The Express.
London, England, 1856-01-04 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 4.

" iIIiTICE for Downing-street' is a ery which none
deer readers will suspect us as being likely to raise
MB Nett or insufficient grounds. We have never,
Illissd, indulged in that sweeping style of vitupera-

as ince faahlocable, which 1;:d iiiTwOlc, is an Of his

.11 of the spleadida bilis, to anathematise the whole
! dale of public servants ea "a spawn of tax-bora
ablibsa" linking that somewhat disrespectfal de-
signation to a rhyme more unsavoury still. That
many members of the Civil Service have after their
fashion been hardworking and meritorious men we
have always been ready to admit. It is very likely
hue that even the loiterers have of late had some
pressure of actual business on their bands. The
newspaper is less wearily lounged over, some time is
found for other topias of discourse than sapper rooms
and casinos, the last new dancer, or the next
Derby winner—fewer public pens are spoiled
sod less public paper wasted in sorry squibs
and sorrier caricature,. It has even become possible
for the intrusive taxpayer, who ventures to look in
on matters of business, to receive something like a
satisfactory answer to his queries, communicated ia a
tone something short of coodssesading contempt.
Toe them improvements sad others still ia stare the
public is in some degree indebted to the labours of
the public press ; nor are we aware of having been
mating on oar part in denninsbag the ahem by
which the action of Oar public Wiese has been im-
peded, or in indicating the reforms by whit& it might
be improved.
But Downinrstreet now comes forward with a
grievance of its own; and acting me that psiastple of
fair play which is the first duty of the journalist, let
as proceed to examine what that grievance ie. The
exnplaint now put forward by a large majority of
the civil servants of the Crown is embodied ia •
form of petition to the Howie of Commons, for
the amendment of the Superannuation Act of 1834
(4th and 3th Will. 3V., cap. 24j. The poiats psis-
eipally complained of are two. Fleet, the reduced
seals of pensions or sopereenuation eqoseeisese sines
August, 1829 (from which time, by virtue of a re-
trospective clause, the Act of 1834 was made to take
effect). Secondly, the foreed tonirshutions to the w-
alled superannuation fund, which from the time the
Act ponied have been levied on all those mambas of
the Civil Service who have entered it soberqesatly
to 1829.

Is order clearly to understand the ease of the
petitioners, the first thing necessary to be borne la
mind is the division of all the members of the Civil
Service into two great classes—those who mitered
the sere.' before, and those who have en-
tered it since, August, 1829. Taking the whole
number of our civil servants at 10,000, it seems
that those who entered before the date is question
are about 6,000, and those who have entered subse-
quently about 11,000, or something like two-thirds
of the satire body. As regards the seals of seper-
sensation a110w..., the differ.ee between these
two elegem is this: members of the former elais are
entitled to four twelfths of their fall salary alter 10
and under 15 years' service, and ...twelfth more
Ise every additional fire yeses of service : so that after
SO years of service an officer of this clue Goa retire
• as anneal allowance equal to hie net salary.
Members of the latter class (those who some under
the operation of the Aet) stead on a very different
Scotia,: the allowance I. their ems aviameaces at
three-twellthe of the salary after 10 years' sent.,,
remains at the same point for the seat seven
years, and then goes on increasing ow-twellth foe
every soceassive seven years of envies, bat never
exceeds eight-twelftha. The resalt is, that, ee eves-
pared with the loran scale, all the allowsness are de-
ferred seven years, and the officer who Nth. after 60
years of service, instead of receiving the tall amount el
his salary, can is so seas motive more than two.
thirds of it. In point of fact, it is only is very rare
eases that be would receive so math. a Treasury ad-
nab directing that, as as °Misery rale, only four-
lithe of the allows.ee aathorised by the Am shall
be &madly paid. It has bees calealated that the
eembised offset of these regulations has bona to re.
dam by eseAalf the value of the pukes payable to
these who have entered the swiss ass 16211, as
compared with them payable to the elms who be-
longed to it bolero that date. Nor ie this all. The
Am of 1834 farther provides that ao allowance shall
be payable to say °Seer ander 66 years of age, ex.
eept epee eertificate that be is incapable from mental
er bodily infirmity to diseharp the duties el his
situation.

