The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-09 00:00:00

RAILWAY CLERKS' AND SERVANTS'
PROVIDENT FUND.
Mr. Wyndham Harding, Secretary of the London
and South-Western Rail way Company, has again
addressed the shareholders of that line upon the im-
portant subject of a fund for provision against old age,
or other casualties similarly incapacitating a servant
of the company from continuing his duties. He has
undertaken this duty in pursuance of a recom-
mendation of the commercial committee of the
company, made February 14, 1851. He treats
the subject under two heads. lit. As to a
superannuation and provident fund for the clerks
and salaried officers of the company. 2d, as to a
superannuation and provident fund for weekly
servants who have bee❑ many years in the service,
and may be worn out, or disabled in it. As regards
a provision against superannuation for clerks and sa-
laried officers, he refers to the plan adopted by Go-
vernment, in the civil departments of the State, and
specifies the modifications which would be necessary
to this plan, to adapt it to the railway ser-
vice. His plan secures to every member who
may have served ten years, if unfitted for duty,
an allowance commencing at the moment he be-
comes disqualified, and proportioned to his
salary at the time of his retirement. He renders
membership compulsory and so deprives the impro-
vident of all option. Graduating the scale of allow-
ances, according to the number of years a person has
been employed, and regulating the amount I—cording
to the salary at the period of retirement, he recognises
the superior claims of lengthened services and official
position, and by returning the instalments without in-
terest to parties leaving the service before the period
of superannuation (except in the case of fraudulent
defalcation)! renders the fund not only a fund for
superannuation, but a general provident fund—an
encouragement to saving, a check o❑ misconduct,
and a provision for the families of railway officers.
This he submits as the arrangement to be made im•
perative on all persons hereafter joining the service of
this company. The directors have, however, espe-
cially desired him to look into the case of the old ser-
vants, who were appointed at the commencement of
the undertaking, without strict regard to their age ;
who have now served the company for several years,
and who will first become superannuated, and he
has accordingly done so. Tne result of the
inquiry is : that to provide a retiring pension
for all such officers as have served ten years, would
now involve so large an annual payment as would, he
conceives, deter the directors from undertaking it.
He therefore recommends that the case of all officers
who have served the company ten years or upwards,
and who are now fifty years of age or upwards, should
be treated specially, as each arises, there being only four
officers in this position ; and that all the other officers
who have served the company ten years being (with
the exception of the four named) under fifty years
of age, should be called upon, with the rest of the
staff, to join the general fund, they being given credit
for their past years of service in the scale of pension.
With regard to the case of the great majority of the
persons in the establishment, namely, those who have
joined the service within ten years, he conceives that
after a year's notice all such persons should be called
upon to join a General Superannuation and Provi-
dent Fund. As, however, some of these persons
may fairly say, that not knowing of the super-
annuation arrangement, they have, by insurance,
or otherwise, already taxed their incomes for a
future provision, he would allow any one who
wished it, to join to the extent of only one-half
the proposed scale of superannuation, paying accord•
ingly only one-half the premium. And he further
suggests, that in order to meet the objection that
this is a " post facto" arrangement, and notwithstand-
ing that the present staff have paid nothing into the
fund from the time of their joining the service, that
the directors should allow the past years' services of
the present staff to be counted, so as to entitle them
to a similar grade in the pension scale to that which
they would have occupied if such a fund had always
existed.

BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT COURT OF
BANKRUPTCY, Jan. 8.
(Before Mr. C. WATEEFIELD, Registrar.)

TUE STOURBRIDCE AND BROMSGROVE BANKS.-IN RE
RIIFFORD AND WRAGGE.

Courts were held at Stourbridge on Tuesday and at
Bromsgrove yesterday, according to appointment, for
the proof of debts under these bankruptcies. The ur
rangements were made with the view to obviate incon-
venience and expense to creditors holding the notes of
these establishments.

