The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 710 - 342 Hastings System

"The Chief of the Greater London Police Department, Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, Charles Rowan, hereby announces the Home Office Administrative Order No. 1 of the year 1832," on the reorganization of the internal structure and functional division of the Greater London Police Department and the establishment of the National Police Advisory Committee"..."

In the conference room of Scotland Yard, Commissioner Rowan tediously recited the latest decree from the Home Office.

As he read, the senior officers seated below also whispered among themselves.

Sitting by the window, Inspector Matherlin nudged Arthur who had removed his coat and was wearing just a white shirt, "Lad, got any new intel?"

Arthur shielded his eyes from the sun with one hand and replied in a hushed voice, "New intel? It’s the reform, what else could there be."

The muscular Inspector Vaughan glanced at the two of them, muttering, "Actually, I do have some news, but it’s from the Navy Department."

"What’s the Navy Department got to do with us?" Inspector Matherlin took a sip of his tea, "Now, if it were from the War and Colonial Affairs Department, that might be useful, considering we all come from an Army background. The police system has a lot more to do with the Army than with the Royal Navy."

Vaughan snorted softly, leaning in to whisper, "Mate, you clearly don’t see the big picture. The reform is a collective effort; Scotland Yard is just being dragged along with the motion."

Matherlin wasn’t particularly interested in Vaughan’s news, but it was different for Arthur, who had friends in the Royal Navy.

Arthur turned and asked, "What’s happening over at the Navy Department?"

With nothing better to do and Rowan’s monotonous reading droning on, Inspector Vaughan didn’t mind having a longer chat with Arthur.

"I’ve heard that the Naval Minister, Sir James Graham, appears to be practicing meritocracy within the Navy Department, saying he’s ready to break party barriers and appoint civil servants based on their abilities."

Matherlin, previously unenthused, suddenly widened his eyes and asked, "Has he lost his mind? The Whig Party has been suppressed for so many years and has only just returned to power. With Graham doing this, would the eager Whig members agree?"

Vaughan shrugged his shoulders, "Of course they don’t agree, but Sir James Graham is the one sitting at the head of the Navy Department. He will have to push through with it. A few days ago, he already officially appointed two secretaries with Tory backgrounds."

Arthur was also surprised, "Although opponents can’t override the personal decisions of the Naval Minister, surely there must be some protest?"

"Who said there weren’t protests?"

Vaughan covered his mouth, chuckling, "My brother-in-law told me that the Whig Party held a collective meeting at the Reform Club last night, and the anti-reformists went all guns blazing at Sir Graham, accusing him of handing over the hard-won victories of the Whig Party, even cynically calling him an undercover Tory. However, the most amusing protests came from the Treasury."

"What does the Navy Department reform have to do with the Treasury?" Matherlin inquired.

Vaughan clapped his hands, reminding him, "Have you forgotten? Before, the appointments of civil servants were managed by the personnel secretary of the Treasury. Sir Graham now bypassing them and appointing secretaries by himself, they had to protest."

Arthur took a sip of tea, "Not afraid of Treasury protests, but what they fear is the Treasury getting creative with the budget. With Sir Graham playing this hand, next year’s Navy Department subsidies are likely to be tightly controlled by the Treasury."

"That’s not necessarily the case."

"How so?"

Inspector Vaughan replied, "From what I observe, Sir Graham’s actions may well be privately influenced by the guidance of Prime Minister Earl Grey."

"The Prime Minister’s guidance?"

Matherlin carefully mulled it over, sniffing out something intriguing, "Could it be... that Earl Grey intends to use the civil service positions in the Navy Department to win over the Tories in Parliament who are undecided on parliamentary reform?"

"I didn’t say that!", Vaughan teased, "Matherlin, how can you so casually speculate about the profound intentions of His Excellency the Prime Minister?"

"Sss..."

Matherlin inhaled sharply, pondering, "Now that you mention it, it suddenly strikes me... the recent reforms do seem excessively unorthodox. Even if setting up local health committees is unavoidable, in other areas, is there a need for such haste?"

"Exactly! Is there a need for such haste?"

Despite his burly appearance, Inspector Vaughan picked up his teacup and took a gulp, then exhaled a long stream of hot white vapor, "But on the other hand, after the Tories ruling for more than thirty years, if the Whigs want a comprehensive turnover in all areas, they do need to be bold and enterprising in reforms. Wherever the Tories have an advantage, that’s where they aim to change."

The two inspectors were busy chatting away, but Arthur remained silent.

On the surface, they seemed to be discussing the Navy Department’s reforms, but they were actually hitting at the heart of the changes within Scotland Yard.

The Navy Department’s civil service appointments and the Army’s reductions and retrenchments appeared wholly unrelated, yet they were all part of a coherent strategy aimed squarely at the Tory Party.

And Scotland Yard, as a department established by Sir Peel with its backbone officers all hailing from the Army, couldn’t avoid the Whig Party’s deadly strike.