1828.) : Notes for the Month. 277° 
concede (unless on good securities) nothing : irritate as little as possible : 
look to the gradual progress of civilization and education for improve- 
ment in the dispositions of the Irish people: and, in the event of an 
insurrection bursting out—be prepared to dispose of it. 
The Thames Tunnel.—An evening paper contains the following para- 
graph. It appears that this highly-ingenious and perfectly-useless under- 
taking is at last (as we always predicted it must be) abandoned :-— 
“The Thames Tunnel is now entirely at a stand. A brick wall has been 
completed at the farther extremity of the excavation, which, being made 
water-tight, prevents any water oozing in in that part, and also does away 
with the fear entertained, that, if left in its unfinished state, another break-in 
of the river might be the consequence. The water the Tunnel makes (if we 
may use the expression) at present is very trifling, and the whole of the inte- 
rior is as firm as before any accident happened. The workmen, with the 
exception of a very few hands who are employed in thoroughly removing every 
appearance of the late disaster, have been discharged; and even the few now 
at work will in another week no longer be needed. Public curiosity appears 
to have slackened in a great measure, as the number of visitors to inspect this 
wonderful attempt of art is now very limited; and, from the slowness with 
which money is collected for its completion, the undertaking would appear to 
have completely slipped the recollection of the public. Notwithstanding the 
appeals made, and the time that has elapsed since the new plan was first pro- 
posed and adopted, little more than a tenth part of the sum required to finish 
the work has been got together. We understand that it has been proposed, in 
the event of the sum of 100,000/. being raised, to commence working from the 
other side of the Thames as far as they can go; and, in case of the water 
breaking in, as they approach the dangerous part, which is the centre of the 
river, building up a similar wall to that now placed at the end of the present 
works, and afterwards completing the centre by means of the coffer-dam.” 
The Report of the Parliamentary Committee on Police, &c., has found 
its way, by fragments, into circulation, and various opinions are put 
forth, as to its importance or utility. We are not ourselves disposed 
to consider a subject of so much moment upon partial or uncertain 
information ; but, if the fact be, as we find it stated in some respectable 
quarters, that the Committee has bestowed great labour upon taking 
evidence as to the “ detail and machinery” of crime, its researches on 
that head, we suspect, are likely to prove more curious than practically 
beneficial. The origin of crime, in London and its vicinity (we speak 
here of crimes against property) needs very little witchcraft in the way 
of discovery. It is not distress ; for the lower classes are well paid, and 
the thieves are never distressed people: it is the desire of a certain 
number of individuals always to consume more of beef steak and brandy 
than they have the means legitimately of earning ; and, instead of being 
idle one or two days in the seven, to pass the week in leisure and 
dissipation altogether. 
Weare afraid that this disposition, to be dealt with effectually, must 
be met by a change in the system of our criminal punishment, rather 
than in that of our police. Preventive measures will never do a great 
in a country constituted as ours is: the thieves will always out- 
number and outwatch the thief takers, and, for the question of force, 
our police has physical strength enough to do all that the law will at 
present allow it to do (and more). “The desideratum is some means by 
which we can render thieving a less prosperous trade, and thus deter a 
larger portion of the community from engaging in it; and, still more, 
by which we can clear the country of our rogues, after we have suffered 
