
' Turnpike Gate; the coach with the lights kept on the telt site of
the road; but Ssnitli's cri.:c•anati, cm posit; through tkr. gate, 1
(and here the wnovits bei,Led to obsei ve that both coaches passed
through on the lett s:de of the gate), proceeded rather to the
vier, but he certainly did not gut so far to the r'g'it as lie tiOgh:
have dune till he ran against something, but it was so dark thsht
witness could not see what it was. Ilvpottent was certain that
no person spoksi to the roachition to matlte way, a: least Le heard
nothing of the kit d said. Ile t:otild. nth say whether the thing
which was ran a:,a list was upset or mit, ttie circumstance was SO
momentary. Ihe roach contahr-1 its race; the coachman dal
tin. stop; be appeased merry till the accident happened, but
alcely spoke a Wised after it 11.witeeirti; so that the witness
thought he was le:Irfol Ilia; some mischief had been untie. The
coachman was cot desire it to stop. He (tl.e cosehntan) about
19 ) ears of age ; be was more to the right than to the middic of
the road, and the winless imputed no fault to hint except his not
befog on the proper side of the road. The coachman was certaiiiiy
surfer, and the coach be drove had ate lights. Witness was per-
fectly tuber himself. from the darkness of the evening the wit.
orbs ctiuld not say what the thing that was lAO against was, but he
had since h-aid it was a gig. _ _

Gentleman who resides in Chatles-s.reet, St. James's-square,
stared, that on.thieday hart, shoot a quaint- atter nine ti'cloct, he
Was passing aFunieKnightshridgr, on the I hospital side ut :he way,
about a hundred yards trout the Turnpike, it was not 50 dark
but he could see carriages on the othtr side ot the way. Wit-
ness heard a loud cry, which attracted his attention, it came ft lint
the opPos.te side ot the way, and in about two or there seconds
he heard a crash ::::1 screaming t on hearing which he ran in-
stantly across the way, and saw a horse it. the shafts of a gig,
and the gig on one side. Witness saw something volute
bailie; down from it. '1 his was all lie saw, except that he Ws-
served the coach Jos: before he beard the voice. fie saw loth
the coach and gig be :he accident occurred; the cua:lia was
ott the wrong side of the roar—it was going at a good swinging
trot, faster than be thought a coach ought to go at that time of
night. lie die nut impute any fault beyond the coach being on
the wrong side.
This was all the evidence adduced, and the Coroner asked Mr.
K.rby, svho was in tears at the loss he had sustained, if he would
wisii to say any thing to the Jury upon the melancholy transaction?
Mr. Kirby Ow: vet!, he hid nothing to say upon the evidence
that had been given, it was therefore unnecessary fur hint to
trouble the Jury. One fact, however, was, that he did call out
to the coachman, and bad hi'itopped at that time, he was sen-
sible tha; nothing fatal would have occurred; tiotwithstanding
ihis, however, much danger was to have been apprehended
from the concussion between the vehicles, they being at that time
so near to each tither.

The Coroner briefly recapitulated the evidence, and the Jory
brought in a verdict of Manslaughter against AJan Wright, tti.:
°hackman; a warrant .was issued fur his detention, he having
been committed by the Maziatrates of Marlborough-street Office.
The Coroner observed to die Jury, that they brtfitir verdict
had accused the driver of the coach of manslaughter, and the
coach and horses being the caste of the deaths,. they were by
that verdict forfeited to the King, It Mould, therefore, be for
ihens to say, whether the/ would inliett thereof, imPose a certain
fine, as devd.mii on the coach and horses.

Much difference of opinion arose upon this point. At length
six of the Jurymen were of opinion, that a fine of £5O ought to
be put upon Mr. Sandi, on account of the negbgence or his
coachman ; the other Nis were of opinion that £lO would be a
sufficient fine.

Mr. Gill, one of the Jurors, who voted for the ifs(t fine,.sai4
that be would sot -give up his verdict utiles., some reason b:tter
than be bad beard weriadvanced. He felt it a duty be owed to
the public, havnig recently beard of many deplorable instances
of a dinner nature occurring.
.No decision was likely to take place, they all appearing deter-
mined, sad the Coroner suggested iss adjournment, which was
compiled with, and at fear o'ock they met pursuant to the ad-
when it was stated byaena of the Jurymen that they
trairthe interim see* Mrs. Smith, who informed them that
Mr. Smith was to the city; she 'stately seat for him, and be
came just as the leg broke op. The Junin also stated, that
they bad ioloired of several personae character of Adam Wright,
the comluoan, and they bound it unisestiunable. Tiny thee:
came m a detmininatioo that a eased of £3O was solliclent,
which was recorded, and the Inquest adjourned.
tieselimas, Adana Wright, is confined In
BrkkeesolL. He will, of coarse, be commkted•on the Coroner's
Warned, fat Mandauyiner.

