The Sun.
London, England, 1852-07-15 00:00:00

THE SUN,

LONDON,
_THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 15, 18,52,

Dover... . . . . . . . .
Drogheda . . ••• . . • •
Dublin ... . . . . . . . .
Greenwich . . . . ..
Harwich ... • • . . . . . .
Lincoln ... .. . . .
Liverpool . . . . .
Ludlow ... . . • • . . . .
Macclesfield ...
• • . . •••
Maldon .. •• • •• • . .
Penryn ... ••• ... , ••
•
Poole •• ... . . . . •
Rochester ... . . •.•
Sandwich .. .. ... •••
Taunton ... ••• •.• ...
Tynemouth .. ••• .. •••
Warwick •.•
• • ••• •••

Total 30
So that, putting on one side as neutral the 12 gain'
of the Liberal Conservatives, the following would be
the simple contrast of Tories and Reformers :.
Liberals • . 34
•• . .
Derbyites
• • 30

Majority of Liberals • • 4
Such are the auspicious results of the elections as
they have transpired hitherto-286 out of the 451
Members yet returned, occupying the same seats 11.1
the new that they occupied in the late Parliament.

We gladly give insertion to a letter on the subje( t
of "Railway Superannuation," which will be found
in another part of this day's impression. Our cor-
respondent does not overrate the deep interest we feel
in a project which, if adopted, would prove so emi,-
nently beneficial to a numerous and meritorious body.
It is, as we have already stated, only surprising that
something of the kind has not already been brought
into operation. But when we consider the extreme
difficulty of procuring general concurrence in any
proposition, however judicious and well devised, our
astonishment ceases, and we can congratulate the
salaried railway employes, the parties chiefly inte-
rested on the removal of many impediments that
formerly obstructed a satisfactory arrangement, on
the consequent prospect of a speedy solution of the
problem. The directors of the different companies
have, with a wise and judicious liberality, agreed to
bear a moiety of the expense of carrying the plan into
execution, thus rendering it far more advantageous to
the subscribers than any hitherto known. Not only
will they receive the entire benefit of their
payments, but every shilling will be practi-
cally doubled. This is, indeed, an inducement
to a provident care for the future which has
not often been paralleled,
and which should elicit the
cordial thanks and gratitude of the officials, and lead
to their unanimous adhesion to the scheme which
has been promulgated.
Our respected correspondent, while recording his
unqualified approval of the project, with one excep-
tion, urges the propriety of an alteration, or modifi-
cation, of the clause, which be deems objectionable.
It is to the sixth rule that he takes exception, viz.,
that, "In the event of a subscriber resigning his
situation, or being dismissed, for any reason short of
fraudulent dealing, be shall receive back the whole
of his ;contributions,
allowance, without interest ; but
in the event of his dying
before receiving the super-
annuationhis payments will be forfeited
to the fund." These points, we believe, are those
which have excited the most serious differences and
elicited the greatest discussion. Both topics have
received close and attentive consideration, and been
much canvassed not only by the provisional com-
mittee, but all persons in any degree interested in the
transaction. If the
payments were devoted exclu-
sively to providing a superannuation fund, and that
no return whatsoever were made to parties retiring,
or being dismissed from the service, the allow-
ances would naturally be larger than could otherwise
be the case. As the entire fund is applied for the
exclusive benefit of the members, any diversion
from the primary objects of superannuation must of
course diminish it, pro tanto, and render it inadequate
for the purpose intended. It would have greatly
simplified the calculations if repayments of any
kind could be avoided, and if the whole sub •
scriptions were to be applied to the payment of the
deferred annuities. It was, however, essential that
some provision should be made for the cases of
parties who, without gross fault on their own parts,
d
were rendered ineligible by resignation ur dismissal ;
of course the companies could not be expected to pay
money on account of persons no longer in their service,
It was, however, conceded that the subscriber should
be allowed to continue a member by paying the full
amount of his subscription, in place of the moiety, as
was previously the case. But even something more
was
imeans, required.
maueEn, t
to,
pay
Ia tn d woulda thereforen inbeer difficultincreased
sed
s probably,ubfora
scri p t withion dimi-
nished person
out
some-
thing,of employment,
poyethen, should be given in the event of such pay-
ment being impossible, and it
finallyinterest. Complaints
ecide
to return
with the assent of the experienced actuary,
the payments made without
would otherwise be made, more especially in
cases of dismissal, where the parties had served
out a considerable portion of '
the
time which would
have entitled him to a pension.
It certainly appears hard
to deprive the families of
men dying in the service of a 1 simi ar return of the
subscriptions from which they have received
no bene-
fit. There
is, hoe/ever, an obvious distinction be-
tween the cases. It has never been intended that the
fund should make provision for the
families of de
ceased officials, or supersede the necessi •
ty for life
insurance. Its object is to render happy in their old
age those who have laboured long and , and
their
who are no longer competent to earn
own sup-
port. A person who was duly selected as an annuitant
could transmit no claim to his representatives
in the
event of his death, immediately after his superan-
nuation. That would unquestionably be a hardship,
but could it be provided against without completely
altering the plan, and requiring a considerable
addition to the annual subscriptions ? If •
it were
practicable, we should greatly desire to see

