The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-03 00:00:00

THE SUPERANNUATION FUND BILL.

At a meeting of the General Committee of the Civil
Servants of the Crown held on Tuesday last, at the Buck-
ingham•chamhers, to consider what steps should be taken
in consequence of the reply given by the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, on the 21st ult., to a question put to him
in the House of Commons by Mr. Disraeli, relative to
the Superannuation Fund Bill, the following letter to
the Prime Minister was unanimously adopted :

" THE RIGHT HON. VISCOUNT PALMERSTON, M.P.

" Admiralty, June 26.
"My Lord,—lt is with deep regret and disappointment
that we feel called upon to address your lordship as the
head of her Majesty's Government, with reference to the
reply given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on Thurs-
day last, to a question put in the House of Commons, by
Mr. Disraeli, relative to the Civil Service Superannuation
Bill. _ _ _

"A copy of the question and answer, as reported in the
Times newspaper, we have appended to this letter.
" The civil service has borne for many years the heavy
abatements made from public salaries, under an act passed
in the year 1854, for the ostensible purpose of `reducing'
the charge upon the country for civil pensions.
" The question has been long agitated and discussed,
and actuaries have proved the injustice of the amounts
levied for the purpose originally intended.
" We have acted as a general committee of civil servants
since the year 1846, for the purpose of collecting data, and
urging upon each successive Government the strong neces-
sity which exists for altering the law.
" We have procured, by means of returns to Parliament,
and through other legitimate channels, the necessary data,
for stating the whole of our case to the Government.
"That case and the papers connected therewith were
referred by the late Chancellor of the Exchequer to the
Government actuary, who was unable to controvert the
results we had arrived at.
" The returns clearlyshow, upon the best available data,
that had the contributions of civil servants since the year
1829 been funded at 3 per cent. interest they would now
amount to more than 800,0001., after defrrying the pen-
sions authorised under the act; and further, that the in-
terest upon the fund would alone be sufficient to defray
the entire charge for pensions hereafter to be granted ; and
that, at the end of 60 years, when the full charge upon the
country would be developed under the act, there would be
a ' surplus' fund exceeding six-and-a-half millions sterling.
" These facts we laid before the Government in 1853 and
prayed for redress, having already, so far back as the year
1848, memorialised the First Lord of the Treasury upon
the subject.
" In May, 1854, the late Chancellor of the Exchequer
assured us that the Government were much concerned at
the titnewhich had been occupied in this investigation; and
in December last he further stated ' that the Government
were then engaged in endeavouring to frame some mea-
sure on the subject to be submitted to Parliament.'
" On the Bth of the present month the Chancellor of the
Exchequer stated in the House of Commons that ' a bill
for altering and amending the laws relating to the Civil
Service Superannuation Fend, which was then in the
hands of the draughtsman, would probably be laid before
the House about the end of the next week (ending 16th of
June).'
"This answer gave encouragement to the Civil Servants
of the Crown, whose salaries are small in comparison with
others engaged in mercantile and professiond pursuits,
and who have now 12 per cent., abated from their slender
incomes; but judge, my Lord, of their dismay and disap-
pointment on reading the reply of the Chancellor of the
Exchequer to Mr. Disraeli's question on Thursday night
last, ' that although the bill was actually in print, he did
not think, in the present state of the public business, there
was any probability of it being considered this session, and
that he saw no use in merely laying the bill on the table of
the house without its being considered this session.
"This reply, we beg leave to assure your lordship, is a
most serious dis appointment to a large body of able and
energetic men, to whose devotion and zeal for the public
service at this period of unexampled pressure your lordship
and every minister who has spoken on the condition of the
Civil Service have borne testimony.
" The feeling entertained on both sides of the house in
favour of an early settlement of this long-vexed question
is an earnet of te probability that the bill, which is now
in print, wsi hll be considered by the House of Coremons this
session, if Lid.on the table.
" We therete're most respectfully urge upon your Lord-
ship that the bill Oay be now submitted to the House of
,
Commons ; and wefurther trust that the Chancellor of
the Exchequer will be
p.:,eased to take such steps as he may
deem necessary for insuringits consideration during the
r Lord, your Lordship's
pobretsaeinnetdsefsosritohnwoifthP.arliament in order that redress may be
" We have the honour to be, m 3
most obedient and humble servants,
"R. M BROMLEY, Chairman.
"EDWARD HERTSLET, Foreign-office.
" F. HERBERT NOYES, The Home-office.
"JOHN LLEWELLYN, Audit-office.
"G. DERMER, National Debt-office.
"ALFRED C. L WEST, General Register and Record.
IHL
NI, I
EA
Di u
wOA OW,
DE
sN, ,
rEgliisctritareforedn.e:ffiarerffice.
"JOoffice of Seamen.
" R. P. WALKER, Stamps and Taxes, Inland Revenue.
" MATTHEW FORSTER, Inland Reventn3-office.
" J. J. WICEMAN, Stationery offices.
" GEORGE CHETWYND, General-Post-office.
"F. W. DANIEL, Paymaster-General's office (for Mr.
Philpot).
" J. F. REDGRAVE, Office of Woods, Sec.
" G. GIFFARD, Admiralty.
" FREDERICK FITZGERALD, Treasury.
" WALTER C. LARKlNS,,wßsoraDrdepoafrtTnireandte.
" WM. F. HIGGINS, Colonial-office.
"FREDERICK DICKENS
" W. 0. MARSHALL, War Department.
"R. Du PRE ALEXANDER, Exchequer-office.
(Commissariat)
" GEORGE BYHA.3I, Ordnance (for H. Byham).
"T. WHITE DIXON, Legacy Duty-office, (for C.
Latham.)
"H. WALKER, Admiralty, S. H.
" WILLIAM WILLIS, Hon. Secretary."

MARKET NEWS.-(THIS DAY.)

HAY MARKETS.

SMITRVIELD.—Meadow hay, 3/ Os to 5/ 50 5d ; clover
ditto, 31 5s to 61 6s ; and straw, 1/ 4s to 1/ 8s per load.
Trade dull.
CUMBERLAND. Meadow hay, 3/ :Is to Si 5a ; clover
ditto, 3/
5s to 61 Os ; and straw. V 4s to 1/ 9s per load.
A moderate supply, and a sluggish demand.
WErrEcHAP-rm.—Meadow hay, 3/ Os to 5! ss; clover
ditto, 3/ 5s to 6/ 6s; and straw, 1/ 4s to 118 s per load
A dull trade.