~ •

io bo Air- u-d

Carron.—.The export hobset continue to ti^ titg
only pttichasers of Critton. Tile sales
,of last Week.
would have bee ti more considerable, has riot the Ben:.
gals at nifrite; been held at a very high ctn-ten'Ty;-..'
Pernams at 2,. ltd. a smell parcels of LI thins •
at 2s. odd Maranhams at 2i. Ofd. Sea Islands
Bowed, 14.1 a 241. add a small parcel et. Stiritt • .
in the house fit 141.
.41 LA%-ettpon, AtitiusT 21..—The dullness iti
C uton to-trket Continued nearly throughout the pre:
brut week ; yesterday. howeeer, there was coitsider4
ably more taisinets doing. T:ie tales Consist of
Blweds at 181. a 19i 1. tar ordinary to fair ; .IEII. to • .
201 for fair to gond. and a few of vet y sapetior qua.
lity at 21d. a2lj 1. •Orle.ins at 191. for fair, to 4.?:31 •
for very gaol ; Sea Islands at 2s. 2J. a DI (or
fair to very fi,se, including a few stained at 2t.;
,Per.
nams at 2,. 11L1. a 2s. 21 Maranhams at 21. Ott a
2s. 00. athi.!s at 2s. a 2s. (10. Pants at 2*,41.
rinams at 2s. Id. it 24. I',.t. Demeraras at 21.
2s. B trbadoes at 2Jd. a 2 IV. Benz:as at 141&
per pound."

S-COAR.-Tire lensineie; done in the rniiket this
forenoon was not general .:r extensive ; some middling
Jarriaicas 711. a 755.; good 775. and 735. The con.
tracts for some days past have heen, that pnrchasert
be allowed the duty of 80s. sn that if the reduction
takes place, the buyers would receive the bene.
tit. The holders of Muscovades do not sheve_the least
&,position to give way troday.' The prizes of Fri.
de have betel telly supported.
The teeirasid for relined goods has not been se
tensive es the preceding week ; yet the piarchnses are
infra -lent to constitute a market et:matey and keep
the prices steady, the supply lit goods being so incur:.
siderable. The export orders in town Are stated to be
rather extervive, Hit generally et prices !rem 21.
4s. under the market certeney, v:ltrih prevent their
b:ing. executed ler the prelent. Molasses have been
selling lively at an advance of 6d. to Is.
COFFEE.-The S.4le of East-India Coffee last week
attracted considerable afteetion ; it corsi'ted of ;Pie
Cheribon and &motet, mixed, 6Us. 61 a 64:. 6d.;
Night yellow 655. 64 a €6s. 64. Joie 68s. a 695. 641:
The sales et West I tell description: last week
.commenced heavily, Clete being no efrees within 2s.
ill what was considered tee market currency. The
purchasers then came f% sward freely, and an advance
of 2;. per cwt. wits immetiately realized. The im-
provement was chi..fly ermined to the very ordinary,
gnod and fine ordinary descriptions of J tmaica Cot-
tee. The prices : ordinary, 60s. a 635. 6j.; good
ordinary, 655. a 685.; and flee ordinary, 70s. a 74.5.;
ordinary middling, 71c. riJ. a 76i. 6J. Middling
and fine middling did 'net sell at higher prices than
formerly, for the la:ter 91e a E.4s. The Dutch Cif.
tee sold at the same improvement as Jamaica, and
rather brisk at the advance. For foreign descriptions
et' Collet there is !bele demand ; the pereele lately
brought forward fur public sale have been chiefly
withdrawn at low prices; good ordinary St. DMA,.
go At r;1•::. ordinal y middling Havantem at 71s.
There were two public selzs C.ffee this forenoon,
the fist altogether Jetireica ; ordinary %..63s:a 64ss
Li
middling witlidtawn at &d>.: the sal? went offwith.
out any briskness. Toe second sale Dutch Coffsi
for which there appears it reviving demand t good
ordinary mixed refiirig treely at G. a Gss. 61;
dinar, middling 725. 725. 6J.
lftisn tec.-eritne Provisions are in
great regisest, and the highest prices, both of Beef.
and P#rk, are reported to be realized. Bacon condo
Imes in !needy demand. There is little variation to
notice in timer this week. The market is ma
ther heavy. •
Bale, FIAX, AND TALLOW.-Tallow condones. in
req.pst, and the prices gradually advancing. Tate'
prices have improved about 6d. a Is. per sun. ' la •
OA Of Hemp there is no alteration: inexiniderabla
pakels continue to be taken air. By the last set
counts from Si. Petershur64, the ev.bange remained'
the Sine, 9i.
011..-111 e. favourable eecounts of this year's fish•
ing, dies little effect•ori tee prices of 01 The prices
at Hull are £25 to £23 1(4. we may ;n consequence
expect no shipments at pticent from the outposts,
which last year occasioned so great a depreeeion' in
our mill:et. A publit site of South Sea Oil was last
week brought forward, the prices st:26 a 026 15e-...
Rape Oils have declined front £2 a re 3; is other sdee
serrptions there is little variation.
Rem, 11nANent, Axn Hot.eesue.-The business
doing in Rum continues to be considerable. The
prices are, however, little varied, with the exceptimt
of the liner descriptions of Jamaica, avL:ch area strode
higher; the exports of laet week were very extensive. •
Geneva has again advanced 21. to 3d. per gallon :
the briskness in Brandy has ceased ; the late advance
is supported, but the demand for some days has been
rather
CHIN EXCHANGE, At 10137 28..-The return of gene
we.tther hascaortd a very dull sale of Wheat, and
scarcely any was disposed of this morning, and what
was vid was at a reduction of 2s: per qr.-.Batley.
supports Moudey's prices, having but little at Market.
-Beans ate full Is. per qr. 10wer...-In Oats and
other articles theie is on alteration.

