The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-03 00:00:00

The Unkindest Cut of All!

" C." writes to the Times about Mr. Whalley as
follows:--It is a matter of much regret that Mr.
Whalley cannot see that no section of the people
appreciates his services. Parliament does not ; and
he knows well that those who represent the more
advanced Protestantism of the age, the Protestant
societies repudiate his labours as earnestly as they
deplore his repeated attempts to force them on their
acceptance. I have not met with a leading man
connected with the Protestant societies who does not
lament the injury which the member for Peterbo-
rough unintentionally inflicts on their name and
work. Indeed, some of them are painfully impressed
with the belief that be belongs to the Pope's Brass
Band. I conversed the other day with a leading
representative of the Protestant Alliance about the
performances of the hon. gentleman. He said it
was the universal opinion of the body he belonged
to that Mr. Whalley did their cause incalculable
mischief. Of all contributions volunteered to them
they most of all deprecated the gift of a speech from
Mr. Whalley.
Indeed, it has come to be felt a very doubtful ex-
pediency to have in Parliament a direct exponent
of the more advanced Protestantism of the country.
It is increasingly felt that Protestantism can act far
more effectively without being saddled with a repre-
sentative who spends his time and irritates the House
by nibbling at the heels of monks, or peering into
the cloisters of convents, or turning the House of
Commons into a synod for discussing the fripperies
and tomfooleries of a few mediaeval curates who
have become intoxicated with the Pope's strong
drink.

Beyond all doubt this Protestant succession has
steadily degenerated in Parliament. The late J. E.
Gordon, in spite of his precipitancy of temper, was a
powerful Protestant speaker. Mr. Plumptre's per-
sonal worth gave weight to his short and earnest
addresses. Mr. Spooner, notwithstanding the diffi-
culty of performing on one string, and that string
Maynooth, was listened to because he spoke to the
point and with due reticence and discretion. But
their successor, Mr. Whalley, -has finished up the
whole thing and made himself the last of the line.
He has succeeded in making a great subject
supremely ridiculous.
Nothing can be more unfair or indiscreet than the
practice of picking up every vague suspicion of foul
play in convents, or foolish stories told by runaway
nuns of equivocal moral antecedents, or police reports,
and working these into a case for the interference of
Parliament. If Mr. Wagner's bishop is satisfied,
the House of Commons cannot take Up his duties,
and the people of England will take care to set the
confessional in its true light. If Brother Ignatius
choose to play the mountebank, the Parliament has
no more right to interfere with the reverend acrobat
than with any other performer on the village green.
Such notorieties do far less harm by their foolish
mimicries than Mr. Whalley does by his more
foolish comments on them. Mr. Wagner and Mr.
Lyne provoke the pity, but they do not touch the
conscience or the convictions of England. Did
Parliament listen to Mr. Whalley, and pass repres-
sive measures, it would do more to spread Romanism
in this country than the combined labours of Arch-
bishop Manning, Sir George Bowyer, and all the
priests of England. If Mr. Whalley will generously
accept the penance of perpetual silence in the House
of Commons, he will do something to redeem the
mischief he has wrought, and at the same time per-
form a service to Protestantism which will suggest
to the Protestant Alliance the propriety of giving
him a handsome testimonial.

European Assurance Society.

~-

The annual general meeting of the shareholders of this
company was held yesterday at St. James's Hall—Mr.
Wickham, M.P., in the chair.
Mr. W. CiIELAND, secretary, read the report. It stated
that the premiums on the new life and guarantee policies
issued during the year amounted to £23,149 16s. 6d. In
accordance with the recommendation of the shareholders
at the last annual general meeting, the directors entered on
the business of fire insurance in June last. The premiums
received in this department amounted to £13,259 17s. 11d.
The gross amount actually received in premiums during
the year was £169,658 12s. 7d. The life and guarantee
claims paid during the year, including bonus additions,
amounted to £86,717 4s. 10d. The increase in the assets of
the society during the year had been £52,925 18s. 10d. The
union of this society and the British Nation Life Assurance
Association had, under the advice and recommendation of
Mr. Finlaison, the Government actuary, been completed.
Tho results of the union the directors felt must be regarded
by the shareholders with great satisfaction. The subscribed
capital is raised to upwards of £700,000, the number of
shareholders to more than 1,200, the annual income to up-
wards of £300,000, while the new premium income of the
united companies for the year 1864 amounts to £46,507.
The progress of the societies since the union had been
highly satisfactory. The premium income derived from
new business during the last two months was at the rate
of more than £50,000 a year, an amount considerably in
excess of that effected by the two societies in their separate
condition, and the directors fully anticipated that this rate
would be still further increased as the various agencies
were brought into a greater degree of efficiency.
Tho CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
referred to the various operations of the society during the
past year, and congratulated the shareholders on the
result that had accrued. At the previous meeting he had
the pleasure of congratulating them on the position in
which the society then stood, but he now felt more
strongly justified in congratulating them, for he never
met the proprietors under such advantageous circumstances
as at the present time. With respect to the amalgamation
of this company with the British Nation Life Assurance
Association and the Mercantile Union Fire Company men-
tioned in the report, he believed that that amalgamation
would be of great benefit, and he congratulated this com-
pany on having obtained so much increased and good busi-
ness. Their premium now amounted to £l,OOO a day, and
their new business to £l,OOO a week. This was quite
enough to show the prosperous condition of the society.
Mr. J. E. WCONNELL seconded the motion, and it was
agreed to unanimously.

Dr. WATTS moved a vote of thanks to the chairman and
board of directors for their attention to the interests of the
society, and for the highly satisfactory report of its condi-
tion and prospects which had been presented.

The motion was most cordially agreed to, and the chair-
man returned thanks.

The retiring directors were unanimously re-elected
Mr. J. larker was elected auditor.