The Press.
London, England, 1853-09-10 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

" Duke of NEWCASTLE, to get them to use their
" influenee with Mr. OTLAHERTY to induce
" him to withdraw the Dungarvtui petition ?"
And, in anticipation of Mr. MAoutßE's affir-
mative answer, Mr. MURPHY triumphantly adds,
" Give me leave to ask what equivalent you
" wero to offer to them for theirinterference?"
So that, at all events, whatever may have been
Mr MAGUIRE's construction of Mr. MURPHY'S
aid, it seems clear that the latter gentleman
had no objection to be the go-between in a ne-
gotiation, which, if really contemplated, was
not of a character very creditable to any of the
parties.
But Mr. MAGUIRE appears to have put a con-
struction on the matter much more honourable
to the motives of Mr. MURPHY. Unable, from
some cause or other, arising out of election
polemics, to make direct overtures to Mr.
OTEAndurrY, he seems to have calculated on
the friendliness and good-fellowship of certain
Irish Members, and, among them, of Mr.
Sergeant, now Mr. Commissioner, MURPHY.
" It is quite true," says Mr. MAGUIRE, in answer
to the insidious interrogatories of Mr. MURPHY,
" that I had frequent conversations in refer
" enee to the petition pending against me with
" Sergeant MURPHY, and it is quite true that
" he volunteered, fully as often as I solicited,
" his interference on my behalf. It is quite
" true that he did speak to Mr. IIAYTER on the
" subject. It is also true that, more than once,
"he said, I'll speak to IIAyTER about it ; he'll
" put an end to it.' It is quite true that I
" did ask the hon. and learned gentleman to
" do what I have a full recollection of his
" volunteering to do—to speak to the Duke of
" NEWcASTLE, as he Was supposed, erroneously
" or otherwise, to have most influence with
" Mr. °Twit:llTV. Moro than that is true—l
" asked Mr. FAGAN to speak to Mr. HAYTER ;
" and Mr. FAGAN did so. It is also true that
an lion. friend of mine, Mr. E. B. ROCHE,
" interested himself on my behalf, repeatedly
" and zealously, not only for the purpose of
" saving me from serious expense, and pro-
" testing me from the uncertain issue of a trial
" before a parliamentary tribunal, but to put
" an end to what Mr. llocuE, in common with
" every Irish Liberal politician, not. imme-
" (Biddy identified with Mr. 011.AnERTY's per-
" sonal friends and political associates, regarded
" as it scandal, and what Mr. Sergeant MURPHY
" frequently denouneed as 'a damned shame,
" and which he figuratively illustrated by the
" metaphor of • hawk picking hawk's eyes out.'
" But that I authorised any man to enter into
" a corrupt compact on my behalf is-1 regret
"to be compelled to use the phrase—a lie."
And Mr. MAGUIRE goes on to adduce other
evidence, in detail, of the truth of his version
of the affair, making out what is certainly a
very strong ease. One is at a loss to know
why Mr. MURPHY intrudes into the dispute at
all; unless, indeed, he be sensitive on the
point of honour. The charge against Mr.
MAainfir, which originally appeared in the
Southern Reporter, was designated by that
gentleman as " a lie," and Mr. MURPHY ap-
pear's instantly to have appropriated that
vagrant epithet. It is a misfortune that Irish
polemics eannot he earried on without the
use of such expressions, or without a constant
resort, to imputations on eharaeter. But,
after reading Mr. MAorm's reply, the enigma
of Mr. NI ERPIIY's conduct beeomes still more
unintelligible. Mr. MURPHY himself somewhat
astonished the public by the facility with
which he dropped from the patriot into the
pineeman. How would he like to have corrupt
motives imputed to himself? Mr. MAoin RE ap-
pears only to have been actuated by a natural
anxiety to avoid the vexation of a committee
contest. He proclaims himself a " Liberal ;"
but we do not remember to have noticed
during the session that he exhibited any signs
of bondage to the Coalition : on the contrary,
his conduct has been independent and above
faction. Had his proceedings been such as
Mr. Mraptiv describes them, it is scarcely
possible that his constituents would so soon
again have returned him, by an overwhelming
majority, over his vicarious antagonist. W
e
are no great admirers of Mr. MAGUIRE 8 politics ;
but " fair play 's tt jewel:'

SATURDAY,

THE BOROUGH OF GRANTHAM.