The wheat harvest. has.commancea in the vicinity
of Canterbury, and if-the pre eht favourable weather
continues win bet,:rne general.
There were killed at Finzean, on the 12th inst. by
two Gentlemen, !v.) less than 122 brace of ro,iir game.
One Gentleman icaled (31. brace; and the other 58.
An awful ilstanee of sudden death cc:tined at
o'clock on Monday morning, at the lions:" of
Mr. 803111, distiller, Cow.Cross•street. . Mrs.
BOOTII bring in a very ill state of health, Dr. Swans
of Ety.phlce, Holborn, was sent lor, wilts ,carte in
his carriage, and as he WAS in the act of feeling her
puls.t, he fell down in a fit and expisei
without speaking a word. Ds. SWIM had been in
a very ill state of health for some tumults past.
Yesterday morning, about aiz o'clock, a decent
dressed man, apparently 60 yeas of age, was brought
into the v:atch•house at London Bridge, where he
complained of severe illness. A physician was Mi_
mediately sent for. but 'ere his arrival the roan ex.
pired. Previous to his dissolution it was uss..ervool.-
from him that be was from tt,e insi.obbovillcoi
, Ipswich, but this is all that ha, bee lorcettu.at..l
caning bins. The Officers 0 r.e Budge . •
endeavouring to trace who h.l witlip and his b ;‘,
mitts for view at the tratehAousc..

I • '11,15.11

POLICE OF THE

.
,

rE TROPPLIS.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE► TAKEN BEFORE THE COM-
• ' MITIEE OF 'Me HOUSE OF COMMONS, ON THE
siA un OF THr. YOLICE OF THE ME l'ltoilol.lB.
The Hon. Harm( Oita, BINNZT in the Chair.

JOHN TOWNSEND, called in, and etimined.

