"The race of street keepers, with their gold-laced coats and hats, are about to be extinguished in their last stronghold—the City. They are to be superseded by a new police force, which is to patrol the streets by day only, and which is to be paid and regulated on the model of the county police. A hundred men have been chosen and measured for their suits of blue."
And again, March 31st—
"The new City policemen, a hundred in number, will commence their duties on Monday next (April 2nd). The Police Committee of Aldermen will gratuitously perform the functions of Commissioners, but there is to be a chief officer to direct the whole system. Mr. Cope, the Marshal, has been appointed to this duty with the title of Superintendent. Mr. Cowlan is named the second, or rather, deputy Superintendent. Martin and Maclean, two of the City Officers are appointed Inspectors. The scale of wages which has been fixed in the county will be adopted in the City; but the duty will be more severe, as the men will be on their beats the whole day."
This was the humble beginning of that force, which now comprises—1 commissioner, 1 assistant ditto, 1 superintendent, 1 ditto detective department, 3 chief inspectors, 15 district ditto, 22 station ditto, 12 detective ditto, 72 sergeants, 7 detective ditto, and 795 constables; also 86 constables on private service duty.
We can judge of the work performed by the "New Police" from January 1, 1831, to January 1832, from the Official Report. They apprehended no less than 72,824 persons on different charges, viz. 45,907 males, and 26,917 females. Out of this number 2955 were committed for trial; 21,843 were summarily convicted before the magistrates; 24,239 were discharged by the magistrates; and 23,787 drunken characters were discharged by the superintendents of police, at the station-house, after they became sober. The number of persons charged before the magistrates for being drunk were 7566; of this number, 3187 were discharged, and 4379 fined five shillings; the numbers fined being, respectively, 3185 males, and 1194 females. From the above returns it seems that the police apprehended nearly 200 a day.
CHAPTER XI.
1832.
Reform Bill passes the Commons — Scotch boys and the Reform Bill — Proposed increase of the peerage — Passed in the Lords — "The Marylebone or Tory Hunt" — The Duke of Wellington mobbed — The King stoned — The Queen hissed — Archbishop of Canterbury stoned.
Of course, the great topic of interest and conversation for the early part of the year was the Reform Bill, the third reading of which was passed on March 23rd by a majority of 116. What the Lords would do was then all the talk. There were to be new peers created, whose numbers would carry the Bill, or the Lords were to be abolished. We are used to this cry, and we know what little sympathy it met with among the people of Great Britain, but I doubt whether we can show such a humorous anecdote of party feeling as that given by the Scotsman, quoted by the Times of March 2nd—
"The House of Lords routed.
"On Saturday last, the Town-green pond at Dunfermline teemed with toads, and, apparently, under extraordinary excitation. A number of boys stood looking on intensely for some time, when one of them exclaimed, 'It's the House of Lords debatin' the Reform Bill.' In an instant, 'Demolish,' was the universal and simultaneous cry. Caps and bonnets were filled with stones. 'Now for Wellington!' 'Here's at you, Londonderry!' 'Take that, Buckingham!' 'The bishops, the bishops!' shouted a little urchin. The 'hurra' became universal, and terrible was the work of death. The above incident 'points a moral,' if it does not 'adorn a tale.'"