§ Mr. Fox Maulemoved, "That the House resolve itself into a Committee on the Metropolis Police and Metropolitan Courts Bill (advances out of the Consolidated Fund)."
§ Mr. Goulburnrecommended, that the vote of the Committee should have reference to one of the bills only. If the proceeding were confined to the Metropolis Police Bill, the subject would still remain open, and he, therefore, should not object to the Speaker's leaving the chair.
§ Mr. Fox Mauleobserved, that he merely required an increase of the grant for the purpose of enabling the House to decide upon the propriety of increasing the salaries of Commissioners and Magistrates.
§ House in Committee.
§ Mr. Fox Maulemoved, that a sum not exceeding 1,200l. be the annual salary of the Commissioners appointed to carry into execution an act for improving the police of the metropolis.
§ Mr. Wakleyobjected to moving such a resolution in so thin a House.
§ Mr. Humeapprehended the resolution was a mere initiatory proceeding to enable the Government to introduce a clause in the bill. When that came to be discussed, the proper time would have arrived for deciding whether the salaries of the Commissioners should be fixed at 1,000l., 1,200l., or any other sum. Colonel Sibthorp, although a rigid economist, had no objection to give the larger salary to those two very valuable officers for their most meritorious public services.
§ Mr. T. Duncombecould not but think the whole of the bills which had been introduced for the improvement of the metropolitan police very clumsy and bungling pieces of legislation. Already had the 712 House been favoured with no fewer than three or four editions of these bills. The first was scarcely intelligible, and the resolution they were now called upon to sanction partook largely of the same character.
§ Mr. Wakleysaid, that although it might be considered matter of form in that House to vote away money, the people considered it matter of extortion. Although he admitted there were some good provisions in the bill, there were many bad ones of which he disapproved, and which he should oppose. He objected to the salaries of the magistrates, which were too large, and he could see no reason for increasing the salaries of the Commissioners of police. It should not be proposed to increase the salary of the Commissioners to 1,200l. a-year each. When their salary was appointed at 800l. each, the interest of money was 3 per cent.: now it was 5½ per cent., and really he thought that with our enormous debt, and in such a distressed state of the country, the House ought to proceed on a principle of the strictest economy. He really thought the House was more reckless of expense than the Ministry. When it was proposed, the other night, that 70,000l. should be allowed for the building of stables at Windsor, he moved an amendment of 50,000l., and not one Member on either side seconded him. But two Members of the Opposition gave the proposition their highest approbation. The Government would not be so extravagant if the House would insist upon economy. He would not vote for the resolution, unless it were distinctly understood that the House should not be pledged to the 1,200l. salaries.
§ Mr. Humebore testimony to the very efficient manner in which the Commissioners performed their duties. No man in London, even the county coroner himself, ever devoted more time, energy, and talent to the public service, he would say, "from daylight to sunset, and during the night."
§ Resolution agreed to.
§ House resumed, and went into Committee of