You are one of the police officers at Bow-street?—
Yes.
How long have you held that situation?—l think
.somewhere abt-tut lour-and•thirty years ; ratite' better
Do you hold 04; situation at present ?—Yes.
Is your time em:Joyed Rt the Office alone, or do
you attend at the Conn at levees and drawitrg.rooms,
and all public places ?-119t1;, day and night.
What, in general, do you consider is the nature and
extent of the duties of your office ?—The duty 01
.the office, as a matter of course, is to attend at the
• office, and at tuber public things for the officers ; hut
two of us have been more immediately placed about
the Court. I think in the year UN, when Mr. Don.
das was Secretary of State, and Mr. Pitt was Minis-
ter, that appointmerst took place in consequence of the
various depredations vailimitted at Conn, and in con-
sego. ace of the King and the Royal Family being
frequency teased with lunatics: that was the original
occasion nt that appointment taking place.
You speak n ise of your duty as it is connected with
the Court ; wnat is your duty as connected with the
Public °dice in Bow-street ?—alb attend when any
of the Magistrates want my assistance within the jut-
risd-ction of Middlesex, for I cannot go out of Nen
on account of attending on the Caurt•days, and .par-
Ocularly if there is any thing wanted at IVindsor ; or
supposing that the Prince goes out of town to Brigh-
ton, and so on, then we attend there.
How many officers of the Police consider them-
selves as particularly attached to the Court, 10110-iing
the Court where it goes ?—ti-When the Regent goes to
Brighton, for instance, Sayers and I go. There are
two officers appointed at Windsor, who are uncon-
nected with the Office, Rivett and Dowsett.

Except when the Regent is at Brighton, your re-
sidence is constantly in London ?..Yes.
Do you attend at the Office in Bow-street every
day ?—No, not every day ; that would be impossible.
Is it considered as the duty of die Police officers all
to attend at the Public Office daily, or to go turn and
turn about, so many one day and so many another ?
I never knew that to be the case; but it frequently
happened in the early part of my life, that the public
niay want an officer, especially public bodies—for in-
stance, the Excise-uffice,the'Custurn house, the Stamp.
once, the Bank, they all come there ; and if they see
au officer, whoever is in the way they instantly go,
because t( they were to wait for matter of form, per-
haps the party they warted to apprehend would be
gone.
Is it customary to have an officer from Bow-street
cnn.tantly in attendar.ce at the Bank ? No, ooly ten
days a quarter; th4t Sayers and I Jo every quarter,
alto nave done fcr many years, these five-and-twenty
years, I dare say. Depredations used to be committed
there dreadfully at dividend times; and when Mr.
Gills and Mr. Thornton were Governor and Deputy
Governor, the application was made, and we went.
Is that considered as part of your ordinary dui y, or
do the Directors of the Bank recompense you for that
as a special service ? e have a guinea a day tor it.
That is paid by Coe Bank ?—Yes.
liititpendetit us the salary which arises from the
Office ?—lads pendent of our salary.
When you attend at any of the crher Offices—you
have named the Custom-house, the Stamp-office, and
so en, do they pay you for that attendance?—Cer-
tainly.
At the same rate ?—At the same rare, provided
there is no reward. In the instance where the officers
so viir.srously apprehended that banditti that murder-
ed the Revenue Officer ; there, for the first time in
my life, I find that the Government, or the Solicitors
and Commissioners of Excise, have given 41000 re-
ward to whoever should give information, or cause
the parties to be taken, together with the apprehen-
dews, and sn forth, to which I have no doubt they
will be all entitled. The usual way in distributing the
440 on convictions is, that the Recorder gives the
prosecutor from S 5 to 415 and £2O, according to
ciscemstances, and the apprehenders the remainder,
An comes to, perhaps, only three or four pounds a
piece, though the world runs away with the ridicu-
lous idea that the officers have M.O. It is a singular
circumstance, but in all cases of felony there are but
two cases where there is any reward at all; those are
a highway robbery and a burglary ; all the others are
merebagstelles, for they are merely certificates, what
the vulgar call Tybora.tickets, to free from parish-
offices.

Those are worth se2o a piece, are they not ?—1
have sold them as low as £l'2. In such a parish as
St. George's, Hanover-square, the people are of so
much consequence that they will serve themselves.—
The highest is in Covent-Garden, where it is worth
£23 ; for the constable of the parish must sit up, I
thistk, opareight out of three ; and whoeser is hit up-
on as •a parochial constable says, This is a hard
thing, and therefore I will buy myself off ;" and a
ticket in that parish, therefore, is worth more. It an
officer gets a guinea a day, it is a chance whether he
gets any reward; that mustr depend upon the libera-
lity of those Public Offices who,. choose to pay it; I
am very sorry to say, That sometimes they are rather
mean upon that subject.
You mean the guinea a-day is for your trouble in
attending at the Public Offices for the prevention of
crimes, and the appiehension of robbers ?—The pub.
lie bodies employ an officer to go to apprehend pee.
sons; the Solicitor crimes, if any body touches their
office, to the Office in tow-street, to get proper as-
sistance to apprehend those persons ; then, after the
thing is finished, if there is no reward, of course the
offiCer has his guinea a day for his trouble.
Is the time of the officers much taken up by the
Public Offices ?—That must depend materially upon
public business ; they may be very quiet this week ;
next week there may not be an officer to be had ; so
much so does it happen at Bow-street that they are ob
ligeci to refer to minor officers—some of the patrole,
and send them rather than the public should be injured.
Do' you then think, considering the demand that is
made both from public bodies .and from individuals
upon Bow-street, that the establishment of the regular
officers is sufficient ?—I think myself, that what there
is wanting of the established officers is made up by the
pattole, wlo step in directly; therefore, I think, upon

