Colonel Foxwished to ask the right hon. Gentleman the Home Secretary, if he could state any steps which might have been taken in. consequence of the recent numerous fires that had occurred in Suffolk? The Chairman of Quarter Sessions in that County had lately, in addressing the Grand Jury said,
It might be asked why the rural police had not prevented these crimes; but it was impossible to suppose, that if the rural police were even more numerously distributed than they were, they would be enabled to prevent such offences; nay, even if the whole of the metropolitan police were sent down to Suffolk it would be impossible to give security against those outrages; unless, indeed, a policeman stood sentry in every homestead all night.
§ Sir J. Grahamdeeply regretted that so many fires had recently taken place in Suffolk; and, unhappily, of such offences it was too difficult to detect the perpetrators. He had deemed it his duty to send down assistance from the Metropolitan Force, but as yet no detection had taken place.
§ Lord Hennikeronly the other night had been called up to witness a dreadful conflagration within a few gunshots of the house in which he had been sleeping. The Magistrates and the Police had adopted every means of detection, though hitherto, unhappily, unsuccessfully. They had, of course, communicated with the Home Secretary, and from him had received every assistance. He, himself, should continue to afford to the right hon. Gentleman, as he had already done, all the information in his power on this painful subject.