WE suppose that there are few persons so
simple as to believe that the Government
party really cares anything about purity of
election, or that it is averse to any kind of
jobbing which can secure a borough or add
one to the number of its supporters in the
House of Commons. The excessive indigna-
tion which it lately manifested at the idea of
patronage being employed to influence votes
was, indeed, carried beyond the line at
which hypocrisy ceases to be profitable. The
imposture was so palpable that it could only
inspire ridicule or disgust; and we are afraid
that the exposure of a particular instance in
which Government patronage has been wielded
for electioneering purposes will only be thought
to prove what was perfectly notorious before.
The case of Grantham, however, presents
some peculiar circumstances. We believe it
is new for Government influence to be exer-
cised in a small borough for the sake of
strengthening the interest of a defeated can-
didate, in the event of a new election, and
of damaging the influence of political op-

ponents.
At the last election for Grantham, the Hon.
Mr. TOLLEMACHE, who had sat for the borough
since P4:l7—a period of fifteen years—was de-
feated by a majority of 46. He was mortified
no doubt by the loss of his seat, and it seems
that endeavours have since been made to
restore his influence, and detach votes from
the si►ie of his opponent. To effect this praise-
worthy end, his friends in the Government
have employed the borough patronage at their
disposal ; and the defeated candidate is still
the person through whom alone anything in
the shape of Government favour and promo-
tion can come.
Though there would manifestly be great im-
propriety, to say the least of it, in entrusting
this kind of power to one who had just lost his
election, as it could not fail to excite jealousy
and dissatisfaction, and aggravate
_party dif-
ferenees, we do not know that we should have
gone out of our way had the supporters of
Mr. TOLLEMACHE been rewarded with borough
otfices only. But it seems the electors were
to be taught that he had better gifts to be-
stow ; and within the last few months three
persons have been nominated to situations in
the Excise, the whole three being selected
for no other reason that we can hear than
because they or their relatives voted for Mr.
Tom.KmAciix at the last election, and were
among the most violent of his supporters.
We refrain at ►resent from mentioning
naming ; but we are m possession .of them, and,
should our statement be called in question,
we shall not hesitate to produce evidence to
substantiate every word we have advanced.
Now, what. are we to understand by bribery,
if this be not it? Are we to be told that cor-
rupt practices depend on the accident of sue
cess or failure at un election? Are they to pass
unnoticed merely because tkey do not happen
to be immediately successful, or are so system-
atically conducted as to take efiect at a dis-
tant period? Mr. TOLLEMACHE, by his ostentc-
tious display of Government influence, is doing
his best to strengthen himself and his party in
the event of another contest, and so the
borough electors—quick enough, no doubt, in
taking a hint—understand it. They say that
Mr. TOLLE/AAA:IM is the man to look after his
friends interests, that a vote given to him is
never thrown away, and, to use a common
phrase in the place, that " he can get for you
" anything you want."
Is not this a matter, in the view of the
" purists," calling for inquiry ? Should Mr.
TOLLEMACHE and his friends shrink from the
investigation we challenge, the public will
know what opinion• to form of the transac-
tion, and what is the worth of that pretended
abhorrence of bribery which has been repeated
by the Government party ad ikliffeMli.

RAILWAY ACCIDENTS, THEIR CAUSES
AND REMEDIES.

R►ILWAY casualties generally come in batches.
After au - interval of regular action and delu-
sive security, the public are startled and
horror-struck by a quick succession of dreadful
accidents, till each traveller trembles as he
enters his train. The popular experience tells
us of all things, whether good or evil, that it
never rains but it pours ;" but surely there
must be some deeper cause than a mere eon
glomeration of chances for this periodical crisis
in railway history.
During the last half year of 1852—the latest
date to which the retur us were made up—very
nearly fifty millions of passengers were con-
veyed. Of these nine were killed. and 316 in-
jured, from causes beyond their own control.
Subdivided by the number of accidents, this
comparatively small list of killed and wounded
furnishes strong negative proof of the excel-
lence of the railway system, if properly
worked. A further inquiry into the causes of
these accidents exhibits the encouraging fact,
that the nuOority of them might have been
avoided, had there been the simplest and
most obvious precautions. Unfortunately,
the character of the employment and of
the persons employed encourages a habit
of mind which is not so much carelessness as
a blind reliance on chance. Because Provi
Bence has been tempted in vain three hun-
dred and sixty-four times in the year, the three
hundred and sixty fifth offence is committed
as a matter of course. The game of hazsu•d is
played until Fortune is tired, and some fright-
ful collision takes place fatal to life and limb.
The remembrance of instances is fresh. The
papers are still filled with details of the terrible
catastrophe at Hornsoy. It is known to the
station-master, engine driver, and all parties
concerned, that the express train will leave
King's-cross at 5, and that it will come thun-
dering along in reliance on a clear line ; yet,
at five minutes (or less) before that hour, the
clumsy process of shunting a sluggish coal-
train is deliberately gone through, as it has
been, perhaps, a hundred times before. On
this particular occasion a hitch occurs; a race
is run against time and inevitable fate, in the
hope of stopping the down-coining train ; all
is fruitless, and the collision occurs, periling
some most valuable lives►, and spreading
terror and its untraceable consequences
among all the passengers. A few days
after, Captain WYNNE, the Government in-
spector, goes through the farce of trying
experiments as to how a train might have
been stopped under such circumstances.
Strange to say, no one ever thinks of the
cause of the " accident "—the placing, on any
pretence whatsoever, an obstructive body on
the line. It was but the other day that a
frightful collision occurred on the up-line of
the Brighton and South-Eastern Railway, from
precisely the same cause. On the Chester
and Holyhead line, also, a collision took place
in consequence of this senseless practice of
shunting across a line when a train was ex-
pected ; and her Majesty herself appears to
have had a most narrow escape, on her journey
to Scotland, from a horrible fate—seeing that
a train immediately following was r•un on
another train at a siding through the " points"
having been neglected. We allude to these
cases chiefly because they are so recent ; but
an examination of the return already referred
to shows that an overwhelming majority of the
railway casualties, dining the period embraced.
arose from similar blind or obstinate defiance
of the precautions which common morality
dictates. The reader must take our word for
the details, unless 1w will pay his few pence
at Hansard's, and buy the parliamentary paper
containing the facts.
Why should so great a blessing as the rail-
way system be thus converted into a curse?
It' a hundred millions of passengers can be
conveyed per annum, with only fatal eonse-
quences to less than twenty persons, why
should all the rest feel themselves jeopardised
each time they go on a journey? Why should
speculators set up au insurance company on the
oopitAl of these vague fears Surely there

