We now come to the consideration of the state of our prisons-and, really, it would almost seem that the object of their existence was to serve as academies for crime. We feel that if we were thoroughly to go into this part of the subject, it would of itself be sufficient to make an article, which, perhaps, we shall do in a month or two. Our readers may, therefore, take our word, and that of the Committee, who have visited, in subdivisions, every gaol in the metropolis, that their condition is as bad, as regards their tendencies to corrupt, and to continue corruption, as it is possible for even a fertile imagination to conceive. The evidence of Mr. Wontner, the able keeper of Newgate, is most striking. From its physical deficiencies-and several regulations, not made in the prison but affecting it directly, and which ought to be, and might be at once removed,-it is a very nursery of guilt. And, as you read, it is impossible not to reflect, if it be thus under a man so evidently sensible and humane, what would it not be under a worse governor!-Taking, therefore, the prisons at as low a pitch as possible*, we proceed.

It is said, that the reducing the duty on spirits has, by lowering the price of gin, been an assistance to the increase of crime. We confess, we hate as a principle any other interference with food than that which has a view to the revenue:-the heightening of the duties would, it is true, be on the surface a "money-bill,"—but its object, in this instance, would be the reduction of consumption. We are always very loth, in all cases, to admit of any exception to the application of a sound principle; but, knowing how impossible it is to deny the fact of the hideous consequences which indulgence in that which, with a tone of prophetic jesting almost revolting, they have themselves called their "Ruin," we cannot but desire that obstacles should be thrown in the way of the great consumption of gin by the lower classes in London.

But the houses where this physical and moral poison is imbibed are productive of more evil than even that poison itself. Oyster-houses, coffee-shops, and flash-houses of every description, are dens for the refuge and the meeting of thieves:-they afford them means of planning robberies, and facilities to dispose of the goods afterwards. That this system should have been more than connived at—almost sanctioned by the police, we can consider nothing short of a disgrace. The absurd fallacy, that it gives the officers means of knowing the principal thieves, no one dared defend before the Committee, on the ground of necessity, when the question was directly put-and yet the magistrates have suffered such courses to continue flourishing under their very nose. The Committee speak strongly, in their report, upon this question :

Of the evils that prevail in counteraction of every plan and regulation that has for its object the improvement of the habits of the lower classes, none works with more dreadful certainty than the obscure houses which are opened in every part of the town under various designations, but better known under the comprehensive term of " Flash Houses;" they are the resort of notorious thieves, of professed gamblers, of idle and dissolute persons

• We do not mean as to food, hardship, &c.-the grounds complained of some years ago. That is all on a very different footing now ;--we allude to the arrange, ments which tend to render and keep the immorality of the prisoners fearful,

of both sexes, are frequently kept without licence, and never in conformity to the provisions enacted by law; from the penalties of which, it has been proved to your Committee, that the keepers become secured by their annual contributions to common informers, and by the accustomed negligence or connivance of the public and parochial authorities.

To these sinks of profligacy and dissipation your Committee learnt with concern that sundry police officers are (as has been stated to have been the case in former times) in the habit of resorting, under the specious pretext that their object is to see, and to become acquainted with the persons of public depredators, in order that they may the more readily counteract them when in the pursuit of plunder, and secure their persons when become amenable to law. But none of the Justices, and scarce any of the officers have defended the practice on the score of necessity. Your Committee therefore trust that the Magistrates will be required to take decisive and effectual steps for the suppression of this long-endured nuisance, by the prosecution of every unlicensed victualler, and by compelling those that are licensed, to observe such good rule and order as can alone warrant the renewal of their licence. Motives of equity towards the licensed and orderly publican claim such an exercise of magisterial authority; motives of sound policy towards the community at large prohibit any licence or act, be it of commission or omission, that can serve as a cloak or a protection to a disorderly publican.

The real result of this system, as regards the police officers is, that it affords means for a familiarity between them and the thieves, in every way, direct and indirect, conducive to crime. It gives, as it were, official sanction to the doings of these ruffians, unless in some particular instance for which they may be "wanted" at the moment; and-which is the chief evil-it enables the officers to enter into a regular system of composition with the thieves; sometimes, perhaps, for information against each other, but chiefly for the restoration of goods to the owners, in consideration of a certain per centage. That this last system must have the most direct tendency to foster crime, and that of the worst sort-crime, namely, put upon a regular, systematic, tradesman-like footing, is, we think, as manifest, as that one and one make two. The Committee have given a very large share of their attention to this:

Your Committee have assiduously directed their attention to those compromises for the restitution of stolen property, which general rumour and belief had represented so often to have taken place. They regret to say, that their enquiries have proved such compromises to have been negotiated with an unchecked frequency and under an organized system, far beyond what had been supposed to exist.

