MR. MILESsaid, that seeing the Secretary for the Home Department in his place, he should put to him the question of which he had given him notice; but, perhaps, it was first necessary fur him to state that by the 3 & 4 of Vict. cap. 88, sec. 16 it was imperative upon chief constables of counties to bring before the magistrates at petty sessions a list of local constables recommended by themselves, and on the magistrates appointing such constables, an order was simultaneously made that a scale of fees should be made out for their payment. The Act, however, unfortunately omitted to state how those fees were to be raised, for although in the case of individuals there was no difficulty whatever, in the case of the arrest of thieves or felons there was no fund available for the payment of the fees. He therefore begged to ask the light hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is his intention to introduce a Bill for the payment of local constables appointed under the Act 3 & 4 Vict., cap. 88, sec. 16, during the present Session?
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, it was perfectly true that the Act which authorized the appointment of those local constables did not specify the fund out of which they were to be paid. The Act had been in operation some seventeen years, and he had not up to that time heard of any inconvenience arising under it. The men were strictly speaking not local constables, although generally their employment was of that character, for they could be employed beyond the limits of a county. In case of their being employed, he apprehended they should be paid by the person at whose instance the summons was served or the arrest made. However, he would 1422 look into the Act, for at present he must confess he did not see out of what fund the men were to be paid in the cases supposed by the hon. Gentleman.