LORD CLAUD JOHN HAMILTONsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he is aware that at the late Election at King's Lynn, in December, 1869, the Chief Constable of Norfolk declined to accede to the application of the Magistrates of that borough for a force of County Constabulary on the nomination and polling days, and that the preservation of life and property in a borough of 18,000 inhabitants depended during those days upon 18 borough policemen and a detachment of military; and, whether he will take any steps to remedy this state of affairs on a future occasion?
MR. BRUCEreplied that he had received a full answer from the chief constable of Norfolk as to the reasons why he had not been able to send the required assistance at the election of 1869. He stated that on all previous occasions he had furnished county police to King's Lynn when they were asked; but on the occasion of the election referred to by the noble Lord the police, only 200 in number, were engaged on other duties, and the requisition from King's Lynn was for 75 men. The chief constable added that he hoped his willingness to assist King's Lynn on former occasions would not lead to the belief that the demand was made as a matter of right, and that this was one of the evils of small independent police establishments. He (Mr. Bruce) must confirm the opinion expressed by the chief constable that this was one of the evils of the subdivision of the police force.