Police Establishments of the Metropolis.

article, is stated by Mr. Middleton, in his report on the county of Middlesex, at 8,500; and each cow is supposed on an average to afford nine quarts of milk per day. Five or six men only are employed in attending near three hundred cows. As one woman cannot milk above eight or nine cows twice a day, that part of the business would necessarily be attended with considerable expense to the cow-keeper, were it not that the retailer agrees for the produce of a certain number of cows, and takes the labour and expense of milking on himself.

The milk is always given in its genuine state to the retailer, and is sold to them at such a rate, that their profit, considering the difference of measures, amounts to more than 100 per cent. This, however, is far from being the whole of their gains. The retailers first carry the milk to their own houses, where it is set up for half a day, when the cream is taken from it, at least all that comes up in that time, and it is then sold for new milk. Hence the milk delivered in the morning is no other than the milk of the preceeding afternoon, greatly reduced in strength and quality, by being deprived of the cream it has thrown up during that time. The cream, such as it is, they again mix with flour, chalk, and other more baneful ingredients; yet the whole finds a ready market in the metropolis, and the poor Cockneys gulp it down as genuine from the cow!

"is.

There is, however, another far more important source of emolument to these scoundrel retailers. Every cow-house," says Mr. Middleton, provided with a milk-room, where the milk is measured and served out by the cow-keeper; and this room is mostly furnished with a PUMP, to which the retail dealers apply in rotation; not secretly, but openly before any` person that may be standing by, from which they pump water into their milk vessels at their discretion. The pump is placed there expressly for that purpose, and, indeed, is very seldom used for any other. A considerable cow-keeper, in Surrey, has a pump of this kind, which goes by the name of the famous black cow, from the circumstance of its being painted black; and it is said to yield more than all the rest put together.

"Where such a pump is not provided for them, things are much worse; for in that case the retailers are not even careful to use clean water. Some of them have been seen to dip their pails in a common horse-trough. And what is still more disgusting, though equally true, one cow-house happens to stand close to the edge of a stream, into which runs much of the dung, and most of the urine of the cows; and even in this stream, so foully impregnated, they have been observed to dip their milk pails.”

The same writer further states, that, for the most part the retailers are

Police Establishments of the Metropolis.

composed of the refuse of all other employments, possessing neither character, decency, nor cleanliness; and that it would be utterly impossible for any person to drink the milk, were he acquainted with the filthy manners of the imposing brutes who deal in it.

Now we ask of what importance is the apprehension of a score of pickpockets and swindlers, compared with the toleration of these miscreants. There are a million of persons in London; their health is injured; their pockets are picked twice every day in paying for a commodlity which is not what it purports to be; and all this from the police not enforcing the laws against those who sell unwholesome and adulterated provisions. Let us pass on to another abuse.

About thirty years ago the number of gaming-houses, exclusive of those established by subscription, did not exceed four or five. In the year 1797, they had increased to thirty; and according to an affidavit made in one of the superior courts of justice, there were, lately, not less than six in one street near the Haymarket; where persons stood at the door to invite passengers to play. These houses are principally partnership concerns, carried on by practising attorneys; some of whom have acquired fortunes of from fifty to one hundred thousand pounds. On stated days, Sunday being the chief day, they have luxurious dinners, to which they contrive to get invited merchants and bankers' clerks, and others whom they think are entrusted with money. The expense of entertainments alone, of one house of the highest class, has been stated to amount, in eight months, to six thousand guineas, and the total expense of such houses in one year to amount to £150,000. To enable the proprietors to support such a prođîgious expense, the profits they derive from their infatuated visitors must be

enormous.

Mr. Colquhoun, who reduces every thing to figures, has calculated the amount of sums annually lost and won in forty-three gaming-houses in the metropolis. We will insert his estimate and classification.

SUMS WON AND LOST IN GAMING IN ONE YEAR.

Police Establishments of the Metropolis.

This exhibits a pretty commerce among the higher orders! among noble lords, right honourable gentlemen, and honourable ladies! Talk of the profligacy of the Reformers,-why, what can be found equal to this? These gambling gentlemen and ladies are nearly all pensioners, placemen, and sinecurists, we dare say. With the exception of Charles Fox we do not re member any other gambling reformer. Whatever may be the vices of the Reformers, they do not spend their nights, and Sundays too, over dice and cards. Here, one would imagine, is a fit subject for the Society for the Sup pression of Vice. Here Mr. Prichard ought to launch his hottest bolt. What is the use of pursuing such ignoble sport, as deistical writings, of bullock huntings, two-penny hops, and cock and hen clubs? Here is noble game, surely; but, alas! they are the higher orders, and their pleasures must not be interrupted.

