Star.
London, England, 1821-06-30 00:00:00

METROPOLIS POLICE BILL.

The House went into a Committee on the Metro-
polis Police Bill.
Mr. BENNETT objected to a clause in this Bill,
empowering Police Officers to apprehend ill-disposed
and suspected persons. He could not consent to put
into the hands of Police Officers, who were needy
persons, power so great upon such vague definition.
He looked upon them as they had been described by
one of themselves, as dangerous animals. The Hon.
Member particularly adverted to the state of the
public Parks and public places, which were so ill
guarded that it was impossible for reputable females
or peaceable persons to pass through them without
danger of being insulted. It was said that the Parks
were shut at night ; but he knew they were open to
foot-passengers. kre had no objection to there being
,Rangers to the public Parks; but he did expect that
pert of what they received, shonldgo to keep the
Parks in a state, at least, fit for respectable people
to pass through them at night. He now came to
speak of another great nuisance. The House were
whaps aware that no fewer than SS or 84 fairs were
held in the course of the summer. Fairs, in ancient
times, were markets for the sale of goods, when shops
were few and remote from each other. At present,
they presented but an assemblage of all that was vi-
cious and infamous, and more youth of both sexes
were ruined than at any other places of public resort.
Within gun-shot of that House, a fair was held, in
Tothill-fields, which the late Mr. Fielding had told a
Committee of that House it was net in the power of
the Metropolis to put down. At that fair animals
were baited till their tongues were torn out, and
gambling rooms were established which were not
molested. By some fatality it happened that those
institutions were best maintained which had the great-
est tendency to debauch the manners of the people.
He had been to that fair (as he wished as much as
possible to see with his own eyes those things which
were matter of complaint), he had been there in the
morning, and he had been there in the "ening, and
he must say, that scenes more disgraceful to the Po-
lice of the country than those which were there exhi-
bited, he had never witnessed. He then noticed the
occurrences which had taken :place at West End
Fair, for which some individuals had lost their lives.
One of these, a gypsey lad, was little better.than a
child. He was not much taller than the table on
which he then laid his hand. The case, he knew; had
been under the consideration of an Hon. Gentleman
opposite, but it was thofight necessary to carry the
laws into effect, partly because the offender had used
some dreadful expressions, urging greater violence
against some man or woman who was thrown down:
Every Magistrate with whom he had the honour to
be connected, agreed with him in the opinion he had
expressed on that subject.

The SQLICITOR-GENERAL concurred in many
of the remarks of the Honourable Gentleman; but
the clause to which he had objected was no new one,
but had existed from 1708 down to the present time.
In the course of his experience he knew no instance
of the power being abused.
Dr. LUSHINGTON believed that a great part of
the crimes which filled the jails of the metropolis
took their rise from the fairs. He was at West End
Fair while the excesses were committed between six
and seven o'clock on a summer evening, and the Po•
lice were wholly unable to put the thieves down. He
should himself, next Session, bring forward a mea-
sure on the subject, should it not attract the notice
of Ministers.

SW W. DE CRESPIGNY agreed with the Ho-
nourable Members near him, that the sirs near the
metropolis ought to be suppressed, and he joined
with them in complaining of the state of the Parks.
The clause, with some verbal alterationi, was then
agreed to, as were the remaining clauses.
The House then resumed, and -the Report of this
Committee was ordered to be received to-morrow.

NZTRA POST SILL.,
Qn its being moved that the House should go into
a Committee on the Extra Post Bill,
Dr. LUSHINGTON rose to oppose the Bill. The:
Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into
the merits of this measure, he held to be of no im.;
portance, as it merely gave an opinion without stating
any definite grounds for the opinion so given. If the
mails were beaten in some few roads, this did not
prove the Bill to be necessary unless it could be
shewn that letters could he sent by some public con-
veyance about the same time that the mails went out,
so as to interfere with them. It was no answer to
him to tell him that a coach that left London at seven
in the morning went faster than the mail. A letter
sent by such a conveyance, however slowly it went,
must get to its destination sooner than anything sent
by the mail on the following night, at the most rapid
rate at which it was purposed to travel. If the new
mail, driving at the rate of eleven miles an hour,
should run over any person, and that person should
die in consequence, it would not be a justifiable
homicide. Some years ago a man was killed in this
way. The coac!anan knew nothing of the matter at
the time, but, on being brought to his trial for man-
slaughter, he stated that he had orders from the Post
Office to drive at the rate of nine miles an hour.
The Learned Judge who tried the case, however,
held this to be no defence, as neither the Post Office
nor any other body had aright to order him to drive
at such a rate as would endanger the lives of his Ma-
jesty's subjects.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL considered the loss
of a life in this way might be viewed as a justifiable
homicide.

