Star.
London, England, 1829-06-06 00:00:00

a

ciple of the Bill. declared his intention to oppose the second read.
big of the Bill if it was intended to commit it this Session. .
Earl ORKT wished to know whether the Noble Earl herald
withdraw his opposiron to the second reading on the condition
proposed by the Right Rev. Prelate of postponing the further con-
sideratsun of the 11111 this Session.
The Earl of MALIIRSBURY repeated his objection to the pre-
sent Bill, but would not oppose one of a mitigated sort on the same
istabjett.
Earl GREY recommended his Noble Friend (Cal-
thorpe) to suspend all further proceedings on the Bill
this Session, on the understanding that something should
be done next Session to remedy the imperfeCtions of the
present law, and provide for the interests of the poorer
classes. He trusted that the Government would turn
their attention to the subject, and bring forward next
Session a Bill to remedy the evils of the present system.
Such a measure would be most beneficial to the poor,
who were more than others exposed to exhumation, and
to atrocities such as were lately proved to have been
committed in Scotland. The measure was not an act
of severity to the poorer classes, but one of affection
and benevolence. He thought the present Bill might
be made a perfect and beneficial measure if considered
in Committee. But, as objections had been raised
against it, he would recommend his Noble Friend (Cal.
Thorpe) to adopt the suggestion of the venerable Prelate
(Canterbury), and not press the Bill after the second
reading.
The Earl of HAREWOOD could not assent to the
principle of the Bill. Parliament had a right to legis-
late on the living. but not on the dead. Every man
was entitled to Christian burial ; and it was not proper
to'parsue men beyond the bounds of this world. It
was disgraceful to the country that the atrocious affair
at Edinburgh was not investigated further. The only
result of the inquiries instituted there was, that sixteen
or seventeen murders had been committed. This was a
most unsatisfactory conclusion of soch an important
sullject.
The Duke of WELLINGTON confessed that he was
exceedingly sdisfied that the Noble Lord (Calthorpe)
bad consented to proceed no further with the measure
this Session. However, he approved so much of the
object which the Noble Lord had in view, and also of
the 13111, that it it had come under dircussion he should
have given it all the support in his power. The reason
why be was glad the B:11 would be postponed was, that
he was aware of the opposition intended to defeat it, of
the quarter fiom which that opposition would proceed,
and the influence it was likely to have on a particular
class of the people. He was glad, Therefore, that the
measure was postponed this Session; and, though he
could not undertake to bring forward a similar mea-
sure next Session Son his own responsibility, he would
a cordially concur in any measure for remedying *the
evils of Vie present system. He would • not on that
occasion detail the evils of the existing system or. the
benefits of the proposed Bill, but confine himself to the
general declaration, that he approved both its object
and principle; in fact, there was no practical remedy
for the present evils but a regulated' increase of the
number of subjects for anatomical dissection, and the.
only point io be considered was the mode of piocoting
enough of them. Before he sat down he should say
one word on the Edinburgh murders. In the ease that
had been tried one person had beep convicted and e4e.
toted. a second acquitted, and of the third- who' was
concerned in it it was necessary to make use for the coo-
victims of the first. Now, after he had been so used,
Lords would see that it was impossible to pro-
ceed iur her aginist film otter that. There were ries
persons more anxious than the Law Officerbin Seoilaird
to pu.h to the otnioq the inlssiry On the subject, and
vindicate the law and institutions of the country.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN said, that it the Bill
had gone into Committee he would have proposed the
repeal of the law condemning the bodies of murderers
to dissection, as one thit tended to keep alive the po.
pular pr•judice against dissection. The present systtoi
was fraught with ifaisger to the poor end helpless
strenitet: It was tie dtity of the House, too, to remove
froM the medical profession the odium. of *habitual vio-
lation of the lais's of humaoity, and protect the lives of
the subjects, by removing the teseptathiliito murder.
Lord GODERICH urged the
.G 44110414 to take
uo the measure, and introduce itotorY Odic' Bill on
tie subject.
The Earl of HADDINGTON expressed his regret
at the postponement of the measure. atul,vindicatedthe
law officers of the• Crown in &Weed trom the chOrrie
of supineness iOrelation to the Edietiiirgb' murders.
The Earl of HAREWOOD explained. The inquiry
into the conduct of the persons receiving 'dead betties
had not been carried far enough. • • '
Lord TENTERDEN thought the subject deserved
much attention, and admitted that the present law re.
quired some alteration ; but then it must be different
from the proposed measure. He could not see whythe
Secretary of State for the Home Department should
have the power of estalsliAting as many' anatomical
seools as he pleased. qiln Paris there were but two.