it carried into effect ; for anything calculated to as-
sist families when deprived of their protector and
supporter should, if possible, be adopted.
We would
even rejoice to think that life insurance were rendered
obligatory on every man with a family depending on his
exertions. But, as we have already stated, to 'do so
would require much larger contributions, and more
than railway employes with limited salaries might be
willing to pay. We believe, however, that
the point is still in some respects under
consideration, so far, at least, that when
a more accurate knowledge of the working of the
system can be attained from the experience of the
first seven years, it will be endeavoured to return the
amount of subscriptions to the representatives of
parties dying in the service. That will probably
be the use made of any surplus funds; and we have
no doubt that there will be such a surplus,
for every judicious actuary leaves a certain margin
to prevent the possibility of a deficiency. In the
meantime we have no doubt that arrangements might
be made with a respectable assurance company,
whereby the full amount of subscriptions would be
returned to every man dying within seven or four-
teen years. A small payment only would be re-
cinired for this purpose, which would be reduced in
Proportion to the number of persons entering into
the contract.

to state, that (O.iTe mr.o—tioWnspe
oaf are enabledpolitical
inquire intooteeafrf3arencies em very
RI;
first
kind, which
Deptford, Dartmouth, will be
be made on the assembling of the new Par-
liament,TofilStheA vDemr
employed by the Admiralty, to insure
the appointment of a Select Committee, to
the return ite candidtes at the elections for Chatham,
We have the best of
all
th., Devonport, and other Government
places. The motion lbsesureto be carried ; for in a motion of
that nature, Liberals
nary disclosures willgrades will cordially concur.
reason for
.believing that some extraordi.
behalf, were of the most 1
fluences used by Sir Frederickmade. In Chatham, the undue in.g Smith, and by others on his
;he Duke of Northumberlaand
ar,aaant
the head
ewandiloef,
thewe uAnddmerisrtaaiV.:
has acted in so indiscreet
hhe manner
tle asa anticipated.—Morn-
jog ciprae ntedde.r—hmi himself
liable to consequences which
enabled to announce that a matrimonial
arranged, and will shortly take l
ai
irri gi
We
i sae rr. te" s e r .
p ac place,
iobetweenr the
vinour, and grand-daughter of the Duke of "
Lady Herr:alone St. Maur, eldest daughter
Graham, eldest son of the Right Hon. Sir James
Graham.
the •
Of the seats which Tories have gained, the
Somer-
set,l4idaYnSdeari.
following will, we understand, be petitioned against with
every prospect of success :—Derby, Cockermouth, Barnsta-
ple, and Canterbury.
LivEztrooL, WEDNESDAY.—The United States mail
steam-ship Baltic oiled to-clay for New York with the usual
mails.
_- - - --