Book thee, as far as relates to the soak of saps,.
anasstion allowances, is the distisetise mode by the
Air of 1834 betimes these members of the 014
Barrios who wen its case before 1829, sad these who
ham 00619 into etre Maim Bat the Act doss eel
rest hers : it Boma' to impose upon the lsm favoured
slam a famed contribution from whisk the mere
lammed class are wholly Is.. It iamb that, with
respect toil! these who have *mod the ionise rises
1929, a &deities shall be made from their Werke at
the rates/1i per mat. when those 'shires mewl 1001.,
sod of 21 pm sena where tbiry do sot, la order to
esestitate a espersannatioe fend. It is osly seam
easy to add that the smarm of these costributions
wee in 1864 more than 60,0001. ; that the salaries of
all the higher fasotionaries, Ministers of State, Diplo-
matic Aare, Judges both of the superior and meaty
marts, are expressly exempted from this tax; sad
that the average ef the imams of the 11,000 epos
whets it is levied doss sot exceed 861. per annum.
Bash is the role that her been is operation for the
lost one-sed-twenly vats—with what emits to the
pablio lorries is very ably and temperately pointed
ost is what we will take the liberty of ealliag the
"Petition of the Lower 11,000." The worlds( Glib,
system has hoes as bad as peedhle. Irs the first
pleas, it Mirk to he anjest in the mode et its hapset.
ties. A. Bir Cauu.sa TWSLYAX anserwerahly per
the esse:—" There is no dilemmas in principle he.
tweets the ems of the highest of these (the tell)
eaters and that of on Waist sick, which replies
that is. Amid receive his pension without deist-
ties, mad that the other should provide it by dolor
does mode from hi. salary. Testis, ebeimeiy
quires that WI should either he medsred liable es, sr
damns*

nature of as insurance premium is a mackery,l
thus conclusively disposed of by Sir Caw.*
TRIVILTAN That cannot- pesgsrly twee
as insurance which gives a man no iithsranatlelttt
will ever derive any benefit In veld
majority domes the could Me be ey be-
conmestitled to a peasict, a
does are then entirely lost to theism and their
families." "Even if after twenty or thirty years'
&duodena from hie salary," adds Mr. Hawse, "he
retire and obtain the maximum &Bowan* attainable
ender the Act, it ewes upon his death, without his
family benefiting by his long matribution in the
slightest degree." Can anything be more grossly de-
lusive or upset than OUP The tax, however, is not
only delmive and unjust, it is also oppressive in its
incidence. It prod'uc .to the nation only 60,0001.
per seam ; but levied as it is on official incomes the
avenge of which is only 861. per annum, it his the
'Beeps. the petitioners allege, of nearly doubling direct
taxation le the ease of the luckless 11,000 m compared
with all other claws of her MAJUTVII subjects.
Bad, however, as the effect of the Act is oa the in-
terests of the members of the Civil Bwrvios, it is even
more detrimental to the interests of the public. It
there he one thing man desirable than another in the
administration of our public offices, it is that worn
oat and incapable men should not be tempted to linger
oa in office to the exclusion of those who are better
able to do good Gerriee to the State. Now the effect
of the Superannuation Act runs directly coaster to
this desirable result. No man is willing to retire at
the °Main loss of half his issue. Many a man.
rather them submit to seek a mediae, slings es to
office long &her his academes., in it his ceased to
be serviceable to the country or creditable to hissed/.
To ss the ease of the petitioners appears irresistibly
strong. The grievance of which they complain is
a real and tangible ; the mischiefs they expose
are of serious detriment to the public service. The
tax from which they would be freed is partial in its
imposition, oppressive in its incidence, contemptible
in its product, seed delusive in its alleged objets. That
redaction of the 'Housese from which they suffer
inflicts upon the community evils quite as peat u it
imposes on themselves : it bars the way to the rise of
merit, and encumbers the higher grades of the en-
vies with those whom it is at um hush to form WO
retirement and mischievous to keep in Mike. We
are no lovers of bersasersey : looking abroad
upon the nations, that word seems to as bet
old despotism "writ largo.' It matters not
whether Liberty be stifled by the amuses, or et:sa-
iled by the grasp, of Power. The result is alike
fatal to either case. Nor is there any ratan for
this wintry to whir& we should look forward with
such utter repugnance and loathing as one destined
to bring the free intellect of the land seder the
same golden bondage which is now emeseelating the
natiosel mind of Prussia. Bat any soak appeubassioas
are, is the present state of things, parely sed ledieresely
oblassisal. The service in oar government oases
never hes been—never will be—so constitated as to
tempt Mesita ranks the best intellect of the country.
Of that there is no fear. But it conearee the satimial
Margot that we should secure competent leen to do
the natioa's work, and, having so smeared them. it
comerns the national homer that we should not deal
with them ungenerously or nejostly. It is became
we think the Superannuation Act both usgeserons
sad =jest that we concur in the prayer of the 11,000
for its amesidasst or repeal.

•••••••••
is szsairtsd inn, the &deities& The dame,
is that ow eke; e:o olleera
regbt thas w t
pewerfal. sad bat be:
ether is weak sad getbsly the hoods of Gwen.
asset" I. the mit Oust this esstribedes is levied
=der a &helve pretest, sad is gosh a aunty as to
glee se essivalemt at all to the great majwity, sod
se gimlets eseivalemt to soy of demi ben weems it
is law. To reprigest it so a metes& is the