Another objection be had to the Bill was, that it gave
the bodies of the poor who died in poor-houses and
hospitals to dissection.; 'an operation which 'they looked
on as most disgraceful. As to the late atrocities, the
renewal of them soikl be easily prevented, now that
the public attentionliaii drawn to than, by a carefel
examination on the part of those receiving dead bodies
for dissection to areeitoin whether they had died of
disease or by violence ? As to the proposed theasute of
nett Session he couid-not pledge himself to give it his
support if it should be like the present Bill.
After a few words from Lord Cautstoant,
The question waling on the second reading, which was negatived
without a divided. •. '
'The 1111 Is of tilsorse ton this Session.
'3. !t'llataoroms mace att.&
The Doke of WELLINGTON; on moving the order
• •
of the clef on 'this • Bill, observed,' that Woe was no
• •
branch of the executive so defectiie as the police..lbis
Was proved 'by the fittrins, sfiowini tli increase of
crithe within the last six yeira. 'The 'total nuoibei:of
persons committed at the. ewe' of that 'period •as in;
creased tiro-fifths of ihierlinfe; for iitstance,:tiortifg.
the number committed was 2,01 l; in 1825, 2,0,2; in
1828, 5;516. Of 'the'Persims committed for lary
the nnoiber 'in 1132 f was 8h; in
robberies: in 1024; 61.f4 Milk" 119 ;larcenies., 'ln lag,
411'; in' 1`13‘45, Thete.talculatiases
proved Continta incieitseiff
botatile the ififektiii 'state 'of ihe'po'
thlifewas hoilblicerioilting but th4paknclital watch.
which was elpensive iii
.proliuirfoo is it_ was useless.'
Although •a; neMber of rol*ries; burglaries; and
offencii•of elearyderciiptien octutiedeveli night,these
Were eight orishei inilriCh`no'lerce iii ai maintained
capable of ..prevendng •theseirirces—a state of thing
which he Wps'ciliti site their Lordships would. agree
with him ought not to be tarred to continue in the
neighboufhood of such a miteiskffs., 'l4 the Metropolis
1101c—that Was, in SeiretalOt the parishes of Westmiti;..
stir—the Watch,establiMitienu were so badly arranged
that' there Was in tact no communication between them
and those of the adjoining parishes ;• nay, in the sae*
parish, in wend instances, there were different 44
hkshtleau, each hating the dietetics or Om. ithif& Ells

watch, independently of each other, from which csfss
Enoch confusion and irregularity arose, producing, as a
ristuyal yffect, inefficiency. In one parish (Pancras)
there were ao fewer than 18 authorities acting ander
different Acts of Parliament, not one of whom had
any connexion with another; so that the efficient pop.
blishment of one portion of the parish drove the thieves
into another, where, for the wait of a proper force to
prevent them, robberies were committed with impu-
nity. Was that a state of things to be permitted to ex-
ist ? Taking all the circumstar►ces into considera-
tion, his Majesty's Ministers had been convinced of the
practicability of forming an establishment capable of
preventing the commission of crime, namely, by a well-
regulated police. If their Lordships were to look to
that which had in almoit similar respects taken place
at a former period, they would concur in that view.
Some years since no persons could travel in a carriage
in the vicinity of the metropolis without the risk, in-
deed almost the certainty, of being stopped and robbed,'
if not murderei, by highwaymen, who were in most
cases mounted—a species of occurrences which, thanks
to the establishment of an• effective police, was now
never heard of—facts which must carry conviction to
their Lordships' minds that it was practicable in the
metropolis itself to prevent crime by a similarly well-
regulated and efficient police. There was another point
on which he felt it necessary to trouble their Lordships
with a few words—he meant the desire which at pie-
senrpervaded the country that the number of capital
punishments should be diminished. On that point he
begged to submit to their Lordships that the best mode
of diminishing the number of punishments was by ti►f
prevention of crime, a result that• could best be ensured
by adopting such a measure as that then before them fo
placing an efficient police in the hands of Government.
The Bill had for its object the establishing of a nest
police district, to be called the district of the metropolis.'