In defence of the Police, it is said, that many of the gaming-houses are so barricadoed, and not unfrequently guarded by bludgeon men, and prizefighters, that it is perilous attempting to force an entrance. This may be true; but this is the very reason why they ought to be put down. Were the people to attempt to oppose the legal authorities by force, their resistance, it would be urged by their enemies, would be the very reason why they ought to be suppressed. But there is one law at Pekin, and another at Japan; the reasoning which is very good on one side of Temple-bar, does not hold on the other.

There is, however, one instance mentioned by Mr. Nares, (Police Report, 1816, p. 297.) of a gaming-house being penetrated, where considerable plunder was obtained, and which has never yet been accounted for. The case is curious, and as our intention is to render The Black Book the the depositary of every well-authenticated abuse, we shall relate the transaction.

Mr. Capper, of the alien-office, and a foreigner who gave the information, obtained a warrant to search a gaming-house in Pall Mall. Adkins, the officer, accompanied them with the warrant to the spot. The foreigner and Mr. Capper, who was in uniform, and with a drawn sword, first forced their way in. These two gentlemen immediately cleared the table, and made the parties empty their pockets, Mr. Capper taking memoranda of the contents. Adkins on this occasion appears to have been left in the lurch; for, coming in last, he only obtained about £20. The foreigner, who also belonged to the alien-office, instead of appearing before a magistrate to give an account of his booty, made off, and has not since been heard of. Mr. Capper, brother to a clerk of that name in the secretary of

Police Establishments of the Metropolis.

state's office, still we believe keeps possession of his share of the plunder, as well as Adkins of the £20.

On Mr. Nares applying to Mr. Becket, respecting the interference of the alien-office in the business of the police, and also relative to the foreigner who had absconded, he could obtain no explanation. The truth is, it was a bare-faced robbery of the parties; and the matter has ever since been hushed up. However little sympathy we may feel towards gamblers, we should not like to see them put down illegally; neither by an under secretary of state, or his agents.

Next to gaming-houses the police appears the most defective in respect to female prostitution. When an evil cannot be subdued, the next object ought to be to render it as little noxious as possible. It is admitted on all hands, that prostitution can never altogether be prevented: it has prevailed in all ages and countries: we read of it both in sacred and profane history and this circumstance of its universality, seems no inconsiderable argument of its necessity. It may indeed be considered a disease truly, but a disease it would be dangerous to suppress, and of which the continuance seems necessary to the community as a preventive of greater evils.

What then ought to be done? Why, since prevention is hopeless; since all law and legislation is only a preference of less evils to greater, let such places be an object of municipal regulation, tolerated by the law; not punishable, because they are such, but only when, from the improper conduct of the owners, they are sources of disorder and contagious disease.

There is not a more disgusting nuisance in society than prostitution, as now carried on; but, then, much of the evil originates partly from the law and partly from public opinion. There is nothing so effectually renders any class infamous and degraded, as the law or the public considering it infamous and degraded. There is nothing hardly so intrinsically and stubbornly good, but what might be rendered the reverse under such a proscription. There is no class so tenacious of preserving its reputation, as that which imagines it has a reputation to lose. The unfortunate females, many of them are truly so, of whom we are speaking, they are considered vile and abandoned wretches; they are proscribed from all society but their own; and thus a character and manners are formed, which are not only the consequences of their profession, but of their treatment by the public.

To complete our remarks on this subject, we shall lay before the reader some details to show the extent of prostitution in the metropolis. Mr. Colquhoun classes and enumerates them as follows:

In the Third Report of the Police, p. 30, it is stated that out of three parishes examined by the "The Guardian Society," consisting of 9924 houses, and 59,050 inhabitants, there are 360 brothels, and 2000 prostitutes. Prostitution prevailing to such an extent, in spite of all the odium and wretchedness attached to it, proves that to prevent it, if politic, is impossible; therefore, the wisest course would be to bring it under such regulations as would render it the least detrimental to the health and peace of the community.

We shall now conclude our article on the police of the metropolis. We have laid before the reader a mass of details and observations, which we will venture to say are not to be found in any other publication. We shall conclude with a brief enumeration of the abuses and defects which appear in our police establishment.

1. The police being divided into three great branches of Westminster, the City of London, and the nine public offices, differently organized, and independent of each other, it is not adapted for any general and effective co-operation, in case of emergency.

2. The establishment of the police offices has thrown a dangerous mass of patronage into the hands of the crown; and we should beg to suggest, that instead of the magistrates being appointed by the secretary of state, they ought to be appointed by the householders in their respective districts. 3. The object of the present system appears confined entirely to the punishment of delinquents, not to remove the causes of their delinquency. 4. It appears that the police affords a very inadequate protection to the public; that petty offenders and offences are prosecuted with great activity, while the evils of gaming among the higher classes, the frauds and impositions in provisions, especially milk, are suffered with impunity.

Lastly. It is our opinion that the patronage of £50,000 annually in the police offices; and the present constitution of the house of commons, will be insuperable obstacles to the reformn of any abuse in this department, or any other, under the present system.

END OF THE POLICE OF THE METROPOLIS.