§ MR. THORNE (West Ham, S.)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if legislation is required to give the Metropolitan Police one day's rest in seven instead of one day's rest in fourteen as now prevails.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Gladstone.) The leave of Metropolitan Police is not regulated by Statute, and could no doubt be altered without legislation; but I may say that the alteration suggested in the Question would involve a very large augmentation of the force, and that the cost would be so great that it could not be met without exceeding the limit of 9d. fixed by The Police Act, 1868, to the Metropolitan Police Rate.