By it also an office was to be formed which was to have
the direction of the police in all places within that die!'
trict, and which was to extend over certain pariahs*,
named in the Bill to the distance of twelve miles hoot
Charing-cross. The duties of the office were to be per-
formed by three Magistrates and a Clerk. The district
would comprise portions of the aunties of Hats, Sur-
rey, Essex, Middlesex, and Kent. Those persons were
not to have the power of sitting at Quarter Ses4ions, or
to perform other usual Magisterial functions; their ex-
ertions, indeed, were to be applied solely in the preven-
tion or suppression of crime, and, in order to effect
those objects, a body of constables was to be raised and
placed at the dispo!al of those Magistrates. It was in-
tended to extend the operation of the Act in the first
instance to a certain number of the parishes of the me-
tropolis, in order to try its effects. Should it be found
to succeed then it might be extended to the other pa-
rishes contained within the district; that was, within
twelve miles of Charing-cross. He had only to add,
th4t the expense of the establishment was to be defrayed
by a rate to be levied on the several 'parishes in the
same manner and by the same process as the parish
rates were at Preacnt collected, and the amount was
estimated at 81 in the pound.

Lord HOLLAND rose, not for the purpose of op-
posing the Bill, but to suggest. on behalf of a number
of persons who would be affected by it, some alter*.
tions, without which it would impose upon them con•
seder able hardship. The proposed rate was intended to
be levied in the same ratio on the prop ietors of to
land as on the it habitants of the parishes, and in some
instinces wr uld amount to three shillings per acre. He
would therefore submit to their Lordships whether such
an impost would not press heavily on landownets. On
behalf of the latter class he had felt it his duty to make
that appeal to their Lordships, without (as he had
already stated) having any intention to oppose the
general principle of the Bill.
Lord DURHAM admitted the great importance of
.the measure, and on that very account lamented that
it had not been introduced into that House. The Bill
was lout:tied M 1 the repast of evidence taken before
Committees of the other. House of Parliament. and had
been for special months prior.belote that House (the
House of Commoris), where. of course, the whole mei its
of the question weri:knewn 1 Whereas the Bill had been
introduced into their Lordships' House, together with
several others of import ince. just at the close of ti e
Session, when' it was impossible for their Lordships to
make themselves acquainted with the partictilars. He
thought, therefore, that his Majesty's Ministers ought
to take Cale its future to obviate such an objection.—
The Noble Duke-had felt it his duty to enter into some
details recommendatory of the Bill, but without neces.
for the inefficiency of the police was matter of
notoriety. (The Noble Lord here referred to the pre-
sent parish and police establishments, condemning them
is inefficient from the 'ivy nature of their constitution).
At the i)ansion Houle anti 'for iii,tance. the
Magistrates were called upon to administer iustice, for
which duty their previous habits and education, or
rather no education. unfitted them. He wished to be
informed by the Noble Duke were the other police of
faces to be discontinued after the establishment of that
proposed by the bill ?—(.l No, no.")
The Earl of MALMESBURY rose merely to concur
in the complaint of the Noble Lord who spoke last of
the late period of the Session at which the Bill was in-
troduced. For four months their Lordships had been,
for want of business, melancholy mad, and now they
were, from the press of it, raging mad—(A laugh)
The Duke of WELLINGTON assured .their *Lord-
ships that the delay that had occurred in introducing
.the Bilthad been quite unavoidable. With- respect to
the City of London watch.establishmenhe felt it ne-
cessary to stJte, that no alteration in it was contem-
plated. The Bill, indeed, would only go to place the
watch ef Wetminster on a footing similar to that of the
city of London. The police offices now in esistenceweie
to be kept sip, and the duties of the Magistrates wets
to be performed as heretofose.
The Earl of ELDON thought it was useless for their
Lordships to complain of •the lateness of the period at
*bids the Bill had been introduced, or to suggest a
preventive remedy for the evil in future, for to his own
knowledge the lamp complaint had been made, and
without effect, every Smiths during the last SO years.
Lord DURHAM alio:flint mean to condemn the con.
duct of his Majeity's Ministers for not bringing the
subject forward at an earlier period,• but he thought
.that some areangment might be made with the other
House of Parliament. so that many. Bills, which•now
originated in that 'Loose, might be introduced in the
House of Lords. This would in • a great measure pre:
vent, as was the case at present, so great an accumulas
tion of business at the sod 4 ,the Sessions, which pre.
vented Bills, on really important. subjects,. from being
distosied in their. Lordships' House. He trusted that.
during the nest SoasioDa. Hindi arrangement would be
made:on the subject; would again repeat, that be
did. not intend cis east,any reflections' on thetooduct
the Noble Duke in, the observations which. he had
thought itnec. toasty to make.. •
TM miatiwasotbee read a secind saga.
T* Hive then raKtlfti. httirt a foßtiltill.e.
The vailimeclsasis wire aere4 se without opposition,
•