is supposed, on the plea that it was not necessary for them to make such a "stylish turn out" as the town constables. No clothing perquisite was granted to the chief constables and watch-house keepers, as they were not supposed to go in livery—though certainly the chiefs always appeared in neat uniform coats at their own expense.
As to the peace preservers at Geelong, Portland, Belfast, and Alberton, they were in no way taken into account in the sumptuary regulations. Time and circumstances brought with them a great change for the better, in the size, age and physique of the force, and by the end of 1847 they were a fairly presentable body of men. It was about this time that Chief-Constable Sugden initiated the detective system in Melbourne. There was in the force a Sergeant Maurice O'Connor, a smart, good-looking, long-headed fellow, and Sugden transformed him into a detective corps. This O'Connor has never been excelled in the metropolis as a thief-catcher, and single-handed be did an amount of work which would astonish some of our senior detective officers of the present day. The experiment worked so well that in a few months O'Connor got an assistant. He fell into bad health in a couple of years, and was succeeded by a Mr. Ashleigh, a recent arrival, and was made sergeant of the detectives, increased to five in 1849, but reduced to three in as many months after. Ashleigh remained in this capacity until after the gold discoveries, and no officer of police ever showed better results for what he cost. Sugden, on his retirement to join the Licensed Victuallers, was presented by that brotherhood with a purse of sovereigns as an indication of the sterling esteem in which they held him, though it may be not unfairly rated as a questionable compliment, considering the powers then vested in the Chief-Constable by the Licensed Victuallers' Act. He was succeeded by Mr. Joseph Bloomfield, as it was believed, through the influence of Major St. John, to whom, as Commissioner of Crown Lands, Bloomfield had acted for some time as a clerk and man-of-all-work. Bloomfield was a dashing officer, with less of craft than any who had preceded him. He was too precipitate in his actions, and as Fire Brigade Inspector was a much better leader than Sugden, for when the firemen were in action, Bloomfield would be up a ladder in quick sticks, where Sugden would cautiously keep out of fire. Bloomfield held his police position until 1852, when everything was topsy-turvey in Melbourne, and any person who opened any sort of a grog shanty was sure to make a fortune. Bloomfield got bitten by the mania for money-making, resigned his appointment, and obtained a license for a place known as the Merrijig Hotel, in the northern part of Elizabeth Street; and an evil day was it for him when he did so. For though he made money, he had not acquired the knack of keeping it. He went into excesses and came to grief, was soon far below low-water mark and remained there. Whether he be dead or alive I know not; but he was, in his day, a generous, free-handed man, and there were many who regretted the troubles by which he was overwhelmed.
In 1849 an amusing episode occurred in police economics which should not be overlooked. Some difficulty arose in connection with the medical attendance upon the force, in consequence of the Colonial Surgeon (Dr. Cussen) not deeming its members as included in that category of Government men, for whom he was bound to prescribe, and the difficulty was surmounted by the police agreeing to contribute a certain monthly sum to remunerate a medical officer for supervising their bodily health. There was then in the profession a James Martin, M.D., an easy-going, smooth-faced, smooth-tongued sort of biped, and the police unanimously elected him to be their "medicine man" subject to the recommendation of the Chief Constable, and the approval of the Mayor, both of which were without difficulty obtained. The new system worked tolerably well for a while, and the constables were much pleased with the affability and skill of their special practitioner, but it was soon found that things went on too smoothly for the patients, and prejudicially for the public. In fact the doctor grew over accommodating, and whenever a sick certificate was asked, he was either too weak-minded, or too good-natured to say no, and, as a consequence, there used to be too many on the sick list, that the Chief-Constable found himself very much embarrassed by the numerical weakness of his staff. It could not be said to be malingering—for no feigned indisposition was necessary to obtain a certificate of "off duty;" it was only to ask the doctor, and get it. So it came to pass that whether a constable was for, or on, or after, a drunken spree, Dr. Martin stood by him, regardful of nothing except the punctual payment of the head-money on the first of the month. The Chief-Constable at length began to be dissatisfied, then grumbled, and next remonstrated ineffectually with both men and medico, but, at last, one night, when twelve men were to form the town night watch, Bloomfield on calling
