12
a
Undoubtedly it would be, by refusing to deal with them if they continue to employ Mr. Baldwell. Such a policy would prejudice the public interests. Mr. Baldwell is in no way the agent of this Government, as the Duke of Buckingham probably supposed him somehow or other to be. He appertains entirely to the Licensees. They employ him merely because their own interests have, by the policy of the Government, become identified with the diminution and discovery of crime, and Mr. Baldwell happens to be the person by whose exertions in that direction they have assisted.
14. If any absurd notions originally prevailed with the Licensees as to Mr. Baldwell's possible influence with the Government, when the Licensing system was a complete innovation and novel experiment, they have evidently been long since corrected. Moreover, the chief of the present Licensees is a man of long standing here, as well as of great wealth, and he has a thorough practical perception on that subject.
15. To prevent confusion, I shall, for consideration in another despatch, address the second and totally different question raised by the Duke of Buckingham as to the best mode of selecting the parties to whom Licenses should in future be given. I beg, however, to enclose herewith Enclosure No. 2, as supplementary to the information contained in the Police...