The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-03-06 00:00:00

LEASES

The DEPUTY TOWNCLERK read the petitions for, and
grants of leases, all of which, after one or two unimportant
questions from Mr. Alderman EARLE, were confirmed.

PROCEEDINGS OF IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEES.

The proceedings of this committee were next read, and on
the motion of Mr. BARCLAY, they were confirmed without
observation.

PROCEEDINGS OF WATCH COMMITTEE.

Amongst the proceedings of the Watch Committee, was
the following report on the comparative state of crime in
Liverpool in the years 1838 and 1839, which appeared to ex-
cite considerable interest :

The Watch Committee for the borough of Liverpool, in
laying before the Council the criminal and other returns for
the year 1839, are gratified in being able to state that these
returns exhibit the same evidence of the effective working of
the constabulary force as those of last year.
At the close of 1838, the number of thieves returned as
residing in Liverpool was 1835. These consisted of 736 as
appertaining to a first class, or those who live solely by steal-
ing ; 407 of a second class, who support themselves partly by
labour and partly by theft ; and 242 who belong to a third
class, or of those who are suspected persons, and known as
the associates of thieves.

At the close of last year these numbers had been reduced
to 936, being a decrease of 449.
The following table shows the respective relation of the
different classes for both years :

1838. 1839. Increase. Decrease.

First Class
Second Class 407 358
Third Class

Total 1385 936 449
From this it evidently appears that the police operations
affect, as they ought to do, the more criminal:class, and who,
as was stated in our last report, being supported solely by
criminal means, and having no fixed locality, naturally seek
those places where they would be least interrupted by an
organised police, and where they can commit their depreda-
tions with the least danger of detection.
The annexed tables test, as it were, the accuracy of the
returns relating to the resident thieves, for they show that
the number of individuals in custody for felony more than
once have been much fewer in 1839 than in the preceding
years, as will appear from the following abstract :

NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS IN CUSTODY FOR FELONY,
AS SUSPICIOUS CHARACTERS, &C.
Number of times during the year. 1839. 1838.

Once
Twice
Three times
Four times
Five times
Six times
Seven times
Eight times
Nine times
Ten times
Eleven times
Twelve times

3795 4230
790 605
222 303
92 140
47 GG
32 40
12 19
10 5
4 6
0 2
0 3
1 0

In 1839 there were in custody 18,074, of whom 14,870
were apprehended by the police, without being given in
charge.

The proportion of prisoners convicted, to the whole num-
ber in custody, was in 1838 thirty-eight per cent., and in
1839 it was fifty-one per cent., being an increase of thirteen
per cent, on the convictions.

The class of juvenile thieves, that is, of those who are
fifteen years of age and under, has also decreased. The
number returned as known to the police in 1838 was 226,
and in 1839, 171, the decrease being likewise almost solely
in the first class.

It is worthy of remark, that a reference to the tables will
chew that the number of known thieves .in custody, the re-
formations, transportations, removals, &c., bear the same
relative proportion to the total numbers in 1839 as in previ-
ous years.

It will be seen from the large return, that the number of
burglaries and housebreakings actually committed was, in
1839, 249, and 107 attempted, but prevented. In 1838
there were of the same class of offences actually committed
313. and 68 attempted, hut prevented. The number
of offences prevented by the police, where the offenders have
been captured upon the spot, was, in 1839, 132, and in 1838,
63. The total number of offences prevented by the police
was, in 1839, 237, and in 1838, 94. The number of prisoners
apprehended by the police subsequent to the commission of
the offence, from a description of their persons, was, in 1839,
1567, and in 1838, 813.