must be sonic principle on which a remedy
can be applied. The clumsy machinery of vet.
diets of manslaughter and heavy pecuniary
fines has been tried in vain. The disastrous
shunting of the coal-train at Ilornsey took place
only a few days after a jury had mulcted a rail-
way company in upwards of seven thousand
pounds for one accident. Trusting to chance is a
habit inveterate and unconquerable in such
people. The motives of ilireetors may he ad-
mirable, but they art' frustrated by the meanest
materialist in their employ. If 4iovernment
control is at all hazards to he deprecated, can
we not arrive at seine decalogue which shall
impose the necessary mond rest mint ? It
is naturally with the utmost diffidence
that we approach a I:UW(1 so complicated and
difficult ; but it seems that every detening
influence has been tried in vain. The half-
yearly returns of the railway department of
the Hoard of Trade furnish the facts of all
accidents. Might not a careful analysis be
made, and the causes arrived at" Our own
observation leads to the conclusion that those
causes are very few, and that a very simple
code of laws might be framed which, in less
than a decade of items, should indicate the
things that under no circumstances whatever
are to be done. Breaches of these intelligible
laws might then he treated as criminal
offences ; ad, while the directors would gain
in the avoidance of vindictive damages. the
public would enjoy the happiness of at least
a ffincied security. A religious care for the
public safety is the invariable routine of all
foreign railway systems. If there is something
in the national ammeter inimical to a similar
/oora/e hen., thene seem* to be no alternative
but. to attain the objeet by specific penal
enactments.

THE FUTURE LIFE ASSURANCE,

" ly LIFE ASSURANCE one of those good things
of which it is possible to have too mueh ?"
Grave doubts certainly had arisen, and suspi •
ei(on, seemingly well founded. pointed to the
host of mushroom-like eompanies, with their
rapid development and glowing reports of
growing business, but wanting all guarantee of
stability save a few " names," often too well
known as speeulative directors—men, no
doubt, respectable and honourable enough,
but intangible in case of failure. The partisans
of the old offices naturally fanned the flame,
because their young and enterprising compe-
titors not only created and carried off the new
business, hut also broke up the monopoly of
the old. Policy-holders became alarmed, and
Parliament interfered.

The result of that interference has just ap-
peared in the Report of the Committee ap-
pointed by the House of Commons to consider
the whole subject of assurance. After a
thorough and searching investigation, the
Committee arrive at certain conclusions, sonic
of which, at least, we may reasonably suppose
will become the basis of future legislation.
Two opinions are boldly expressed, one
cheering to the policy-holder, the other to the
philanthropist. 'rhe Committee tell us that
the general condition of the existing compa-
nies is more satisfactory than they had been
led to believe before entering on the inquiry :
they also feel that the ground hitherto occu-
pied has been comparatively limited, and that
life assurance is capable of great extension,
not only in the higher and middle ranks of
society, but also amur►g the humbler classes.
The object, then, of the suggestions embodied
in the report is to improve and eontirm that
which now exists, and so to formularise for
the future as that the system may with safety
be indefinitely extended in obedience to the
growing wants of society.
To this end the Committee propose that
life-assurance companies bhall be taken out of
the range of the general law for joint-stock
companies, and hereafter be regulated under a
separate sot of Parliament; that the registrar