• . . * ••

•
the whole, the esiabSsbment is Urge enotzb ; for if
once the establishment was made mere then:thCoillp►
cell.. could 40, they. woold starve one another; it is
like a rank atehairs, or of hackney coaches if there
.are too Inaqthere is not employment for them ; and ;
when it does not so happen that they'are all employed
what is the consequence ? sgmetimes I have myself,
in the early part of my life, when I was In the
habit of going to de 'the business for Public Of..
fices, been out of tos.., tor a week or a fortnight. I
went to Dunki: k, in the year 1756, to fetch over leer,
that were hanged. 1 went for Mr. Taylor. a Ham.
bergh Merchant. There are certain cases in which
we may be employed longer; there have been officers
.for eight or ten days on the poaching cases. Vicary
was down for a fortnight in Gloucestershire, with
Colonel Berkeley ; frequently it takes a great deal of
time to detect a banditti like that.
In those cases where the individual, in a case si.
rnilar to that you have just mentioned, sends for a
Bow-street officer, the expense of his journey, and the
payment of his trouble, is defrayed by the individual?
—Certainly.
Are the Police officers much sent nut of the metro.
pits oil the service of individuals ?—A great deal ;
the great mans of their living, in a measure, is that
of their being employed, as I have always termed it,
upon foreign service ; that is mit of their localjnris-
diction, because the officer's salary is only a guinea
a week.

II it was not for the rewards for the industry and
services of the Police officers, which are paid for by
individuals who employ them, should you think the
salary which is paid them sach as could procure pro-
per officers for the purposes of the Public?—lm-
possible.
Have you any doubt that there is no officer at pre-
sent employed at Bow-street, who could continue to
maintain the situation which. it is fit he should hold,
by the salary and regular allowances made him from
the Office ?--Impossible.
At how much ',Arid you estimate the ordinary
profits which an officer of the Police makes, from
what is called the £l,O Parliamentary reward ?--That
must entirely depend upon the qUantity of persons
that he convicts, together with the distribution of each
et the rewards by tke Recorder to the officer, whe-
ther the Recorder distributes liberally or not ; for it
is upon the Judges on the Assize, and the Recorder
in London, that the officer depends, as to that libe-
rality or not.
In point of fact, it does not amon.it to any great
sum in the course of the year ?—A mere bagatelle ;
a mere nothing.
Should you put it at lino a-year, upon the average ?
—I have very great doubt whether there is an Mixer
on the establishment who has ever made £3O a-year
by rewards. There are eight sessions in die year ;
taking it for granted that the officer should convict
two capital felons for burglary or highway robbery,
each session. which I am earttoick they do aot,-becitusts
in many cases the Jury will take c.ff the bilightry, and
the officer is lett in the lurch ; therefore it is a rob-
bery, not berglariously breaking and entering, but
stealing only ; then the officers apply to the Judge
fur what they term their expenses, ohm!: they are
ailowed, which is somewhere about 4s. a day for their
time; therefoye I am perfectly satisfied they cannot
get A-3() a year.
Hardly over £2O perhaps ?—I should think not
one of them.