Dr. LUSHINGTON said, in such a cue the feel-
ings of a man would not be a justifiable homicide.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL thought it would
be in the absence of all intention to do injury to any
' one on the part of the driver.
Dr. LUSHINGTON maintained that in that case
the verdict must not be e° Justifiable Homicide," but
Accidental Death." He thought it would be im-
possible to drive at the rate of eleven miles an hour
through crowded towns without risk of many acci-
dents, and, in case of a person being so killed, it
would be punishable as a culpable homicide.—r‘No "
from Sir Robert Wilson.}—Had his Hon. Friend
forgot that, in this country a man must make his
engagements so as not to endanger the lives or limbs
of his fellow countrymen? He opposed going into
the Committee, and moved, as an Amendment, that
the Bill should be committed on this day six months.
Sir ROBERT WILSON remarked, that now, those
who travelled in a chaise and four went at the rate of
ten miles an hour, and be thought it would be hard
to say that, in doing this, they should be liable to
punishment. He had seen the carriage constructed
for the execution of this plan, and, from the nature
of its construction, and the arrangemerits made for
changing horses, he thought at least a mile might
be gained in the hour without increasing the chances
of accident.

Mr. MONCK thought the peculiar construction of
the carriage and the arrangements which, had just
been alluded to, would not have the effect supposed,
but would rather impede than accelerate.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
the arguments against the measure did not seem to
him to have any great weight. Accidents now some-
times occurred, and he did not think that their num-
ber_ would be increased by the accelerated rate at
which it was proposed to travel.
Mr. T. WILSON thought that the plan could not
be adopted generally. Great inconveniences would
arise from a double delivery of letters, and he must
therefore concur with the Amendment.

Mr, WARRE, as one of the Committee, could not
approve of the plan, and thought the rate at which
many vehicles were drove a 'emus nuisance. •
SirW. DE CRESPIG NY supported the Amendment.
Mr. BENETT (of Wiltshire) spoke in favour of
the plan, and was of opinion the horses would not
suffer from its adoption more than they did at present.
Mr. HARBORD had heard nothing to alter the
opinion which he had originally formed against the
measure.

Sir J. MARJORIBANKS hoped, if the Bill passed
in the present Session, that it would be extended to
Scotland.

Sir F. OMMANEY was sure that great inconve-
nience would be experienced from a double delivery
of letters in this town. He considered the plan objec-
tionable, and shpuld, therefore, vote for the Amend-
ment.—The House divided, when the numbers ware:
For the Amendment - - 28
For the original Motion - - . 34

Majority for the Bill
After some conversation between Mr. Witanz, the
CHANCELLOR, Mr.BRIONT, Mr. MARJORIBANks, Mr.
Baum (of Wilts), Mr.WaorrEaczy, and Mr. T.Wrx.-
sox a. division ensued upon the question, that the
Chairman do leave the Chair. The numbers were:
Ayes • - • - - 33
Noes - - - - - - 30
Majority for leaving the Chair - —3
The Bill consequently passed through the Com-
mittee, and the Report was ordered to be received
on Monday next.
ILL TRRATMENT 01 ANIMALS' BILL.

Mr. B. MARTIN moved the Order of the Day for ressiming
the debate on this Bill.

Sir J. MACKINTOSH presented a Petition from certain
Inhabitants of the City of Westminster, in favour of the Bill for
preventing cruelty to Horses and other Brute Animah.--Laid
on the table.

—Mr. G. BENNETT presented a similar Petition from Ux-
bridge.—Laid on the table.
Sir R. WILSON presented a Petition from the Parish of
Lambeth, in favour of the Bill for abolishing Cruelty to Ani-
mals.—Laid on the table. _ _

Sir W. DR CRESPIGNY presented a Petition from the In-
habitants of Camberwell, in favour of the 11l Treatment of And.
male Bill, which was read and laid on the table.
On that that the Bill be now read a third time, the
Howe di • ed forthwith. The numbers were—
Far the third reading - -
Against it
Majority for the Bill ,_24
The Bill was then read *third time, and passed.
The other Orders of the Day were lisposed of, and the Muse
adjourned at Half-past Twelve o'Clock.

When it is considered that no person can have a
Stank on the 10th Jure, even if their Tickets are drawn, but
that they are tben certain of some of the Great Prises of
£24,000, £16,000, and various £2,100, ice. which are then sure
to be draivn, or that they may receive for every Ticket (not
drawn) £l7 ; for a Half, AO. 4s. Quarter, £4.125. Meath,
£2. 6s. And every Sixteenth may receive £l. 3e. 6d. advantages
not likely to occur again, the present great demand is readily
accounted for; and as every original Ticket is en sale, the num-
ber is so limited that an Intinediate application is requested, to
r prevent disappointments. J. and J. Strawalgur, Contractors.

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