TheVictorians

"We had always been convinced that Victorianism was a myth, engendered by the long life of the sovereign and of her most illustrious subjects. We were constantly being told that the Victorians did this, or the Victorians thought that, while my own difficulty was to find anything on which they agreed: any assumption which was not at some time or other fiercely challenged. 'Victorian History'.


Lord John Russell, accounting to the Queen for the progress of the ...

Lord John Russell, accounting to the Queen for the progress of the Tories at the elections of 1838, added that the Military had in all cases conducted themselves with great temper and judgement. They were employed on even humbler duties: once, at least, troops were called out to enforce the Act of 1823 and save a poor ox from being baited on his way to market.

England as a whole, and the country gentlemen in particular, were highly suspicious of anything in the nature of a national police, and the Act of 1839 went no further than to permit the Justices of a County to appoint a Chief Constable and form a police force if they so desired.

The boroughs already had the power.

But in that alarming year it was discovered that neither Birmingham nor Manchester could maintain a paid force, and an emergency detachment had to be sent from London.

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So sensitive was the feeling of sound constitutionalists in the matter of ...

So sensitive was the feeling of sound constitutionalists in the matter of police, that Lord John, having sent London constables to Bradford

Essex selected as Chief Constable a retired Naval Officer. He very soon ...

Essex selected as Chief Constable a retired Naval Officer.

He very soon made it appear that a paid constabulary was not only more efficient but actually cheap

But his career, and his achievement, are typical of a general rule. ...

But his career, and his achievement, are typical of a general rule. The English administration was made by administrators throwing out