WOltKJNG CLASSES.
115
public would have boon ignorant, but from rumour, that tlio ordinary force had been augmentedoven by a single regiment.
With regard to tho Police, it was well known that a largo addition had boon mado to tliostrength of that body.
The l’olico of London consists of two distinct bodies, tho Metropolitan and tho City Police.The additional and arduous dutios, which must of necessity devolve upon tho police force duringtho summer, roquirod tlio hands of tlioHo responsible for tho peace of the Metropolis to bostrengthened, and consequently a considerable addition was made to those forcos previous totho 1st of May.
Tho comparative strength on tho 1st of January and on tho 1st of May, was as follows :—
1st Jan. 1st May.
The Metropolitan Polico . . . 5,525 0,020
Tho City Police .... 507 077
Bosides those precautions it was thought advisable effectually to provide against tho depre-dations from tho probablo influx of provincial and foroign thieves, and bad characters duringthe Exhibition. Two of tho most intelligent of tho polico from each of tho twelve principaltowns in tho kingdom were transferred temporarily to London , whore their knowledge of tholocal offenders was expected to prove serviceable, and for tho samo reason a few members (inall 34) of tho polico of Paris, Brussels , New York, and ton other cities, woro brought to thiscountry, and organized by an officer specially appointed for tho purpose ; and interpreters weroassigned to tho soveral Polico Courts, that there might bo no delay or fniluro of justice incases in which foreigners wore tho interested parties.
Among the minor details of polico arrangements, tho regulations for tho preservation oforder in the streets wore very successful, and though most frequenters of tho streets arc fromobservation aware of tho benefit of tho services of the polico, it may not bo out of place torecord hero somo evidonco which shows in a marked degree tho effect of those regulations.
A continued crowd of veliiclos and pedestrians filled tho loading thoroughfares from 9 A.M.to (i r.M.; most of tho former woro public conveyances hurrying to and from the Exhibition,many of tho latter strangers, ignorant of town, but guided by the stream. It wouldseem almost impossible but that numerous accidents must have occurred from this crowdedstate of tho stroets ; on soveral occasions above 100,000 persons traversed tho samo roadsleading to tho Exhibition, twice in one day, in addition to the ordinary traffic, but the returnsfrom tho Hospitals of cases admitted show that instead of an increase there has been a dimi-nution of 12 percent, in the number of accidents. A Hospital is generally tho first place towhich a person injured in the streots is taken, and the number of cases brought into the sixHospitals situated in the immediate neighbourhood of crowded thoroughfares is tho best evi-dence that can bo obtained on tho subject. Tho following is a comparative statement for thosix months ended 30th September last, and for tho corresponding six months of 1850, and itplaces in a most striking view the immunity of all tho leading thoroughfares from accidents,except that one whore accidents would scorn to have boon inevitable to a much greater oxtontthan have occurred :—
Number of Accidents admitted from 1st of April to 30tli of September,
1850
1851
St. Gcorgo’s Hospital .
. . . iso”
’449
Charing Cross „
. . . 489
150
W estminster „ .
. . .121
131
King’s College „ . .
... CO
48
Middlesex „
. . .207
227
University College Hospital
... 98
99
1264
1104
LODGING, FOOD , CONVEYANCE, &c.
There are no materials from which it can bo ascertained how far tho usual accommodationexisting in tho Metropolis for visitors of all classes was augmented during tho period of thoExhibition, and there are no means of obtaining such information as would give any usefulresults. 'The number of houses assessed to the poor rates, or the amount of assessment atcertain periods in the different parishes, are, perhaps, tho only 1 attainable data, but they donot represent any facts strictly confined to this point, because the continued migration of thometropolitan population westward will account for tho increase of occupied houses, while thoconsequent increased value of property will account for tho increased assessment. Aftermaking some inquiries on this subject, I was not encouraged by tho probablo results to pur-sue it further, being satisfied that if a positive increaso had taken place it would have beenknown from other sources, and then the investigation might have been attended with utility.
Tho question of facilitating tho accommodation of tho working classes who would probablyvisit tho Exhibition, in respectable and reasonable lodgings, having been a subject whichengaged at one time tho consideration of tho Boyal Commission, it is most satisfactory torecord that there appears to have boon no want of ample accommodation.
x