Politicians, Parishes and Police: The Failure of the 1812 Night Watch Bill

• Published in: Parliamentary history 2009-10, Vol.28 (3), p.375-391
• Main Authors: PALEY, RUTH, REYNOLDS, ELAINE A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: central government; home office; home secretary; law enforcement; local government; London; magistrates; parishes; police; Ratcliffe Highway murders; social policy; vestries
• ISSN: 0264-2824; 1750-0206
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-0206.2009.00119.x

The public outcry heard in the wake of the Ratcliffe Highway murders of December 1811 was muted by May 1812 when the 1812 Night Watch Bill died in the house of commons. Responding to the moral panic following the murder of two East End families, the home office gathered considerable information and input from the professional police magistrates and local authorities before proposing the reform of parochial night watch in much of metropolitan London. Nevertheless the bill ran into concerted opposition on grounds of practicality as well as of ideology. A close study of its trajectory through parliament illuminates the role of parliament as a broker for conflicting demands emanating from differing concepts of the public good. The failure of the Night Watch Bill adds significantly to our understanding of the genesis of legislative initiatives, calling into question whether it is possible to distinguish accurately whether particular bills originated from back‐ or front‐bench activity as well as to our knowledge of the relationship between parliamentary activity, ministerial objectives and public opinion.