Title: NEW POLICE ACTIVITY
Materials: paper
Techniques: lithograph
Production person: Print made by John Doyle (HB)
Published by: Thomas McLean
Production place: London, England
Date: Feb 9, 1830
Schools/Styles: British satire

[British Museum Satires 16029]

Description
No. 45. Scene in a police court, with George IV, seated in an arm-chair on a low dais (left) as the magistrate; an elderly clerk writes at a table on his left. The two police officers (in uniform) are Wellington and (behind him) Peel. Wellington points to a noisy truculent crowd in the dock, that is, behind a low wooden rail. He says: 'We found the whole of them your Worship robbing the Hen Roosts'. The King, staring severely through his spectacles at the prisoners, says: 'Sergeant—take those noisy fellows to the House of Correction'. The chief spokesman among the prisoners is Brougham, scowling morosely; they shout: 'Rights!! our Rights! Pigs, Poultry, our Rights!! Pigs, Rights!!! Poultry, Poultry, Pigs, Rights!! Pigs, Poultry, Poultry, Pigs, Rights, Rights!!!!!' Next Brougham stands a fat angry bishop. Beside the prisoners but outside the barrier stands Eldon as an aged watchman, hat in hand, holding a placard on a pole (from which hangs his lantern) inscribed: 'Please to Remember the Poor Cast off Charleys' [see BM Satires No. 16649]; he says: 'We'll all take our Oaths, your Worship that they are all honest men'. Behind (right), in deep shadow, a profile projects through a curtain; its owner thumbing his nose at a pugnacious prisoner. Between policemen and prisoners stand the witnesses, all in smock-frocks and holding rakes or pitchforks. They say: 'We can't keep a Pig or a Fowl for 'em your Worship'.


Curator's comments
(Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', XI, 1954)
A satire on the combined attack of Whigs (notably Brougham), ultra-Tories, and Canningites on the Government in the debates on the King's Speech (see No. 16032): the Marquis of Blandford spoke in favour of Parliamentary Reform, see No. 16070. For Peel's police cf. No. 15768, &c. One of many illustrations of the weakness of the Ministry. See Nos. 15812, 15996, 16030, 16041, 16074, 16102, 16111, 16117, 16264, 16266; for the Tory revolt, No. 16302, &c.

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