The sun dappled through the lush greenery of the sprawling estate outside Sir Peel’s manor, casting fleeting shadows as a figure dashed across the grounds with lightning speed.
Sir Peel, astride a magnificent thoroughbred, expertly navigated the obstacles of the training course, his whip held aloft with practiced ease. His equestrian trainer, a man of impeccable bearing, stood at the finish line, stopwatch in hand, his gaze fixed on the rider with respect.
In a flurry of motion, Sir Peel completed the final sprint, his chest heaving with exertion. He turned his head, a question forming on his lips. “Any improvement this time?”
The trainer, a smile gracing his features, nodded. “As a horseman, I must confess it pains me to say this, but your talent is undeniable. You finished in 2 minutes and 52 seconds, a time that borders on the level of a seasoned rider. In the Middle Ages, you could have led a band of knights, fighting alongside our great King Henry V against the French.”
Sir Peel, unmoved by the flattery, retorted with a playful grin. “Right now, I’d rather charge against the Whigs and their radical brethren than fight the French.”
The trainer, his expression becoming cautious, inquired, “Is it about the Catholic Emancipation Act? I heard that the former Chief Justice, Earl Eldon, has been harshly criticizing the Duke of Wellington and you in the Tory party for allowing the act to pass. He even threatened to lead his faction of members out of the Tories.”
Sir Peel, dismounting his steed, replied with a wave of his hand. “That old fool, he’s stuck in the Middle Ages. According to him, not only should the Emancipation Act be overturned, but all Irish workers in London should be sent back to their homeland to toil in the mud. He doesn’t understand that times have changed, and the ‘Clare Election’ is the perfect example of this change. If we don’t grant Ireland the Catholic Emancipation Act, no Tory will ever win an election in Southern Ireland. The Irish would rather vote for a disqualified Catholic than accept the fifty pounds per vote offered by us.
The establishment of the Irish Catholic Association and other organizations highlights the urgency of this matter. If we fail to pass the vote this time, civil war is inevitable. Britain fought a fifty-year civil war over the Bill of Rights, costing hundreds of thousands of lives. No one understands the devastating consequences of civil war better than we do. Resolving internal conflicts through negotiation is the British tradition. We must avoid resorting to violence as much as possible. The Duke of Wellington and I both support this view. Of course, we are accountable to our supporters, but before that, we are responsible for the future of the nation.
Those radicals, all they care about is what they hold in their hands. Some fear that allowing Catholics into Parliament will threaten their own positions. The bishops in the House of Lords cling to their outdated mantra of ‘The Church of England is Britain, and Britain is the Church of England.’ They fear that if this precedent is set, Protestant followers will be lured away by Catholicism, and that in the near future, England’s bishops and high priests will once again be appointed by the Pope. As for the king, that greedy, vain, and insecure creature, he is the supreme head of the Church of England. He certainly wouldn’t want to let those Catholics who don’t acknowledge him as the leader of their faith into Parliament. However, thankfully, the Duke of Wellington stood firm against all pressure. He used his glorious battle record and terrifying reputation to overpower the king.
Ah… you might not know this, but on the day of the vote in the House of Lords, the Duke of Wellington sat in the voting hall with a cane. He watched every nobleman who passed by him cast their vote in favor. To be honest, in the last few decades, only two people in Britain have had the prestige and ability to accomplish this. One is still alive, the other is gone. The living one is the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley. The deceased one is the soul of the Royal Navy, Horatio Nelson. Alas, those who are willing to sacrifice for the country, some not only don’t appreciate their efforts, but even use this opportunity to launch a mass resignation from the party, throwing themselves into the arms of the Whigs and forcing the Duke of Wellington to resign.
You must have seen it in the newspapers, right? This time, they even went so far as to expose the issues of bribery and electoral decay, all to destroy Wellington’s cabinet. They have been vehemently criticizing the government’s corruption, telling the public, who are fervently Protestant, that it is because the government took money from the Irish and was manipulated by Catholic and Roman Church forces that they allowed the Emancipation Act to pass.
Oh, my God! I can’t believe it! Those bastards! These radicals should look at themselves in the mirror! Who was the one who loved to accept bribes and do favors for people in the party? The most corrupt part of the Tories is the part that’s missing now! Now they’re doing this, spreading this kind of propaganda, and in the end, it will only harm themselves, these idiots!”
