THE NEW POLICE. —A meeting was held on Thursday morning, in
the Vestry-room, St. Paul's, Covent Garden, for the purpose of vindi- cating the New Police establislunent against the attacks made upon it. The following resolutions on this subject were, after some discussion, .adopted. " That this meeting acknowledge the improved condition of the streets in this parish since the establishment :of the Metropolitan Police, as well as the good conduct of the officers and men. That this meeting reprobates the disgraceful attacks recently committed on the Police in the discharge of their duty ; and will support; by every means in their power, the officers employed in maintaining public order. That this meeting consider it very desirable, as a means of placing the Metro- politan Police force on a footing more agreeable to the ancient usages of the people of this country, that the parishes should be represented by
one or more Commissioners elected by each parish, and meeting at a Central Board of Police---to he presided over by a Commissioner or Chairman appointed by the Government ; and that a deputation be ap- pointed to wait on Sir Robdrt Peel on the subject, and to solicit his opinion on the practicability of that, or any other, measure for the at- tainment of the same object, consistently with the efficiency indispen. sable to the Police of the metropolis."
MR. HUNT, THE POLICE, AND THE ROTUNDA MEETINGS.— Mr. Hunt was in attendance at Union Hall on Thursday, in conse- quence of some observations that had. been made by one of the Magis- trates there respecting him ; when a long conversation took place between the Bench and the Orator. Respecting the Police, Mr. Hunt said- " Now that I am here, you will allow me to make some remarks with respect to the New Police. It has been stated in the newspapers, that I have uniformly opposed the new system on the grounds of its inefficiency. I deny that most unequivocally. I certainly admit that I joined in a petition of the parishioners for a repeal of the Police Act; but it was not on the ground of the inefficiency of the system, but its unconstitu- tional character, in being entirely under the control of Government, in- stead of the different parishes into which it has been introduced. So far from my being an opponent to the system in itself, I have upheld it ever since its introduction into the parish of Christ Church ; for there has been no tumult or riot, as was formerly the case in the time of the old watchmen."
There is, it seems, a split among the Reformers with whom Mr. Hunt usually associates. Hunt lectures on Mondays at the Rotunda ; but ho- declares, that except on that day he has nothing to do with the meetings. there. ".I ant," he said, " totally unconnected with Carlisle, Gale Jones,or the Devil's Chaplain, .as Mr. -Christian Evidence Taylor is called. The object of the meetings over which I preside is reform ; 'but if the law says that meetings of that.nature ace illegal, I shall bow to its .,decision." He went on to sayithatFtheitRetundewas hired by the so- ciety to which he belonged for eight nights at two guineas a night. Cebtkett, Carlisle, the Devil's. Chaplain, aneGale -.Jones pocketed the whole of the receipts on their nighta.of - speechifying at theRotunda ; but the money taken at the doors on the Monday nights was expended for advertisements printing placards,: &c., and not one farthing of mice lument was derived by any. person belonging to the society.
Mr. Chambers—" Then you are at war with Cobbett, Carlisle, and the rest of that clan ?" • Mr. Hunt—" I disclaim all connexion with sucls men."
Mr. Chambers said that he questioned the legality of those meetings at the Rotunda, and mentioned his opinion upon the subject in order not to take Mr. Hunt unawares.
Mr. Hunt declared, that if a crowd collected on Monday night outside the door of the Rotunda, he certainly should decline speaking that night. He was averse to mobs at night ; and on that account should withdraw from the place altogether, if he found such an assemblage as appeared there on Monday.
[It is remarkable that means are not taken by Government for ascer- taining at ouce whether these meetings are illegal, or not. Here is a matt, of no small shrewdness, and a veteran in such matters, rendered liable to fine and imprisonment for what neither he nor any other man in England suspected to he an offence, and which but for Lord Mayor Key's letter would never have been mentioned as such.]
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