shadow of britain

Chapter 248: It’s not your turn to say what the regulations are (5K8)

4 Whitehall Street, Westminster, London.

In the director's office, Director Luo Wan leaned on his chair and read page after page of the arrest understanding letter he held in his hand.

After reading the document in his hand, he immediately leaned forward, pressed his hands on the case and looked at Arthur: "That Louis Bonaparte, have you verified his identity? Is it genuine?"

Arthur smiled and replied: "I can't say it's 100% true, but at least I can't see any signs of fakeness on him for the time being. I previously sent someone to the West India Terminal to check his background, and he was indeed a passenger. A merchant ship sailing from Rome smuggled into Britain. He contacted the news of the Carbonari uprising that came from there not long ago, coupled with his fluent French, and the French artillery captain Mr. Alexandre Dumas's comments about him in The assessment and verification of the French artillery command system, at least from the perspective of the logic of the confession, I don’t think he lied about his experience.”

When Director Rowan heard this, he pondered for a while: "If he is true, then maybe we can make some contact on the Bernie Harrison case..."

Arthur smiled and said: "Sir, we have the same view, and I think so too. If we only arrest Bernie Harrison, the congressmen can say that we are lawless and do not enforce Article 20 of the Magna Carta." We take it seriously. But if the Bonaparte family is also arrested by us, it means that we are fulfilling our duties, being impartial and impartial, and everyone is equal before the law."

Rowan smiled slightly when he heard this, nodded with satisfaction and said: "Come on, Arthur, young man, what do you think?"

Having said this, Arthur opened another document in his hand: "During this period, I focused on checking some relevant regulations on the immunity of parliamentarians. The earliest explicit regulations on the immunity of parliamentarians originated from Edward II in 1314. A decree promulgated which prohibits court orders from detaining members of parliament, thereby preventing them from participating in parliamentary sessions.

In 1626 and 1675, the House of Lords and the House of Lords passed resolutions respectively, stipulating that during the session of the Parliament and within 40 days before and after, except for treason, felony and disorderly conduct, no person could be punished without the decision of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, or with the decision of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The relevant members shall not be arrested after issuing an order.

The "List of Human Rights" adopted after the Glorious Revolution of 1688 strengthened the rights of parliamentarians in this regard, which stipulated that parliamentarians enjoy the freedom of speech, freedom, debate or discussion within the parliament, and enjoy the right not to be subject to any court or any other party other than parliament. The right of local impeachment or inquiry.

According to internal records from the Home Office and Scotland Yard, the last time a member of Parliament was arrested was the case of John Wilkes in 1763.At that time, John Wilkes, a member of the House of Commons, was arrested in the Tower of London on a general arrest warrant issued by the late King George III for criticizing the king and cabinet policies in issue 45 of "The North Briton".However, a week later, the Lord Chancellor declared the arrest unconstitutional on the grounds of infringement of parliamentary privileges at the Court of Queen's Bench, and released MP Wilkes in court.

A few months later, the Earl of Sandwich, Lord Admiralty, read out in the House of Lords the Treatise on Woman published by MP Wilkes several years ago, claiming that Wilkes had behaved badly, slandered the monarch, and blasphemed God because there were many passages about sandwiches in it. The earl's personal attacks and pornographic descriptions also linked him to the famous prostitute Fanny Murray, so the House of Lords finally ruled that MP Wilkes's discussion in issue 45 of "The North Briton" infringed on parliamentary privilege and was charged with sedition. A formal investigation lawsuit was filed against Congressman Wilkes for defamation.

As a result, Congressman Wilkes fled to Paris. He was later removed from the House of Commons for long-term absence from the meeting. The court also tried him in absentia and found him guilty of sedition and libel.However, when the general election was held a few years later, John Wilkes returned to Britain and won an unprecedented victory in the Middlesex constituency by relying on the huge public opinion accumulated during the investigation of the previous case.

His Majesty the King requested that Parliament hold a new election, and the cabinet also sent people to fan the flames in the media, making a big fuss about Wilkes being separated from his wife for a long time and keeping multiple mistresses. Delsex won again.Afterwards, the king simply went over parliament and ordered the Court of Queen's Bench to rule that Wilkes was not qualified as a candidate. However, this approach caused a strong backlash from Parliament and the British citizens.