Your Committee have deemed it advisable, for obvious reasons, not to annex the evidence relating to this subject; but they are very desirous, by stating the general result, to impress upon the Government and the Legislature the necessity of some effectual stop to this increasing evil, These compromises have generally been negotiated by solicitors or police officers, or by both, with the plotters of the robbery, and receivers; or, as they are commonly called, "the Putters-up," and "Fences." These persons have usually planned the robbery, found the means, purchased the information necessary, and employed the actual thieves as their agents; themselves running no material risk.

Considerable sums have been paid to regain this property by the parties robbed, generally stipulated to be paid in cash, for fear of the clue to discovery of those concerned that notes might give. These sums have been

apportioned, mostly by a per centage on the value of the property lost; but modified by a reference to the nature of the securities or goods, and to the facility of circulating or disposing of them with profit and safety.

The report then proceeds to give a detail of instances which have occurred with reference to the depredations committed upon bankers. It is unnecessary for us to go into these details-but the number and amount are startling.

The Committee seem not to be by any means satisfied with the evidence of some of the magistrates on this head. Sir Richard Birnie says unqualifiedly (Report, p. 11.) that he thinks it impossible these practices could exist to any extent without the knowledge of the magistrates; and Mr. Halls (p. 12.) as distinctly, though not quite as directly, to the same effect. The Committee, however, do get the most undeniable proof that they were carried to the extent of being a system:— Your Committee having discovered, that through those years compromises have repeatedly taken place by the intervention of police officers, and a regular system to facilitate them has been gradually maturing, conceive it is incumbent upon Government to exact from the Magistrates a more vigilant and intelligent superintendence generally, and more active enquiries whenever suspicion shall arise.

Your Committee think it right to state, that, however readily the officers of Bow-street and the City police have undertaken the negotiation of these compromises, they seem in some instances to have been induced to it without a corrupt or dishonest motive; and individuals of them have been satisfied with a much less sum for effecting the compromise, than the reward offered for the apprehension of the guilty parties. Suspicion has arisen in one case, that 800%. more was received by the officer who negotiated than the thieves asked or received; and in another, 50%. was paid to procure restitution of 5007., and neither the 5007. nor the 507. were ever restored. In no case, however, does it appear in evidence, that any one of them stipulated for a reward beforehand; nor connived at the escape of a thief; nor negotiated a compromise when he possessed any clue that might lead to the detection of the guilty. Your Committee have before adverted to the ignorance in which the Magistrates appear to have been kept as to these practices by their officers. It should seem from the evidence of Sir Richard Birnie, that they only suppose a very small number of compromises to have taken place, and those through the medium of attornies. Looking, however, to the regular system and undisturbed security with which the officers acted, it would not be strange if they should have conceived that the Magistrates did not disapprove; and entertaining the same opinion as Sir Richard Birnie, "that the Magistrates must have means of detecting them," should have thought them disinclined to interfere, unless some unlucky publicity forced these practices upon their notice. It has been distinctly asserted to your Committee by officers, that they had the sanction of higher persons of their establishment for engaging in such negotiations. This, however, has been as distinctly contradicted; but that a belief in the connivance of the Magistrates has existed, is corroborated by the evidence of an officer long retired from Bowstreet, and on whom no such charge has been fixed. He has said, "If the

men who have been before this Committee had been cautioned by the Magistrates not to interfere in any such thing, I am convinced that part of these men would never have interfered; they have thought they were doing a good thing for the parties losing the property, and that no notice would be taken of it."

* It was scarcely possible that such things should appear in evidence, when the witnesses were the parties concerned.-ED.

We may seem to be dwelling too long upon this part of the subject -but we do most thoroughly believe, and our conviction is completely in accordance with that of the Committee, that this system of composition, in alliance with that of receiving, is productive of an exceedingly large proportion of the heavier order of crimes against property. The following passage of the report contains such curious facts, accompanied by remarks of such admirable good sense, that we are tempted to extract it at length, more especially as the Reports of the Committees of the House of Commons, not being published, do not usually come into the hands of general readers. The Committee, after recommending severe provisions against all parties concerned in compounding felony, including to a certain extent the owner of the lost goods himself, proceed thus:

