For the purpose of elucidating these suggestions, it may be useful to examine the different offences which const.i.tute the aggregate of the charges made against criminals arraigned at the Old Bailey, in the course of a year.
With this view the following statement is offered to the consideration of the Reader.--It refers to a period of profound peace (as most likely to exhibit a true average) and contains a register of the trials, published by authority, including eight sessions from September 1790 to 1791. From this it appears that 1088 prisoners were tried for different offences in that year, and that 711 were _discharged_! and yet, striking as this may appear, it may be a.s.serted on good grounds, that the following melancholy Catalogue (extensive as it seems to be) does not probably contain even _one-tenth part_ of the offences which are actually committed!
6 For Treason in making false money .
_A reward in money on conviction amounting for each to_ 40
81 Highway Robberies _A reward (besides the highwayman"s property) for each_ 40
41 Burglaries _A reward 40l. besides a Tyburn ticket worth 20l._ 60
10 House Breaking in the day time _A reward 40l. besides a Tyburn ticket worth 20l._ 60
23 Stealing goods to the value of 5_s._ from a shop, &c.
_A Tyburn ticket value as above, average_ 20
3 Coining Copper Money _A reward in money_ 10
17 Horse stealing _A reward in a Tyburn ticket, average value_ 20
10 For Stealing Cattle and Sheep _A reward in money_ 10
2 Returning from Transportation _A reward in money_ 20 --- 193 Prisoners tried for offences ent.i.tling the apprehenders to --- rewards on conviction; and 895 also tried, for which no rewards are allowed, _viz._
10 for Murders 4 Arson 10 Forgeries 2 Piracies 4 Rapes 642 Grand Larcenies[115]
32 Stealing privately from persons 13 Shop-lifting under 5_s._ 16 Ripping and stealing Lead 12 Stealing Pewter Pots 22 Stealing from furnished Lodgings 1 Stealing Letters 1 Stealing a Child 22 Receiving Stolen Goods 9 for Dealing in and uttering base Money 1 Sodomy 7 Bigamy 6 Perjuries 6 Conspiracies 3 Fraudulent Bankrupts 15 Frauds 9 Misdemeanors 1 a.s.saulting, and cutting Clothes 1 Smuggling 7 Obstructing Revenue Officers 1 Wounding a Horse maliciously 38 a.s.saults --- 89, Total.
193 For which rewards were paid.
445 Prisoners from the late Sheriffs.
--- Aggregate number 1533
[Footnote 115: Grand Larceny is defined to be a felonious and fraudulent taking away by any person, of the mere personal goods of another, above the value of _twelve pence_.--1 _Hawk. P.C._ _c._ 33. -- 1.]
_Disposed of as follows, viz._
Executed 32 Died 25 Sent to the Hulks 2 Transported 517 Removed to other Prisons 95 Transferred to the new Sheriffs 151 Discharged upon the town 711 ---- 1533
Thus it appears that murders, as well as several other very atrocious crimes, are committed, where officers of justice are not ent.i.tled to any reward for their trouble and risque in apprehending the offenders.
Receivers of stolen Goods in particular, who, as has been repeatedly stated, are _the nourishers and supporters of thieves_, and who, of all other offenders, are of that cla.s.s where the greatest benefit to the public is to arise from their discovery and apprehension, seem to be totally overlooked.
If it should be thought too loose a system to allow rewards _not exceeding a certain sum in any one case_, to be distributed according to the discretion of the Judges who try the offence; perhaps it might be possible _to form a scale of premiums_ from _one guinea up to fifty pounds_, which, by holding out certain encouragement _in all cases whatsoever_, might not only excite a desire on the part of men of some property and respectability to become Officers of Justice: but would create that species of _constant vigilance and attention_ to the means of apprehending every cla.s.s of offenders, which cannot be expected at present, while the rewards are so limited.
The _Officers of Justice_, (parochial and stipendiary) who are appointed to watch over the Police of the Metropolis and its environs, in keeping the peace, and in detecting and apprehending offenders, amount at present (as near as possible) to 1040 individuals, under five separate jurisdictions, _and are arranged as follows_:
OFFICERS, &c.
_London, 1st._ { The City of London in } City Marshals 2 { 25 Wards, exclusive of } Marshals" Men 6 { Bridge Without. } Beadles 36
{ Princ.i.p.als 98 Parochial Constables { Subst.i.tutes 145 { --- 243 { Extra Officers 32 --- 319
_Westminster, { The City and Liberty } High Constable 1 2d._ { of Westminster, 9 } { parishes and 2 } Parochial { precincts } Constables 70 --- 71
_Middles.e.x, { The Division of } High Constable 1 3d._ { Holborn, in Middles.e.x, } Parochial { joining the Metropolis, } Constables & { in 13 parishes, } Headboroughs 78 { liberties, and manors } -- 79 { { The Division of } High Constable 1 { Finsbury, in Middles.e.x, } Parochial { joining the Metropolis } Constables & { 4 parishes and } Headboroughs 68 { 1 liberty } -- 69 { { The Division called } High Constable 1 { the Tower Hamlets, } Parochial { including the eastern } Constables & { part of the Metropolis, } Headboroughs 217 { and comprehending 10 } --- 218 { parishes, 4 hamlets, 1 } { liberty, and } { 2 precincts }
_Tower Liberty, { The liberty of the } High Constable 1 4th._ { Tower of London, } Constables & { being a separate } Headboroughs 16 { jurisdiction } -- 17
The Division of } High Constable Kensington, Chelsea, &c. } Parochial comprehending 2 parishes } Constables & and 3 hamlets } Headboroughs --- 22
_Surry, 5th._ { The Borough of } High Constable 1 { Southwark, &c. } Constables 87 { comprehending 9 } -- 88 { Parishes. } --- Total Parochial Officers 883
To which are to be added the stated Officers of Police, specially appointed for the purpose of preventing crimes, and of detecting and apprehending offenders.