Prime Minister Sir Pitt Sr., who had always supported the king, publicly denounced this move as a sharp ax striking at the roots of the tree of liberty. Mr. Burke, a Whig scholar, even called it an appalling move that had shaken the very foundation of Britain.Tens of thousands of protesting London citizens flooded the streets of London. They stormed the prison van and rescued Wilkes.But after Mr. Wilkes was rescued, he escaped from his rescuers and went to the prison on his own in disguise, claiming that his actions were--Parliament does not abide by the law, but I have to set an example.

Sir, not many young people today may remember Wilkes, but you are much older than me, so you may have heard the name John Wilkes mentioned by the elders in your family.Judging from the archival information I have, the Wilkes incident even had the potential to shake the power of George III for a time. In addition, it caught up with the North American War of Independence, so the magnitude of this movement was simply unheard of.

Although Congressman Bernie Harrison did not catch up with that good time, and he may not have much dedication, I feel that judging from this set of operating procedures, there may be something worthy of our attention. "

Rowan is not a fool. When Arthur mentioned it, he immediately understood what the other party meant: "You mean, Bernie Harrison wants to play the big game in order to gain some political capital for himself and package himself as a A righteous man who was unfairly persecuted?”

Arthur closed the document book and put it in front of the case: "I can only say that it is possible. Although the social environment is different now, lunatics and careerists have always existed. Mr. Harrison has also been doing this for several years. Backbench MP, the Tory party is now divided. The leader of the hardliners, Earl Eldon, is old and has become sad because he has been repeatedly attacked by public opinion in recent years. The Duke of Wellington is also because of his old age. The "Catholic Emancipation Act" is regarded as a traitor by the hard-liners, and naturally it is impossible to lead them anymore. So..."

Rowan flipped through the documents and then put them down on the desk casually: "Oh, it seems that our Senator Harrison wants to be a rising star and stand behind the Duke of Wellington and the Earl of Eldon. Go to the stage to fight with the liberals led by Sir Peel in the Tory Party. Now it seems that his punches are quite heavy. I don’t know whether Sir Peel will hurt him in the future, but I am already feeling hot all over my body. ”

At this point, Rowan suddenly raised his head and said: "I have communicated with Sir Peel two days ago. He does not want this matter to escalate, but Senator Harrison's attitude is too firm. Sir Peel, as a Tory, The leader of the party cannot force him to prevent him from safeguarding his own rights and interests. After all, today is different from the past. The Tories are no longer what they were when they were in power. They cannot afford to lose a member. If Harrison is forced to If we are in a hurry, let him go to the Whigs. The impact on the reputation of the Tory Party and the unity within the party will be even more devastating. If Sir Peel cannot get through, we have to think of ways to solve the problem elsewhere. ”

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled: "It is still unclear whether Sir Peel will change his attitude. I just sent him something interesting this morning. I think with Sir Peel's wisdom and artistic appreciation, , after he listens to that record, his mood and attitude towards Senator Bernie Harrison should change. On the Tory side, we can wait a little longer, there is no rush at all. Now we just need to focus on the important things Just focus on blocking the mouths of those congressmen who sympathize with Mr. Harrison. Regarding this, you just said that we can start with this arrest understanding signed by Louis Bonaparte."

Rowan's eyes slowly narrowed. He stared at Arthur for a long time. The army colonel grinned and said, "Arthur, it seems that you have many things that I don't know about? Why don't I have any news here?" What? Can I take the liberty to ask, do I have the honor to know this information? "

When Arthur heard this, he just stood up with the folder in his arms. He smiled and said, "Sir, it's a good thing that you don't know. After all, the beautiful music that Sir Peel heard was only part of it."

Luo Wan lit his pipe and took a sip, and the office was filled with smoke: "How can I say this?"

Arthur smiled and said: "Just like the uncle of Mr. Louis Bonaparte who signed the arrest warrant said: If it is good news, there is no need to be so anxious. But if it is bad news, wake me up immediately, bad news News cannot be delayed at all. As the highest officer of Scotland Yard, a man with the same status as Napoleon in the department, you really should not be distracted by some less important news."

Rowan held his pipe and raised his eyebrows slightly: "So, the news you have there is good news for Scotland Yard? But it is bad news for Sir Peel? So, I don't need to know, but Sir Peel needs to know? "

Arthur smiled and replied: "Sir, I don't know what information you based on which to make such an inference, but in accordance with the provisions of the London Police Intelligence Bureau Intelligence Management Regulations, I have no right to answer your question."

