The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-12 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EV'I42iING, MARCH 12, 1864.

to suspend their payments. We may see a striking'
instance of the benefit which this arrangement
would confer on the labouring classes by what is
now going on in Lancashire. Supposing that the
cotton hands had insured for any number of years,
and paid their premiums with undeviating regu-
larity, no providence or self-denial would have en-
abled the most industrious of them to maintain such
payments during the dire distress of the last two
or three years—a distress brought on them by no
fault of their own. If they were insured in the
best and most liberal of private societies their
claims would be irretrievably forfeited; whereas,
had the Government plan been in existence a few
years beck, they might have recovered their
policies, or at least obtained some compensation
for the loss. The working class are always liable
to such contingencies, not, perhaps, on such a
gigantic scale as in Lancashire ; but what has
happened there to thousands upon thousands is
of daily occurrence in our large cities and towns
to tens and units. The savings of the insurer go
to the insurance office, and a working man is
never likely to be able to put by enough to pro-
vide for illness or 'enforced idleness to such an
extent as to enable him to continue his payments
at such a time. Therefore this is a very sub-
stantial advantage of the Government scheme,
and we should be glad to see it extended to an
insurance for sickness or temporary distress from
loss of work as well. *Another advantage to the
poor is, that in the event of their moving from
one part of the country to another, they will
know where to pay their premiums, and be able
to receive their insurances without the delay or
expense of travelling in search of them. These
are really all the special advantages which the Go-
vernment plan can lay claim to, and it will be seen
that they are all advantages to the insurer, not to
the insurance office, The perfect security will, of
course, induce many prudent artisans to avail them-
selves of it in preference to all others, but prudence,
as we know, is by no means an universal possession,
and more specious promises, reduced premiums, and
other advantages will still prevent large numbers
from insuring with the Government. The small
amount of the sums insured for, since it must be
remembered that Mr. GLADSTONE'S limit is £lOO,
entirely prevents the project from clashing in any
way with the interests of the large established
offices. Many of these, indeed, have expressed
themselves most favourably about it—the words of
the chairman of one of the Scottish Institutions
being quoted by Mr. GLADSTONE in his address.
This gentleman considered that the new scheme
would increase rather than diminish the prosperity
of the Life Institutions of the country, and spoke
in earnest language of the advantages it offered to.
the poor. This is, indeed, its true claim to support.
If it is really for the benefit of that poor and hard-
working class which insures for such a limited sum,
it would be most unfair to withhold it from them
if they are likely to avail themselves cf it. If they
are not likely to do so the doheme will soon fall to
the ground, so that in either case the opposition to
the measure is unreasonable and ill-founded.

Those who averred so confidently a short time
back that whatever mischance attended the Ministers
in the House, they would have an unfailing source
of strength in oppealing to the country, will, it is
to be presumed, now change their tona and mode-
rate the zeal of their partizanship, The results of
so many important elections have unmistakeably
shown that the general feeling of the country is
against them. It is many long years since so many
Conservative triumphs were recorded. To find a
parallel we must take a retrospective glance at a
period prior to tho time which Mr. DISRAELI called
the days of their " dreary Opposition," and survey
the party as they were in their palmy days when
Sir ROBERT PEEL was still their leader. It is quite
absurd for some politicians to declare, as they
always will persist in doing, that these elections are
all chance. One here or there may be carried in
consequence of the influence of territorial posses-
sions, or the effect of a chance irritation against
the other candidate, bat so many important
places in town and country declaring against
the Government of the day is a striking
' proof of their unpopularity. One cause
or another has kept them in office for some time
past ; but they have no right to arrogate to them-
selves that they bold office through the expressed
wish of the nation. Where it has had an oppore
tunity of declaring itself, with very few exceptions
the voice of the people has been against them.
Only very ignorant or very infatuated statesmen
can close their ears to such rumours, or remain
impervious to the dictates of such teaching. The
Hertfordshire election, which took place yesterday,
resulting in the return of the Conservative by a
majority of 255, comes strangely in contrast with
the bombastic language of Earl RUSSELL in the
Lords and of Lord PALMERSTON in the Commons.
While they are declaring against all interruption,
and inveighing against impertinent interference,
or deprecating the inconvenience of publishing facts
which should remain State secrets till it is too late

to do any good in the way of fatlt-finding, one by
one the ranks of their opponents are swelled by the
candidates who have been appealing from the
Minister to the people whom he affects to repre-
cut. When the Brighton election took place, it
was argued that the Conservative got in because

there was such a division of interests on the Libera'

side ; but this specious plea cannot be put forward
on this occasion, when there were but two who con-

tested for the privilege. In every sense of the word,
this must be considered as a great party triumph,
and it will certainly be found to be such whatever
envy or spite may manufacture in the way of faint
praise or open abuse. It is well that such should
be the case, for it is evident to all who study politics
as a science, and do not take them up as a party
cry, that there is great need of a change. Toujours
perdrix is a well known source of complaint ; it is

inimical to the best interests of the country, which,
after all, should be the chief consideration that
one set of men or oae band of politicans should
want power and place, and monopolise all the

functions of the State. Human nature rarely if
ever can stand this trying test, and certainly in the
present instance the experiment has been tried
quite long enough. There is every reason to sup.
pose that things are now much changed since the
old days of Whigs and Tories. One who took a
survey of parties as they were when Sir ROBERT
FEEL left the ranks of his friends and assumed the
policy of his quondam opponents would have
been surprised to hear that in so short
a time comparatively, as it were, the
scene would be changed, and the parties take each
other's places in the opinion of the nation. The
Conservatives have gradually gained is strength,
and that must be mainly attributed to their in-
creased growth in enlightened and popular
views. The Liberals, on the contrary, have rapidly
fallen in public opinion. Through their fancied
security they have become reckless, and regardless
of those principles the profession of which won for
them
their
former mighty position. It remains to
be seen what will come of all this, but at least it is
satisfactory to know that if the Government attempt
anything particularly unpopular or inimical to the
spirit of the country, they will not now be able to
I boot with impunity of their majority, and point