,joint-Stuck companies shall have Mier
pom en. than now to rreVent evasion of the
regtliatiolin ; and that the distinction exist-
ing between offices established before and
after the set 4)1 1M44 shall I►e abolished. These

ant general suggestions. to which hut little
opposition. if any. eat% he offered. At present.
although on the whole the Committee aro
satisfied with the eondit ion of existing ofilees,
they proelaint that many evasions have taken
place, that provisional registration has been
abused by persons who never intended " com-
plete " registration. and that the annual ite•
counts. as now rendered by some otbee%. are
" worse than useless."

Some authorities on the question having
advised a duvet and *olive interference by
titnaniment . Oil the plea that there is sou:4.-
111111 g 111 1110 llsSlllllll4.t. Whiell render. it 4..xeep
11011411 11'11111 the general laws of trade. the
arguments for and against have been that
roughly weighed. with the result that the
Committee manifestly lean to noloinierierenee,
itroviiied that the public have full materials
for a sound judgment on the liniment% eittitli-
tion of the companies.
it is the insuline of eompaides to review
their atlitirti at periods of not less than five
vears, and then to 111111rOpriatti profits, chiefly in
bonuses to the policyholders. With this
wholesome custom it is not. proposed to inter-
ten'. Hut the companies also issue annual
ileelounts, too Often 1111111telligible, unsatisfac-
tory, or (Lettish e. if the responsibility of
judging is to be thrown on the public, all
lia,veniment super% ision being rejected. this
matter of the !instants is the real pivot of the
whole olitestion. Make them sound, tnte, and
comprehensible, and you nay !twee the rest
of the machinery to work if itself.
Besides the tive-yearly or other periotheal
balance-sheet. the Committee most tt isely re
eommend that l'arliament should preset as,
the general ellltllleler tor the ammo' lit -
enitittm. whiell shall exhibit the year's re-
eeipts for premiums and the year's eapeases;
the 111 W policies Of the year, their number and
uut ; the whole liabilities 4111 all eurrent
policies, slid the premiums recen able thereon ;
this whole capital of the company, and boa
invested, what in cash, what in litiv eminent
securities. what in mortgage on real estate,
and what in other securities (specifying their
nature); also the average interest on such iii•
vestments, and whore such interest is is ao. relic.
I,a these emiditions be Mifflind in 'atoll faith,
and the Intim, of life assiminee will have beep
fully eared for. The rest may be left to the
good sense of the public; not cxerpting those
humbler classes who are ilerentli't tat I Mil ie: -
little, Wll4l liaise learned prudence :11141 IMO.-
tiee through their benefit clubs. and with
whom it is dangerous to give 111,. 111,1,4.1“..
Imre of Go% eminent guarantee ; %%hereof the
savings banks are an example.
The pri.pose 11111 t Ida eolo•
pally 011111 " eompletely revister" till I ii,tioui,
e paid lilt and lin ested iu Iloterluaent stock
partly to guarantee character, and 'tartly to
meet !Halley claims in the infant.). insti-
tution. Besides that this floes Meet the 4.111,14
of.llll. " 11111t11111" Sisieties, it is open to many
objections; into which, however, tie do not
enter, beeausit we hold that the publication of
true and intelligible aecounts is the great ob-
ject to be attained.
While antieipating a vast increase of life
assurance among all classes, especially the
humbler, the tee 111$4, eolltelllphlte with
Complacency the extension of the principle to
every species of casualty ; thus indireetiv
sanctioning many schemes now in hHafi
oporation, some of which were among the
Most abortive bubbles of the South Sell mania.
On the other banal, a derided stand is made
against the new pnietiee taking deposits
at interest, its being 111roltMOsteo1 111111 the
hU141111901 or life assurance.
The interferenec of l'arliament has thus led
tat veil' grnut results. The public us ill red
limn' general etuititletice in existing conilatilie,
although, at the tiara' tulle, they Ore wanted
to will for a mitre strict enforeenient ad' the
law as it •tands, and for sueli n publiention of
aentunts Its will enable die intending assurer
to exercise that vigilance in respect of his own
affairs, which no Government officer could
ever do so well or so satisfactorily on his
behalf.

11..••••••••ils - •
i
SEPTEMBER 10,1853. THE PRESS. 485
_ •
tt, •(.. A or•Tivvv•rc Turin 17 ti7s7.pg I must Nome+ mineinlo on which a remedy of ionn-stock companies shall have Mier