ABSTRACT
The status of the Receiver was a major restraint on a Commissioner's freedom of action because, although all logistical support came from him, the Receiver was not a real subordinate since he reported direct to the Home Secretary. The Receiver's accountant had pointed out to the 1878 Committee that, if the Surveyor reported to the Commissioner for everything, then he would be likely to report as the Commissioner wished. The Receiver is in short a Home Office official located in Scotland Yard having assigned to him statutory and other duties relating to Finance." The 30 years intervening had seen important changes inside and outside the police crucially affecting the context of the argument. The police service was no longer virtually synonymous with the Metropolitan Police. The Metropolitan Police itself had grown from an authorized establishment of 1200 men in 1829 to an actual strength of 9,206 in London by 1878.