When Luo Wan heard this, he took several puffs from his pipe.

Behind the thick smoke, his expression was completely invisible.

Seeing this scene, Arthur took a step back calmly: "Then sir, I will go to the local court to apply for a search warrant for the residence of Joseph Bonaparte in Regency Crescent House, an unidentified Frenchman. , and at the same time, he is currently a wanted criminal in many Apennine countries such as the French July Monarchy and the Papal States. According to the current British laws, it is completely reasonable for Scotland Yard to apply for arrest or surveillance against him. As for the procedures of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , it’s up to you to handle it. This kind of cross-department cooperation is only in compliance with the regulations if you come forward.”

After saying this, Arthur saluted him, then turned around and prepared to push the door open and go out.

But as soon as his hand landed on the doorknob, he heard Luo Wan's familiar cigarette smoke coming from behind the desk.

"Arthur."

Arthur turned his head to look, nodded slightly and said, "Sir, is there anything else?"

Rowan reached out to fan the smoke in front of him and put the ashes in the pipe into the ashtray: "Believe me, you will become a big shot. Young man, I wish you good luck."

Arthur just smiled when he heard this and did not answer. He opened the door and walked out.

As the office door clicked shut, Luo Wan picked up the tea cup and crossed his legs, and couldn't stop mumbling: "The level of talking in circles is exactly the same as that of the old bureaucrats in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Maybe he should choose a Congressman, I think you can climb faster that way. What are you doing by splashing in a small pond in Scotland Yard?"

……

Regent Crescent, Marylebone, London.

A reunion of the Bonaparte family was taking place here. Louis Bonaparte, who had borrowed an outfit from Arthur to meet his uncle, sat on the sofa excitedly and cried.

And his uncle, the former King of Spain, also leaned on his ruby ​​cane and lamented his nephew's experiences in recent years.

Outside the Regent Crescent Building, Sergeant Jones was smoking a cigarette and observing what was going on inside the house through the window glass.

Louis Bonaparte's identity had been confirmed, but Jones still felt a little guilty about breaking into the house of a former king and taking his eldest nephew away in front of him.

He didn't know what considerations Arthur had to make such a mindless decision.

From a normal law enforcement perspective, even if Arthur wanted to make fun of Louis Bonaparte, he could have waited for him to go out and arrest him on the street. But Arthur didn't. He had to slap the former Spanish The king's face.Once this happens, Jones can even foresee that this arrest will definitely make the front page headlines of major newspapers in London tomorrow. After all, those journalists like to report on the short-term interests of these big shots, and such an invasion of a private home by the police will definitely happen. Can't escape their eyes.

Even if the reporters didn't know, the furious former king would surely have revealed the news to the reporters himself.

Once this kind of news is released, it will certainly not have a good impact on the reputation of Scotland Yard, and the adults in the Ministry of Internal Affairs do not know how they will react to this incident.

However, Jones had doubts, and he still planned to implement Arthur's orders meticulously.

There is no other reason. He, Clayden Jones, really wants to improve!
The years-long promotion system of the new regulations is about to be implemented, and the hot job of police inspector is right in front of you. Everyone will be confused by this change!

Since the death of Napoleon, the glory of the Bonaparte family has been forgotten, let alone the land of Britain.

In other words, even if he loses the bet, there is a high probability that he will be criticized and criticized by the news media. At most, Scotland Yard will punish him and not be promoted within a few years.

However, as new regulations are about to be promulgated, if Jones cannot climb up in the next month or two, there will be no hope for him in at least the next four years.

Calculating it over and over again, it means that there is no loss in this matter. If that is the case, why doesn't he do it?

Jones took out his pocket watch from his pocket, took a look at it, and asked the police officer next to him: "Did the detention ticket come from the hall?"

The young police officer on the side replied: "The arrest warrant has arrived, but we still lack the documents from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Jones stretched his head and glanced at Bonaparte's uncle and nephew in the room, and suddenly found three male servants walking out of the room.

He hurriedly stopped the leader in front and asked with a smile: "The two Mr. Bonapartes were having a good time chatting?"