1. The establishment at Bow-Street, under the direction of the three Magistrates presiding at that Office, viz. Constables 6
and (under the direction of Sir W. ADDINGTON, Knt.) Patroles for the Road 68 -- 74
2. The establishment of seven Public Offices by the Act of the 32d of his present Majesty, cap. 53, under the direction of three Magistrates at each Office, viz.
Constables at the Public Office, Queen-Square 6 Marlborough-St. 6 Hatton Garden 6 -- 18
Constables at the Public Office, Worship-Street 6 Whitechapel 6 Shadwell 6 Union Hall, Southw. 6 -- 42 --- Total Civil Force in the Metropolis 999
To which add the Civil Force of the Thames Police Establishment;[116] established in July 1798, under the sanction of Government 41 ---- Total 1040
[Footnote 116: The Thames Police Establishment fluctuates according to the Season of the year, and the number of West India ships on the River.--
The permanent force in House Constables, Boat Surveyors, and Water Officers, &c. is 41
The fluctuating Civil Force in { Ship Constables 150 { Quay Guards 30 --- Total Civil Force of the Marine Police Establishment when the West-India Fleets are in port 221]
Of these 1040 Officers the Reader will observe, that only 89 (exclusive of the thirty-two extra officers in the City of London; and the sixty-eight patroles at Bow-street; making in the whole no more than 189,) _are Stipendiary Officers_, particularly pledged to devote their whole time to the service of the Public:--and hence a question arises, Whether so small a number are sufficient for the purpose of watching and detecting the hordes of villains who infest the Metropolis, and who must be considerably increased on the return of peace?
Little a.s.sistance can be expected under the present System from parochial officers; who, depending on their daily labour princ.i.p.ally for their support, can afford to devote no more time than is absolutely necessary for their indispensable duties, during the 12 months they are in office: and more especially since Magistrates have no power, or funds, to remunerate such parochial officers for extraordinary exertions in the Public service, however meritorious they may be;--hence it is, that their zeal and activity are checked in many instances; when under proper regulations (such as are hereafter suggested) and subject to a certain degree of control and discipline, and properly remunerated for their services they might be rendered extremely useful. These facts, joined to the further elucidation of this particular branch of the subject, it is earnestly to be hoped, may produce an arrangement of more _energy_ and _effect_ than exists under the present system.
Officers of Justice, who are subjected not only to considerable risks, but also to want of rest, and to the inconvenience of being exposed much in the night-time, ought certainly to be liberally paid; so as to make it an object to _good_ and _able men_ even to look up to such situations.
It having been thus shewn that the Stipendiary Constables are so inconsiderable in point of numbers, and their duty confined to particular objects, it follows that on the parochial officers the Public ought, in a considerable degree, to depend for the general prevention of offences, and particularly for defeating the crafty and iniquitous devices which are resorted to for the purpose of evading the operation of justice.--These men also from their local knowledge are, or ought to be, best qualified to procure accurate information, and to supply what may be necessary to enable Magistrates to discharge their duty with advantage to the Community, and by this means they might be rendered useful auxiliaries to the existing Police.
It would seem, therefore, of the highest importance that arrangements should be formed, calculated to give to these const.i.tutional safe-guards of the peaceful subject, that utility, energy, and effect, which originally resulted from the exercise of their functions,--which the present state of Society imperiously calls for, and without which the preventive System of Police can never be effectual.
On looking accurately into the nature and effect of the inst.i.tution of Constables, it will be found that the vigor and efficacy of the Civil Power, the security of innocence,--the preservation of good order, and the attainment of justice, depend in a great measure on the accuracy of the System, with respect to these Officers a.s.signed to keep the peace in the respective parishes of the Metropolis; and it is because the original spirit of the design has been, in so many instances, abandoned that crimes have multiplied, and that the public are so insecure.
The evil, however, admits of practicable remedies, which the Superintending Board of Police, recommended by the Select Committee of the House of Commons, might considerably facilitate, by methodizing the general design, and giving strength, intelligence, and uniformity to the whole.
Preparatory to this object, however, the System in the respective parishes must be greatly improved, before a co-operation can be expected that will prove extensively beneficial to the Public.
The first step to be pursued, is to establish a fund for the remuneration of Constables of every description. It will not be difficult to demonstrate that a resource may be found for this purpose, which will not impose any new burden on the Country, provided these Officers do their duty.