Sir Peel, usually known for his composure, had just unleashed a torrent of expletives, leaving the trainer speechless.
As he stood there, feeling awkward, a servant, clutching an envelope, came running towards the training ground.
The servant, out of breath, stopped in front of Sir Peel, reporting, “Sir, there’s a letter from Scotland Yard for you. Also, Prime Minister, the Duke of Wellington, and the Secretary of State for Ireland, Marquess of Anglesey, have arrived as you requested. They are in the drawing room, having tea and waiting for you.”
“A letter from Scotland Yard? What could be so thick?” Sir Peel took a deep breath, regaining his composure. He removed his gloves and said to the servant, “Tell them both that I’ll be there after I change.”
As he spoke, he reached for the envelope, his fingers already working to tear it open.
The moment he saw the contents, his eyes widened.
“Response to Sir Peel’s Solicitation for Suggestions on the Revision of the Internal Regulations of the Metropolitan Police.”
“So it’s this.”
He was about to put it away when his peripheral vision caught the signature at the bottom of the letter – Arthur Hastings.
“Officer Arthur?” Sir Peel’s interest piqued.
He unfolded the letter and began to read.
Initially, he intended to skim through it, but his gaze became fixated on the content, unable to move away.
The letter provided a detailed description and supplemental revisions to the initial draft of the internal regulations, with explanations and case studies from actual police operations attached to each reasonable or unreasonable regulation.
To prevent Sir Peel from experiencing reading fatigue or disinterest in the lengthy discourse, Arthur thoughtfully summarized all his suggestions into nine concise principles of policing.
(1) The fundamental mission of the police is to prevent crime and disorder, not to suppress crime and unrest through violence and harsh legal punishments.
(2) The ability of the police to carry out their duties relies on public support for their actions.
(3) If law-abiding citizens voluntarily cooperate with the police, the police must ensure and protect the honor and dignity of the public.
(4) The degree to which the police gain public cooperation is inversely proportional to the amount of force and coercion required to achieve police goals.
(5) The police should strive to gain the respect and affection of the public, not by pandering to public opinion, but through long-term, impartial law enforcement. They win the public’s favor by being willing to provide personal service and friendship to all members of society, regardless of race or social status, by their courtesy and good temper, and by their willingness to sacrifice themselves to uphold and protect the life of the public in the spirit of justice.
(6) The police must use force in accordance with legal regulations, and only when reminders, persuasion, and warnings have proven ineffective.
(7) The police should always maintain a good relationship with the public and respect the historical tradition of “the police are the public, the public are the police.” The police come from the public and go back to the public. The police are simply members of the public, and they must wholeheartedly fulfill their responsibility to ensure the interests of every member of the public.
(8) The police should always act to fulfill their functions, and never usurp the power of judgment by acting with a mentality of personal or collective revenge or by arbitrarily judging and punishing criminals.
(9) The assessment of police performance is based on the reduction of crime rates and the reduction of social disorder, not on the number of visible actions taken by the police to deal with crime.
As Sir Peel read, he stopped in his tracks.
A commanding voice broke the silence, echoing in his ear.
“Robert, didn’t you say you were going to change? Why are you still here?”
Sir Peel raised his head, and there stood his old friend, the Duke of Wellington.
Impatient, he had come out to see what was taking so long. Unexpectedly, he found Sir Peel right at the entrance.
The Duke of Wellington pointed at the letter in Sir Peel’s hand and asked, “What’s that?”
“You mean this?” Sir Peel glanced at the title of the nine principles. “The upcoming release of the ‘Nine Principles of Policing from Scotland Yard’. But that description is too official. I don’t like it.”
Wellington asked, “Then what do you call it?”
“How about ‘Arthur Hastings Principles’? It’s simple, direct, and reflects the original intent.”
“Arthur Hastings?” The Duke of Wellington pondered for a moment. “You mean that young Scotland Yard officer who made the newspapers?”
Sir Peel smiled and replied, “Your Grace, given the current urgent movement to repeal the Catholic Emancipation Act, I believe we need to establish a non-Protestant leader in society with a sufficiently positive image to counteract the public’s hostility towards the act. In my opinion, young and capable Superintendent Arthur Hastings is a great choice.”
(End of Chapter)