Shou,d you not think that it would be a much better
mode of rewarding the services of the officers of the
Police, if it were left to the Police Magistrates to pay,
for every special service which each officer did, the
reward that thci.e Magistrates thought fit toapportion ?
—I have always thought so; from the earliest part of
my life I have thought it, and for the best of all rea-
son ; 1 have, with every attention that man could be-
stow, watched the conduct of various persons who
have given evidence against their fellow-creatures for
life or death, not only at the Old Bailey, but on the
Circuits, and I have always been perfectly convinced
that would be the best mode that possibly could be
adopted to pay officers, particularly because they ate
dangerous creatures; therhave it frequently in their
power (no question aboukit) o turn that scale when
the beam is level, on the other side; I mean against
the poor wretched man at the bar : why ? this thing
called nature says profit is in the scale ; and, melan-
choly to relate ! but I cannot help being -perfectly
satisfied, that frequently that has been the means of
convicting many and many a man ; and I told Sir
Charles Bunbury my opinion upon that subject thirty
years ago, when he wanted to get rid of rewards, it
should be in the breast of the Judges on the Circuit,
and the Judges at the Old Bailey, or the Judge who
tries at the Old Bailey, whether they have convicted
ur not convicted the party, if they see the officer has
done his duty towards the public, and his duty fairly
and uprightly towards all parties, they should have
a discriminating power to pay that officer-according
to the nature of the case: then the officer does not
stand up and look at this unfortunate creature, and
swear to this or that thing, or the other thing—for
what ? for lucre—for nature is nature, do with us
what you will; and therefore I am cotrvinted, that'
whenever A. is giving evidence against B. he should
stand perfectly uninterested.
Da. you not think that that feeling you have ex-
pressed governs the conduct of the Jurymen in finding
the verdict, when the principal evidence is an officer
of the Police ?-1 have no doubt about it ; and in-
deed so it would to ourselves, provided we did not
know the officer. I, for one, should natiimlly say, if
placed upon the Jury, yes, it may be ti ue these officers
are speaking truth ; but it turns out by cross-exami-
nation that there is £l2O to be given if these three
men are convicted, and therefore I cannot believe all
these men are sworn ; but if there was no reward, the
officer might be always paid liberally, provided the
Judge had the power by Act of Parliament to pay it,'
and no doubt this has been the chatter ; :them can be
no ques:ion about it; but the prosecutor says, bow
am I to do ? if this man is not convicted I shall not
get my expenses. Here is going to Kingston, or
somewhere else; how much shall I
. have allowed to
be paid by the county ? It will not half pay the ex-
penses." is Yes, says the officer, this is a pretty thing;
I will take care I will play no more.at this game;'
beCause that giunc will not afford even the poor devil
of an offices to appear decent on the Mandl morning.
or to acquit himself, perhaps, from being sumitsoned
before the Court of Conscience for some trillfillg4Fbt;
for I have been always of eltiuien. 'bat an otter is a
dangerous subject to the somosenity, it • be is not so

