Star.
London, England, 1829-10-22 00:00:00

THE WITHDRAWING OF THE NEW

POLICE RATE.

A week or two since, an account appeared of the enor-
mous demand which bad been made by the Right Hon. Secretary
of State on the different parishes in the city of Westminster, and
the county, towards the outfit of the new police of the metropolis.
These excessive demands, at the time they were made, occasioned
considerable dissatisfaction to the inhabitants, as it was raising the
poor-rates considerably above what they had been paying under the
old system. In the parish of St. George the rate demanded ex-
ceeded 8,0001. and that of St. James 4,0001. These excessive de.
mends led to some meetings taking place, and one of the grounds
of objection to the new system was against the large demand, con-
trary to the promise that it should not exceed the old rate; and
also for maintaining about thirty men in the Parks and Kensington
Gardens. The objection to this burden was, that neither of the
Parks nor Kensington Gardens had ever been rated, for, by their
being the property of the Crown, they were extra-parochial; and
also, when the late system was in its full power, the parishes of St.
George and St. James were never called upon to watch them. If,
however, Government thought that they ought to support the
watching, &c. of these extensive districts, they, in return, consi-
dered that the Parka aught to be assessed, and contribute, accord-
ing to their assessment, towards the parish rates. Independent of
these objections, the Right lion. Secretary has been memorialised
by the different parishes on which the rate has been levied to ex-
tend the period of its being paid in beyond forty days, the time
allowed by the Commissioners, Colonel Rowan and Mr. Mayne,
as the tax-collectors found it totally impossible to collect the de-
mand within the period specified. The request was still further
extended by the parishes requesting to be allowed to pay the money
by instalments. In consequence, however, of the order having
been imperative, it was considered by those from whom it ema-
nated, that the time could not be extended, nor could the money
be secured in any other way than according to the tenor of the de-
mand in the first instance. The Right Hon. Secretary finding,
however, that the feeling of the public was decidedly against the
mode in which the rate was demanded, has, we are happy to say,
ordered those rates to be withdraws, and information, we under-
, stand, was accordingly forwarded to the different collectors to that
effect upon Monday last—namely, that the orders which had been
issued by the Commissioners of the New Police would not be en-
forced. The Right Hon. Secretary has, however, another plan in
contemplation to raise the sum necessary to defray the expenses al-
ready incurred, which, we understand, will be more in unison with
the feelings of those housekeepers residing in those districts in
which the police is established, and which, at the same time, will
show that the new rate will not exceed the old one instituted for
the payment of the nightly watch. The order will be forwarded
in a few days to the Overseers of the Poor in the different parishes
to carry into effect. It is believed that had the original plan been
persisted in—namely, the money to be paid within forty days—
that, with the exception of St. George's and St. James's, none of
the other parishes could comply with the terms, and that the Com-
missioners would have been compelled to issue distress-warrants
against the parochial authorities for non-payment. It perhaps will
net be irrelevant here to state that.the New Police will come into
operation at the commencement of the year in Surrey.—Morning