LAWLESSNESS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1178, 15 May 1884, Page 3

LAWLESSNESS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

A deputation, consisting of Messrs Burton Bradley, of Five Dock ; Thomas Buckland, of Strawberry Hills; and Captain Smith, of Harlinghurst, recently waited upon the Colonial Secretary in Sydney to bring under his notice the lawless condition of the community, and to ask for extra police protection for the city and suburbs, in order to repress the evil. The InspectorGeneral of Police was also present. Mr Burton Bradley said they had waited to see whether some more influential persons would move in the matter, *nd so time bad been allowed to run, until they noticed in the newspapers that announcements of criminal assaults on women were not uncommon occurrences in the community. On making inquiry he found that within a few weeks of the Waterloo outrage, a young girl on her way home at Petersham, about 8 o’clock one evening, was hustled into the bush by six men, and criminally assaulted by them all. The girl was then stripped naked and tied to a tree, where she remained unclothed all night long. He considered that this condition of law-

lessness was in a measure the outcome of the hereditary taint of convictisra. and did not attribute it to any want of energy on the part of the police. Mr Buckland and Captain Smith also spoke, and argued _ that a necessity existed for more police protection, the present force being quite inadequate when compared with London and Glasgow. Mr Stuart, in reply, said the Government had to some extent anticipated the views put forward, and had recently come to the determination to extend the patrol from sunset throughout the evening and night in the city as well as the suburbs. The population had been spreading to such an extent that it would be impossible to have policemen in every street, but the plan suggested was that there should be mounted men continually patrolling. An additional sum had been placed on the Estimates for the purpose, as well as provision for 42 extra policemen. He hoped the measures taken would tend to check the evil.