kept- lola to pald as to afford sant the Means or being'
honest; for in some cases, Gno knows, it has beetl
'frequently the case. I remember a case, which was
proved, in the time of the trading Magistrates, where
there was a fellow who was a public officer belonging
to Justice Hyde, was hanged, and yet. he was one 01
the officers; but I well remember whist the man :aid
at the time he was executed, for in those days, before
the Police Bill took place at all it was a trading bosi-
ness ; and there was Justice'this and Justice that.
Justice Weida in Lichfield.street was a great min in
those days, and old Justice Hyde, and Justice Grdler,
and Justice Blackborough, a trading Justice at
Clerkenwell-green, and an old ironmonger. The
plan used to-be to issue out Warrants, and take up all
ithe poor devils in the streets, and then there was the
bailing them 2s. 4d. which the Magistrates had ; and
taking up a hundred girls, that would mike, at 4d.
se] 113 s. 4d. They sent none to gaol, for the bailing
them was so much better. That was so glaring that
it led to the Police Bill, and it was' a great blessing to
the public to do away with those men, tor they were
nothing better than the encourager; of black.."tiarda,
vice,. and plunderers ; there is no doubt about it.
Having stated these different objections to the
officers of the Police receiving rewards, do you not
think there is another objection also, namely, v..!iere
the officers hold in their hands the tall ince of lite and
death in any evidence that they may give, it is pos-
sible that a rich criminal may have an influence over
a needy officer highly injurious to the public interest ?
—No question about it ; I will give the Committee
a case in point ; supposing for instance, when I con-
eicted Broughton, which, 1 belive, is now twenty two
years ago and who was convicted for robbing the
York Mail. I coniicted, at the same assizes, the
summer assizes, a celebrated old woman, Mrs. Usher,
worth at least three thousand guineas, for she made
over that property by her attorney. • I was then in
the habit of attending Vauxhall, for which I received
half-a-guinea, and a half pint of nine, which I relin-
quished, and took the fifteen-pence: Mrs. Usher
picked a lady's pocket ; I was close by and secured
her. She was tried before Baron llotham. Mr.
Ives, the gaoler in'Surrey, before the trial came to
me, and said, ‘4 Townsend, you know mother Usher
very well," " yes," said 1, these ten years ;" I,e
said, 4. cannot this be stashed ?" meaning put an end
to : I said no, it was impossible that it could be ;
because the case was very plain, and of all wonon
upon earth she might to be convicted ; an .t in my
opinion, if she is convicted capitally, nothing but her
sex and her old age, ought to save her [torn 'being
executed ; and I shall think it my duty when she is
convicted to state to the Judge, after conviction, my
opinion upon her case, v hicta I did. Slie was c,4)-
: reeled, and Baron Fiotham ordered the nay expenses,
i which expenses, I believe, amounted to four guineas
and a hall. I set off immediately in a post chaise
;o give evidence against Broughton. The present
pAetnenei-Cfniareral Will her ciaolisel. Baron Hotta m
I said to me," this woman you seem to be weal ac-
quainted with ;" .4 Yes, my Lord," 63id I.;' I am
very sorry to say she is a very old offender ; but her I
! age, which your Lordship has heard her give, and
her sex, are
,the only plea
.that ooght to save her ;"
fo.. the Jury found her guiity of stealing, bat not
privily, which took away the capital part; therefore
she was sentenced to two years imprisonment, in the
New Gaol in the Borough. I then lived in the'
Strand ; two of her relations called upon me, trying
to see what could be done, and they would have given
me 4200 not to have appeared against that woman.
She was a very rich woman, and made over all her
property before she was convicted ; she got the best
part of it by plunder. On Broughton, who was tried
for robbing the Mail, I found 8135 in Bank-notes, a
gold watch, and a guinea and a half. Mr. Parkin,
the Solicitor, paid me. Justice Buller staid till 'got
down there to give evidence against him ; finding a
letter which confirmed the evidence of Shaw the ac-
complice, who was the planner and plotter of that
robbery, I traced poor Broughton, and another, who
went afterwards to America. Broughton was con-
victed. Broughton was brother to one of the King's
Messengers, and another brother kept the Red Lion
in Barnet for years. There was another plan laid,
so that if an officer had not been firm the consequence
would have been, that temptatiouswould be frequently
thrown in officers way, and how-is it possible to avoid
those teMptations, provided the officer so employed
has not the means of barring off those temptations,
by being paid libefally for st hat he does ? 1-91 how-
ever we may be, in whatsoever state we are placed,
nothing can be so dangerous as a public officer, where
he is liable to be tempted ; for Goo knows, nature is
at all times frail, and money is a very tempting thing;
and you see frequently, that much higher characters
than Police officers and thief-takers, arthey are called,
have slipped on one side, and kicked over places ; but I
have been always but of one opinion; I am convinced
it is so, and so I told Lord Melville, at the time he
was Secretary of State, the Police Bill being framed,
that the only thing, I, for one, objected to, was the
paltry salaries they gave the officers. 1, it is true,
have steered clear, but l do not owe that to any
merit myself. I have been lucky enough .to have
situations where I have been very liberally paid ; and
whether it has been my own sobriety, or attention, it
matters not s but I have had many gratuities, and
from the first people in the nation, or 1 might have
been as liable to temptation as any one 'in London ;
but I have a' fellow-feeling for other officers, and I
must say, that 1 think that some of the officers de-
serve every. praise, though I do not change ten words
with some of them in'the course cf a week, but for
their attention and their sobriety ; and I cannot help
again repeating, that nothing but their industry would-,
enable them to get through the piece; for what is so
small a stipend as a guinea a-week ?
Have you at all formed an opinion what would be
lan adequate salary that Government ought to pay to
an officer in
,that situation ?—I am not one of those
that wifuld give money to make them lazy, because
there is a line to be drawn ; but I think that a guinea
is too little • because, taking the thing fir granted
that a man has been very lucky this week, the next
week, and the other week, yet he may stand tipon
his oars Air a montlr, then it takes all the cream off
that milk entirely ; and I am decidedly of opinion
that he should be held up and made respectable. I
would give them a hundred kyear, or two guineas
a-week, and the effects of their industry.
Giving power to Nlagistratestoreward them accord-
ing to their merit ?—Yes ; and to Judges at Assizes.
Do you think that it is an advautageous plea for