350 Police of the Metropolis. 



is of opinion that it should cease to be supplied by the respective 

 parishes, and become a general force and charge, under the direction of 

 the authorities of police. Now, without hastily objecting to this plan, 

 we confess that we are not entirely satisfied with it. It will produce, at 

 once, a considerable increase of expense ; for the police watch, if it is 

 to be more effective than that of the parishes, will not be maintained at 

 so cheap a rate. In return for this, it will probably be better served, 

 and, moreover, the persons of whom it is composed, will form a nume- 

 rous and effective body of men, available, on special occasions, for other 

 purposes than the duties of nightly watchmen, at the disposal of the magis- 

 trates : it will, in fact, be something like the constabulary system which 

 Mr. Peel has already succeeded in introducing, and with great advantage, 

 into Ireland. But at the same time, there certainly exists no necessity in 

 London for the presence of a force like this ; nor are we sure that a 

 force of constables, so hired and paid, will ever be so popular as the 

 simple citizens the domestic authorities by whom the duty is per- 

 fectly well executed at present. 



We do not quite understand what is meant unless as far as the ne- 

 cessity of an increased quantity of force is adverted to by the hint that 

 the metropolis has " outgrown its police :" nor do we see any circum- 

 stances which lead us to believe, that six tradesmen are not as well calcu- 

 lated to execute any given extent of duty now, as four were to get through 

 it thirty years ago : we may want a greater amount of force, but there 

 seems to be no case made for the need of a force of a different character. 

 We do not hastily lapse into " constitutional" jealousies ; but certainly 

 such a change as that suggested by Mr. Peel, would be a very sweeping 

 and important measure of innovation ; and we are not at present clear 

 that any material or lasting advantage will be derived from it. There is a 

 vulgar proverb about " new brooms sweeping clean :" the fresh system 

 will be more vigilantly watched, and, consequently, more actively 

 worked, for a short time, than the old one has been ; but at the end of 

 two years there will be no considerable difference. As the case stands, 

 for example, we do not perceive any very particular extra vigour about 

 the ordinary agents employed by the police, above those entertained by 

 the parishes. First-rate police officers are active men ; but they are 

 esteemed chiefly active when tempted by high bribes, or the hope of 

 considerable gain ; and among the inferior agents, we do not find any 

 virtue entitled to very peculiar distinction. There are the " day 

 patrol" who do very little. Pickpockets all personally known still 

 abound in the streets ; not in the same extent that they did seven or ten 

 years ago : but that fact arises from a little change of circumstances, not 

 from any peculiar effort of the police. Picking pockets is not so good 

 a trade as we are informed by those conversant in these matters as it 

 was ten years ago. Since gold has been in common circulation, the 

 passenger's cash is carried in his purse which is usually deposited in 

 the pocket of the waistcoat or smallclothes a locality comparatively 

 inaccessible. The stock of bank notes lay commonly, because most 

 conveniently, in the pocket-book; which lying also most conveniently 

 in the coat pockets, was handy for abstraction : besides which, the 

 fashion of using snuff boxes of papier-mache (of small exchangeable 

 value) has succeeded to the taste for silver or gold ; and the reduction 

 of the duty on silk has lowered the price of handkerchiefs so much, that 

 they are absolutely not worth stealing ! The industry, therefore, of the 



