## Chapter 135: The London Provisional Survey and Statistical Bureau
**Whitehall Street, the Home Secretary’s Residence.**
Sir Robert Peel, the Home Secretary, reviewed the documents before him, one after another, before finally nodding in satisfaction.
Leaning back in his chair, he smiled at Arthur, who was seated across the desk.
“Arthur,” he said, “I must say, I always feel cheerful whenever I see you, because you always bring me good news. Not only did you take down Fred on the high seas, but you’ve also taken the initiative to clean up his remaining crew. If every inspector at Scotland Yard possessed your dedication, I believe we could eventually reverse the rising crime rate in London.”
Arthur replied, “Sir Peel, I’ve always considered it my duty to serve the nation and the public. I’m very glad to contribute to the safety of London’s citizens. However, I still maintain a cautious optimism before we truly achieve your goal.
Although your campaign to abolish the Bloody Code has been a great success, and the number of felony charges in London has significantly decreased, this has also greatly eased the workload of Scotland Yard.
But you, with your farsighted vision, have undoubtedly noticed that even under your guidance, Scotland Yard’s police can ensure that no large criminal organizations emerge in the East End, but small gangs are impossible to completely eliminate.
The crime rate in London is highly correlated with poverty. As long as London cannot provide enough jobs, there will always be those who resort to crime. After all, criminals need to find ways to survive as well.”
Sir Peel nodded with a wry smile, “Arthur, I’m glad you can see through the surface to the essence of the problem. But this is a long-term plan. To be honest, I do have many proposals to boost the economy and promote employment. But under the current circumstances, I’m truly being held back by those monkeys in the House of Commons.”
Arthur seized the opportunity to ask, “Is there anything I can help with?”
Sir Peel pondered for a moment, eventually waving his hand dismissively. “No, no, Arthur, you’re already doing an excellent job. I can’t ask for more. Actually, I’m quite sorry. I promised you I would push for the passage of the Anatomy Act, but it’s been months, and it’s still stuck in place.
But even so, you have faithfully completed every task I’ve assigned you. Sometimes I wonder if keeping you at Scotland Yard might be a waste of your talent. Perhaps I should try to get you a different position at the Home Office. You might shine in other roles as well.”
Arthur’s heart skipped a beat. No matter how he pondered Sir Peel’s words, something felt off.
Sir Peel, with his keen observation, sensed the brief silence. He clasped his hands on the desk and said,
“Don’t worry, what I’ve said are all real issues. You’ve probably seen it in the newspapers, the situation within the Tory Party isn’t optimistic. I… I mean, if we fall, your situation may become very dangerous.
Your recent performance has been too dazzling, and you bear a strong ‘Peel label.’ If the Whigs come to power, they might try to get rid of you.
Arthur, you’ve helped me a lot. You could have even gone to the Royal Navy. Admiral Codrington spoke to me privately about you recently…”
Arthur shook his head with a smile, “Sir Peel, I don’t care about my position. If you feel Scotland Yard no longer needs my service, or if moving me to another place would benefit the nation and the public more, I would gladly obey your orders.”
Sir Peel nodded in satisfaction, “Very good. So, you’re not here today just for that?”
Arthur nodded, “The situation in Tower Hamlets is temporarily stable, so I’m planning to implement the plan you mentioned in the Home Office documents.”
Sir Peel thought for a moment, and he understood what Arthur was referring to.
Scotland Yard had repeatedly reported to him that the streets were too narrow in areas like St. Giles Parish in the West End or the slums in the East End.
And this chaotic urban layout, with narrow streets and cramped buildings, often became breeding grounds for crime.
Firstly, criminals could easily evade pursuing police officers, relying on their familiarity with the local streets.
Secondly, police officers were hesitant to enter such areas alone. Most of Scotland Yard’s assaults on officers occurred in these areas.
Therefore, to address this issue, Peel had ordered Scotland Yard’s patrol officers to mark all areas and streets that were difficult to patrol during their rounds. These markings would then be passed on to the Ordnance Survey, under the jurisdiction of the War Office, and the Hydrographic Office, under the jurisdiction of the Admiralty, for rough mapping.
Finally, the Home Office would coordinate with the Treasury to determine the cost of modifying these streets. If the price was reasonable, Sir Peel wouldn’t mind adding another feather to his cap.
Arthur said, “I think using the Ordnance Survey under the Army Ordnance Department or the Hydrographic Office of the Royal Navy to handle the topographic survey is a bit overkill.
After all, King George II established them to prevent an invasion by Jacobin France, and their surveys were conducted for military purposes.
Besides, Londoners are already on edge due to the July Revolution in France and the Brussels Uprising in Belgium. If we were to mobilize the Ordnance Survey now, it might cause unnecessary trouble.
Just like when you established Scotland Yard and recruited us police officers to combat crime without deploying military forces, I believe this survey work might also need a harmless temporary organization to assist in its completion.”
Arthur’s words seemed perfectly normal on the surface, but Sir Peel still caught a few key terms: Army, military forces, Scotland Yard, police, Ordnance Survey, Royal Navy Hydrographic Office, harmless temporary organization.
Sir Peel was well aware that neither the Ordnance Survey of the Army nor the Hydrographic Office of the Navy were as pristine as their official names suggested.
A prime example was the Beagle, the ship that Elderd and Darwin were about to board. The Beagle was directly under the Hydrographic Office of the Royal Navy. Officially, it was a scientific research vessel, but in reality, it was tasked with surveying and mapping the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America, as well as gathering intelligence on the political forces of the countries along the route.
Hearing this, how could Sir Peel not understand Arthur’s meaning?
He pondered the recent situation, then asked with a sudden, unprovoked smile, “Arthur, what are your thoughts on parliamentary reform?”
Arthur responded calmly, “I’m just a mediocre person, so I can’t offer any insightful opinions. I can only borrow a saying from Aristotle to express my humble perspective.
There are three good forms of government and three bad ones in the world: monarchy and tyranny, aristocracy and oligarchy, and republic and mob rule. If we differentiate them based on the number of rulers, then monarchy and tyranny are ruled by one, aristocracy and oligarchy are ruled by the few, and republic and mob rule are ruled by the many.
The number of people is not the issue, the issue is whether it can be governed well. Ultimately, even in a political party with a large number of members, only a few leaders are ultimately chosen, and the voice of the party is ultimately the voice of those few leaders.”
Sir Peel, hearing this, suddenly chuckled. He asked, “Arthur, I really don’t know what to say about you. Perhaps you should run for Parliament in the Tory Party. Although being an inspector is already a good position, it doesn’t match your intellect and capabilities.”
Arthur took a document from his bag, which he had already drafted, and placed it on the desk, pushing it towards Sir Peel.
Sir Peel picked up the document and glanced at it quickly, muttering, “London Provisional Survey and Statistical Bureau…”
Arthur asked, “What’s your opinion?”
Sir Peel smiled lightly. He picked up his quill, dipped it in the inkwell, and signed his name with a flourish.
“Anyway, this temporary organization doesn’t need parliamentary approval. I agree. But at the same time, Arthur, I must remind you that I can only authorize it, but the Home Office doesn’t have any extra budget to support you. So, how much you can achieve depends entirely on you. But don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Your primary task is still to handle police work. As for the rest, I really can’t ask for more. I always remember that the Duke of Wellington’s cabinet has managed to survive until now, thanks in part to your efforts.”
Arthur nodded slightly, stood up, and saluted Sir Peel, “Rest assured, other police districts in Scotland Yard might have problems, but I guarantee that the London Provisional Survey and Statistical Bureau will remain loyal to you.”
(End of Chapter)