The Press.
London, England, 1854-01-28 00:00:00

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74

Marlborough
Orion
New ship at Devonport (now
Conqueror)
New ship at Chatham (now
(Hero)
New ship at Pembroke (sow
Repulse) 90
. 80}
Vogue
iii) 040141111iP8.
Blenheim - ••• •
Edinburgh
This list comprises am. the elite for the
creation of which the Times claim* cretit for
the present Board of Admiralty, with the ex-
ception of four of 50 guns, and one of 30, viz.,
the Forte, Chesa), eake, Curaqoa, St. Fiorenzo,
and Euryalus, which were at that time on the
stocks.

PREMIUMS ON POISONING.
Wn have dwelt, in a former article, on the
demoralising effect of those associations for
the promotion of poisoning, commonly entitled
burial clubs. We have shown that direct and
premeditated murder is their result in many
eases—indirect murder, through neglect, in
many more—and the discouragement of
natural affection between parents and children
in all. This last result follows even where
those who experience it may be little aware of
its influence. There is always a tendency on
the part of persons whose lives+ are passed in
a hard struggle against poverty to undervalue
life itself, and to regard the death of infants
as a benefit both to themselves and thei►
relatives This tendency is augmented and
developed by the existence of death premiums.
For, be it observed, the labourer is in any
ease a gainer pecuniarily by the decease of
one of his children. The expenses of burial
axe far from equivalent to the expenses of
maintenance for any considerable period.
The immediate demand, indeed, may press
hardly ; but in the long run there is no loss.
And, when a large and instant profit ensues on
the bereavement of the parent, it can scarcely
be doubted that in numerous instances such
bereavement is rather envied than deplored by
neighbours similarly circumstanced. Once
more hear Mr. CLAY. " That the predominant
" feeling in the mind of a parent whose sick
" child is in a club is too often fixed on the
" money which can only be obtained by that
" child's death, no one can doubt who has
" seen the working of these societies."
" The wife of a clerg-yman told me that, visit-
" ing a poor district where a child's death
"0 bad occurred, instead of hearing from the
" neighbours the language of sympathy for
the bereaved parent, she was shocked by
" such grudging observations as—' Ah ! it's a
"fine thing for her (the mother) the child's in
"two clubs!'"

We may be told that this is exaggera-
tion, that the pecuniary benefit derived from
these societies is too wall to outweigh the
strongest feelings of the human organisation.
Let us, then, see what the amount of this
benefit is. John Rodda, in July, '4O, was con-
victed at York Assizes of the wilful murder of
his child, aged twelve months. It was proved
that he said "he did not care how soon it
died, for it was on a dead-list for 21. 10s. ; "
also that he added "he had another that
" would have the same when it died, and two
" others that would have 51. a-piece when
" they died ; " 151. gained at the trifling cost
of four murders ! In July, '4B, Ma►y May was
found guilty of poisoning a person of the
name of Watts, whom she had put on the list
for Al. or 101. In August, '47, Ann Mather
put her husband on three death-lists—
poisoned him—and won 201. Innumerable
other instances might be adduced; but for
most readers taste these will be sufficient.
Be it here observed that there is no limit to
the extent to which this gambling may be
practised. In Mr. CMADWICICS report it is
stated that a single individual in Manchester
had insured his children in nineteen different
clubs. It is hard to imagine that this could
be done for the mere purpose of legitimate in-
surance. The object must have been to profit
by an anticipated death ; whether such death
were contemplated as occurring in the common
course of nature, or otherwise. There is