Mr. Flarward, solicitor, of Stourbridge, was in at-
tendance for the assignees.
The only question of any importance which arose
was with regard to proofs tendered by the treasurers and
trustees of certain benefit and friendly societies, who
claimed to be paid in full of their seeurities. It was
objected that they were only entitled to receive the divi-
dend of a❑ individual creditor. This point has been fre-
quently discussed, and various decisions have been given
by the Commissioners of Bankruptcy. Mr. Wat.,rfield
ultimately resolved to receive the proofs, subject, upon
the point in dispute, to an argument and decision in the
Court at Birmingham, which he fixed for the 24th of
January.
The proofs at Stourbridge on Tuesday amounted to
14,0001., and of this sum there was one deposit debt of
upwards of 10,000/. The rest was in issue notes. The
proofs at Bromtgrove yesterday were between 4,0001.
and 5,0001. As far as the investigation into the aff,irs
of these establishments have proceeded they afford little
evidence as to their ultimate assets. The probability_is
that the dividend will be extremely small.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, Jan. 8.
(Before Mr. Commissioner PHILLIPS.)
.IN RR MICHAEL GASMAN.
This insolvent, a dealer in iron in Cowcross, West
Smithfield, was opposed by Mr. Cooke, on the part of
several creditors; Mr. Sargood supported.
The case occupied the whole day, and was adjourned
for further evidence until the 15th instant. We defer our
report until the case is concluded.
IN RE JAMES ROBERTSON ANDERSON.
In this case of Mr. Anderson, the late lessee of Drury-
lane Theatre,a sitting for proof of debts was held, and a
number of creditors attended.
Mr. Sullivan claimed to prove for 2301. for 23 repre-
sentations of a comedy called the Old Lore and the New,
which was resisted on the part of Mr. Robertson, and
the proof was ultimately adjourned for the attendance
of that gentleman.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.
THE MURDER AT MARYLEBONE.

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. BALLANTINE addrebaed the jury fur the defence
at great length, and insisted that there were circum-
stances in the case which gave it more the complexion of
manslaughter than murder, and he therefore called upon
them to find the prisoner guilty of the minor offence only.
The Lsarned JUDGE carefully summed up the whole
of the evidence, and left it for the jury to determine
whether the prisoner in killing his wife had beets ac-
tuated by a malicious feeling, or that the violence which
produced the death was the result of premeditation and
malice aforethought, as the law described the spirit
which actuated a murderer.

Mr. BALLANTINE, at the close of his Lordship's sum-
ming up, said he had omitted to examine some witnesses
who were in attendance to speak to the prisoner's
character, and he asked, as a matter of indulgence, that
he should now be permitted to do so.
Mr. Baron PLATT said that, in a case of this descrip-
tion, although it was out of the ordinary course, the
witnesses might be examined. _ _

Several parsons who had known the prisoner a great
many years were accordingly called as witnesses, and
they described the prisoner as being a quiet, humane,
well•conducted man.
The jury retired at 20 minutes to 5, and did not re-
turn until 6 o'clock, when they returned their verdict,
declaring the prisoner Guilty of manslaughter.
Mr. Baron PLATT immediately proceeded to pass sen-
tence. He said that the prisoner had been found guilty
by a most considerate and most merciful jury of the
crime of manslaughter, and it was now the duty of the
Court to pass a sentence upon him such as would mark
its sense of the character of his offence, and afford an
example to others likely to deter them from the com-
mission of a similar crime. Upon what grounds the
jury had rested their verdict it was not for him to in-
quire. It was the province of the jury to decide upon
tee facts, and whatever might be the opinion of the
great majority of the hearers of the evidence In the
present case upon that subject, the Court must act upon
the verdict of the jury alone. It was impossible not to
see, however, the enormity of the offence be had com-
mitted. He had destroyed in the most barbarous m sr-
ner the wife of his bosom, whom ho had sworn to protect
and cherish, and this ho had done, as it would appear,
without any real motive whatever. It was true he had
endeavoured to suggest that she had been unfaithful to
his bed, but it was duo to the memory of the unhappy
woman to state that there did not appear by the evi-
dence to be any ground for the accusation, although
there was too mach reason to believe that jealousy had
been the cause of the crime, and that his expression
when ho heard of the death of his unhappy wile, that
" now he was at rest," clearly showed that he was actu-
ated by a feeling of deadly revenge. The Court, untLir
these circumstances, felt bound to show that such lan
offence could not escape with entire impunity by passing
upon him the sentence that he be transported beyond
the seas for the term of his natural life.

This case concluded the business of the session; the
trial of Davis and lleilbron, for a fraudulent bankruptcy
and conspiracy, and several others being postponed, and
this Court adjourned to Monday, February 2.

The TreviEo and Udine Railway is to be com-
menced in the month of March. It is to pass by Sacile in-
stead of Mott& Another great improvement is cc n-
template(' at Udine, viz:, the lighting of the town by Kits.
The coal for the purpose is to be imported from Dalmatia.
Galiguani.

PRINCE ALBERT'S MODEL LODGING•HOUSIIIo--
On a plot of barren ground, contiguous to the Shadwell sta-
tion of the Blaekwall Railway, which was formerly occupied
by some miserable hovels, a range of dwellings, exactl y si-
milar in size and architecture to Prince Albert's model
lodging-house:in Hyde-park, have been erected. They are
two stories in height, each floor having three rooms, and
their style of build has a most pleasing effect. A. t present
the range is confined to twelve dwellings, but it is pro-
posed to increa,eo then to as many again.