The footman glanced at his uniform and nodded politely: "My Excellency is very grateful to the police officers for rescuing the second young master from the London gangsters. Later, he also wants to entrust me to send some to the police officers. A small gift like a snuff bottle to express my gratitude. But for now, I would like to ask you gentlemen to give in. I plan to take the young master on a tour of the city of London later. We have to prepare in advance for this trip. , bring the carriage over."

When Jones heard this, he took off his hat and bowed slightly: "Okay, sir, you can go and do your work."

He watched the other person walk towards the stables behind the Regent Building, and until he was sure that he could not see the trace, he put the hat on his head again, loosened his collar and said coldly: "Listen to my command and prepare to break into the Crescent Building." , arrest Louis Bonaparte.”

When the young police officer on the side heard this, he was startled and said: "Sir...sir, are you crazy? The documents and procedures haven't been completed yet. If we do things like this, I'm afraid it's against the regulations, right?"

"Regulations?" When Jones heard this, he couldn't help but glared at him, imitating the clasped fist posture that Arthur taught him before, and said in the direction of Scotland Yard: "Scotland Yard, six departments and 23 police districts are all in the dark." Superintendent Stings is shouldering the burden, and it’s not your turn to say the word “regulations”!”

The young police officer was so scolded by him that he did not dare to raise his head. He just replied weakly: "Responsible for six departments and 23 police districts? Isn't what Superintendent Hastings is carrying the St. Edward's crown badge on his shoulders?"

When the more senior police officer on the side heard this, he quickly pulled the young police officer back, came up to the rescue with a smile and said: "You are right, Superintendent Hastings is our big star at Scotland Yard. In the past two years, Everyone who has handled cases under him will not praise Superintendent Hastings for his carefulness and ability."

"Stop talking about those useless things!" Jones said: "I'm going to ask you something right now. Are you going to execute the arrest when you break into the Regency Crescent Building?!"

The young police officer stepped forward and said: "Of course it will be executed, but..."

Jones glared: "But what?"

The young police officer asked: "Will the words you just said hurt Director Luo Wan too much?"

Upon hearing this, Jones angrily threw his white gloves to the ground and angrily yelled: "Hurt your mother's head!"

When he saw the hesitant looks of the police officers, he felt angry and anxious, but suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind, and the ghostly plan suddenly came to mind.

Jones took a deep breath, calmed down his emotions, recalled Arthur's appearance, and said in a calm tone: "I'm sorry everyone, I shouldn't have lost my temper."

The police officers couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief when they heard this: "It's okay, sir. We also know that this kind of arrest mission must be very stressful for you."

Jones asked: "No, it's not because of this. As a police officer, pressure is naturally present all the time. As a mature police officer, I have long been used to it. You should also know that I don't have so many emotions at work. I The reason why I lost my temper today is because I think this may be the last time I perform a mission with the Whitechapel Police Department. I want to cherish this last time and leave a happy memory with everyone... …”

"Sir..."

"You...do you want to..."

"There's nothing to miss here. It's hard and tiring. It's much better to find another job than this."

"Have a safe journey, sir!"

The police officers all said blessings, but Jones changed the subject and said, "Yes, when I said goodbye to Inspector Claydon yesterday, I did the same thing as you. But after all, I have been working for so long. Even if we move to a better office environment, this sincere friendship will never dissipate."

"This……"

The expressions of the police officers changed one by one, and some of them were even beginning to consider subsequent job changes.

Jones took a deep breath and showed a relieved smile: "Of course, I also like to choose a suitable successor. After all, everyone knows that Whitechapel District has a relatively long development time, a rich local worker group, and a complex police situation. …”

Jones was mumbling these words, but the young police officer who had been fighting with him just now listened distractedly.

He just poked his elbow at the colleague next to him: "Where is the detention ticket?"

The colleague was still thinking about the aftertaste of Jones's words, and without much thought, he took it out of his pocket and handed over the detention ticket: "Here, what's wrong?"

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, he saw the young police officer pull out the gun from his waist and hit the door like an arrow from a string.

There was only a thud, and a roar came from the room: "Don't move! Scotland Yard police!"

Immediately afterwards, there was a report that was so serious that even the most picky veteran police officer could not fault it: "Reporting to the sir, the London Metropolitan Police Force, Tower Hamlets Police District, East London Region, Whitechapel Police Station [-] Inspector Ledley King reports to you that the target Louis Bonaparte has been captured by me!"

(End of this chapter)