Your Committee are well aware that it may seem severe to proceed with rigour against an act, which at first sight contains nothing repugnant to honesty; namely, helping an owner to regain, or he himself regaining the property of which he has been robbed. But their enquiries have entirely convinced them, that the frequency of these seemingly blameless transactions has led to the organization of a system which undermines the security of all valuable property, which gives police officers a direct interest that robberies to a large amount should not be prevented; and which has established a set of "Putters-up," and " Fences," with means of evading, if not defying, the arm of the law; who are wealthy enough, if large rewards are offered for their detection, to double them for their impunity; and who would in one case have given 1000l. to get rid of a single witness. Some of these persons ostensibly carry on a trade; one, who had been tried formerly for robbing a coach, afterwards carried on business as a Smithfield drover, and died, worth, it is believed, 15,000l. Your Committee could not ascertain how many of these persons there are at present, but four of the principal have been pointed out. One was lately the farmer of one of the greatest turnpike trusts in the Metropolis. He was formerly tried for receiving the contents of a stolen letter, and as a receiver of tolls employed by him was also tried for stealing that very letter, being then a postman, it is not too much to infer that the possession of these turnpikes is not unserviceable for the purposes of depredation. Another has, it is said, been a surgeon in the army. The two others of the four have no trade, but live like men of property; and one of these, who appears to be the chief of the whole set, is well known on the turf, and is stated, on good grounds, to be worth 30,000%. Three of these notorious depredators were let out of custody, as before stated, when there was a fair prospect of identifying and convicting them. It is alarming to have observed how long these persons have successfully carried on their plans of plunder; themselves living in affluence and apparent respectability, bribing confidential servants to betray the transactions of their employers, possessing accurate information as to the means and precautions by which valuable parcels are transmitted; then corrupting others to perpetrate the robberies planned in consequence, and finally receiving, by means of these compromises, a large emolument, with secure impunity to themselves and their accomplices. It is scarcely necessary to point out the difficulties which must obstruct these persons, even after they may have amassed a fortune in betaking themselves to any honest pursuit. This, your Committee have evidence, is deeply felt by themselves; and the fear of being betrayed by their confederates, should they desert them, and of becoming objects for sacrifice by the police, to whom they at present consider themselves of use, leaves little hope of any stop to their career, but by detection and justice. The owners of stolen property have thus purchased indemnity for present losses, by strengthening

and continuing a system, which re-acts upon themselves and the community by reiterated depredations, committed with almost certain success and safety. Your Committee believe they have not drawn a stronger picture than the evidence before them warrants; and whatever measures may be necessary to abolish such a system, such measures, however severe, should be provided.

This leads us at once to the consideration of the proposed measures for the remodelling the Police. We have put one sentence into Italics from its being almost word for word what we have said before we saw this report. In our Diary for last December, in commenting upon the burglaries in the outskirts of London which then prevailed so much, in speaking of the pay of the Police Officers being so miserably scanty -five-and-twenty shillings a week -we use the following expressions:-"When we consider what they are called upon to do in the case of an extensive robbery, executed with skill, such a salary as this manifestly necessitates their being otherwise rewarded. They are, and they must be, paid by the job. Now, it is impossible there can be a more evil principle than this. It is giving the officers of police a direct interest in the commission of crime."

It is, however, quite natural that so clear and immediate a conclusion should find expression in almost the same words. That the system is a direct premium to the officers of police not to prevent crime is manifest; and yet it has continued in action up to the present time. We cannot blame the public-or that portion of it in particular who would, we doubt not, have interfered-for it was impossible to conceive that such a thing should be-and nobody told them. If the gentleman from whom we learned that one pound, five shillings, by the week, formed the pay given to the superior police officers, had not been one whose veracity and means of information are unquestionable, we really should have doubted whether so ingenious a contrivance for the creation of crime could have existed in the metropolis of Great Britain in the second quarter of the nineteenth century.

This brings us at once to the great statistical remedy which is proposed by the Committee, and which, if undertaken on the scale, and with the regulations of detail, that are fitting, will, we have very strong confidence, tend most greatly to diminish crime in London and its neighbourhood. This is a total remodelling of the present system of police, including the nightly watch. The evidence on this last point proves, beyond the shadow of a question, the total inefficiency of this watch, in the great majority of parishes; and where there is, as in the instance of Mary-le-bone, one which makes its establishment effective, it only relieves itself at the expense of its neighbour, which may be ill-watched. Unanimity is the great desideratum in matters of police. The jurisdiction of such an office ending here, and the limit of such a parish being there, throw the greatest impediments in the way of justice. We shall extract the greater portion of the outline of the plan given by the committee, and then make a few comments upon it of our own :—

Your Committee trust that they have now established, as they proposed to *We expressed in a note that we were so startled at this, that we should not have given credit to it, only that our information was derived from a police-magistrate, We now find that it was given in evidence before this Committee.