Mr. Wilks,in moving for certain Returns of which he had given notice respecting the Metropolitan Police Force, adverted to the willingness expressed by aright hon. Baronet below him to agree to the appointment of a committee to inquire into the character and organization of that force, a proceeding which, he had no doubt, would be attended with results highly creditable to that body; for he thought them in many respects well calculated to answer the purpose for which they had been 705 formed, though admitting of considerable improvement. The chief and best founded objection to them was the expense. This expense amounted in many parishes to an increase of 150 per cent on the old rate, in others to 300 per cent, and in some, even to much more. He thought this was a subject which required some investigation, and in order to pave the way towards a thorough knowledge of the comparative cost of the two systems, he begged leave to move for a return of the amount paid in each parish, for the equipment and support of the new police, and the amount of rental on which that amount is raised, together with a return of the sums paid by each parish in the year before the organization of the new police; stating the number of watchmen and police constables employed, and the amount of rental on which such sum was raised.
Mr. George Lambrepeated the statement made by Sir R. Peel, on a former evening, that the returns connected with the payments on account of the new police were, according to the provisions of the Act of Parliament, to be laid before the House after the Christmas Recess. For that reason he did not think the hon. Member should press the first part of his motion; but he had no objection to the second part, because he was anxious, in common with all others, that the new system of police should be fully inquired into, and its merits fully recognized.
§ Sir Robert Peelwas also desirous that the expenses of the new police should be fully ascertained; and he hoped that the return moved for by the hon. Member would be made as comprehensive as possible, in order to afford a fair comparison between the cost and efficiency of the new day and night police and the old system of parochial watch. He believed it was quite true that some of the parishes paid as much above what they formerly paid as the hon. Gentleman stated, but it was because they did not pay a shilling before, and trusted solely to the watch provided by their neighbours.
Mr. Humeapproved of the system of police, but felt that the expense required reduction. In one parish the sum paid for watching was raised from 1,450l. to 5,500l. a year.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ On the Motion that the Consolidated Fund Bill be committed,