To correct the various evils incident to the constitution of the present rural con stabulary, the magistrates of Cheshire, in 1829, made the first provincial attempt to improve the administration of police in their county, and they obtained an Act (10 Geo. 1V. c. 97) which authorised them to appoint and direct a paid con stabulary. A more successful attempt was made at Barnet by a voluntary asso ciation, which at first engaged two officers only to patrol a limited district. The plan was found so advantageous, that it was adopted in a more extensive circle. These isolated examples however ren der the adjacent unprotected districts in a worse state than they were before. The establishment of a new police force for the metropolis, in 1829, has done more towards exhibiting the advantages of em ploying a trained body of men for all the purposes for which the old constabulary was appointed, than any other dream stance. Viewed at first with suspicion and dislike, from its somewhat military organization, the clamour with which it was assailed has died away, and public opinion is now in its favour. Each parish had formerly managed its own police affairs; and before 1829, the total police force of the metropolis consisted of 797 parochial day officers, 2785 night watch, and upwards of 100 private watchmen : including the Bow-street day and night patrol, there were about 4000 men em ployed in the district stretching from Brentford-bridge on the west to the river Lea on the east, and from Highgate on the north to Streatham on the south, the City of London being excluded. The management of this large force was of varied and often of conflicting character. The act of parliament which created the new police force (10 Geo. IV. c. 44) placed the control of the whole body in the hands of two commissioners, who de vote their whole time to their duties : they are immediately responsible to the home secretary of state. By the 2 & 3 Victoria, c. 47, the metropolitan police district may be extended to any parish or part of a parish situated within 15 miles of Charing Cross, the first act having limited its operation to a distance of twelve miles. The number of men of each rank serving in the metropolitan police force (Part. Paper, No. 24, Sees. 1849) is as follows:--1 inspecting superintendent, salary 600l.; 18 super intendents, of whom 15 have salaries of 2501., and 2 have a higher and 1 a lower salary; 114 inspectors, 88 of whom have 1181. 6s. a year; 485 sergeants, of whom 474 have 631. 14s.; 5513 consta bles, those of the first class (1272) have 541. 12s.; second class (2346) 491. 8s. ; third class (1163) have 441. 4s. The sergeants and constables are allowed clothing, and each married man of these two ranks is allowed 40 pounds' weight of coals weekly throughout the year; each single man is allowed 40 pounds' weight weekly during six winter months, and 20 pounds' weight weekly for the remainder of the year.
The total force in 1846 was 4749 ; in 1848, 5513. They are formed in divisions, each division being employed in a distinct district. Every part of the metropolis is divided into beats," and is watched day and night. The total disbursements on account of the force, for the year 1845, amounted to 230,042/., one-fourth of which is paid by the treasury out of the public revenue, and the other three-fourths by the respective parishes. Since August, 1839, the horse patrol, consisting of 71 mounted men, who are employed within a distance of several miles around London, has been incorporated with the metropolitan police. The Thames police consists of 22 sur veyors, each of whom has charge of three men and a boat when on duty : the number of constables is 27. The esta blishment is under the immediate direc tion of the magistrates of the Thames Police-office. The city of London still manages its own police affairs, which have been placed under a far more effi cient system since the establishment of the metropolitan police force.
The police of the metropolis and the district within fifteen miles of Charing Cross (exclusive of the city of London) is regulated by the Acts 10 Geo. IV. c.
44, and 2 & 3 Viet. c. 47, and together they form the police code for nearly a seventh part of the population of England and Wales.
The officers and men of the metropo litan police have been at various times engaged in other places to protect the peace when the local force has been found incompetent. In nearly all the boroughs constituted under the Municipal Reform Act (5 & 6 Will. IV. c. 76) a paid police force has been established as nearly as possible on the same footing as the metro politan police. In the metropolis, "when any burglary or serious offence is brought to the knowledge of the police, the super intendent or other officer of the division or subdivision where the offence has oc curred immediately examines the circum stances, or makes a precognition and a report upon them and the measures taken in consequence A daily report or presentment is made to the commissioners of all the chief occurrences which have taken place during the preceding twenty four hours in every division, of nearly two counties, upon which presentment such instructions are given as any special circumstances may seem to require. Upon other reports, made at such intervals as to comprehend general results, if it shall appear that in any district there has been an influx of depredators, additional strength is directed upon it, or explana tions are required if any marked evil appear to continue without abatement." Not only is the metropolitan police active night and day in preventing depredations and suppressing mendicancy, but its at tention is directed to giving assistance in case of accidents, reporting nuisances and obstructions, and in keeping a vigilant eye upon the recesses of profligacy and crime. The same services are performed with more or less efficiency in the large towns which have the services of a trained body of men.
The expense of the eleven police courts of the metropolis, for 1845, amounted to 46,7651., the greater part of which (35,329/.) was defrayed out of the Consoli dated Fund. The salary of one magistrate (Bow-street) was 12001. a year ; and each of the others, 22 in number, received 10001. The fees, penalties, and forfeitures received at the different courts amounted to about 80001.
The difficulty of re-organising the rural constabulary has hitherto retarded the general improvement of this force, while the increased vigilance of the towns has rendered such a measure more impe rative. In October, 1837, a commission was appointed under the crown "to in quire into the best means of establishing an efficient constabulary force in the counties of England and Wales ;" and the commissioners having taken means to ascertain the opinions of the magistracy in each petty-sessional division in the country, it was found that, out of 435 divisions, the magistrates in 123 of them recommended the appointment of a paid rural police ; ift'13 divisions they recom mended such a force, with a proviso that it be placed under their exclusive con trol; in 77 divisions the appointment of a patrol or of additional constables was recommended ; in 16, the better remu neration of the present constables ; in 37 divisions it was considered that further security was necessary ; and in 122 divi sions an opinion was given that no alte ration was required. The evils of the present inefficient system are fully de scribed in the Report of the Constabulary Commissioners (No. 169, Session 1839). Some of their recommendations involve questions of provincial organization, which render it very difficult to bring a uniform system of police administration into gene ral operation. In a bill introduced into the House of Commons in 1839, an at tempt was made to remove some of these obstacles, and a very clear and detailed account of the plan was printed with the bill (No. 71, Session 1839) ; but the measure was regarded as too elaborate, and introduced so many innovations as to occasion its ultimate rejection.