The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-02 00:00:00

THE CIVIL SERVANTS OF THE CROWN.

Mr. Macartney's motion, to-morrow night,
should be well considered by all members who,
having the proper collection of the revenue at heart,
would wish to see the duties of the Government
offices efficiently performed, for such a state of
things does the question arising out of this motion
resolve itself into. The case speaks for itself.

Before 1829 the superannuations of servants in
this service were borne by the country, and under
the then scale of pensions (towards which pensions
no clerk was called upon to contribute) a man who
having served ten years, if incapacitated, could re-
tire upon a pension of 4-12ths of his salary, and an
additional 1-12th for every five years' service up to
fifty years, when he could retire upon his whole
salary. In the year 1829 a bill passed the house
for the purpose " of reducing prospectively the
charge for superannuations."
The scale of pensions was accordingly reduced,
under which a clerk serving ten years can receive
only, for ten years' service, a pension of 3-12ths, and
an increase only of 1-12th for every seven years,
and never can he receive more than 2-3ds of his
salary. Towards this pension he is called upon
to pay annually 5 per cent. of his salary. The pur-
pose of the act was then achieved, for by the re-
duced scale the reduction of the charge for super-
annuation has been accomplished of at least one-
half. It will be perceived that those who receive
the largest superannuations (before 1829) are not
called upon to pay anything, while those
who entered the service since 1829 are paid upon
the reduced scale of pensions, and are made to
contribute towards their superannuation as well.
There is such a gross apparent injustice in this that
it calls for immediate amendment. The moneys
annually received for the purposes of answering the
calls for superannuations, by means of the deduc-
tions from salaries, amount to 55,0001., out of which
the pensions paid amount to 8,0001. annually. But
what becomes of the balance ? Surely it is put
aside to answer the purposes for which it was
collected. No such thing. It is carried into the
account of the current year's revenue. Can it be
expected that the clerks in this service, whose
aggregate salary does not amount to 1411. a-year,
and many with an income as low as 801., can with
an annual deduction of 51. per cent. from their in-
comes, make provision for their families when they
die. No ; they drag on as long as they can
at their desks till death overtakes them,
toiling all their lives ; for the superannuation
is so small that they cannot afford to retire, and
they die leaving their families destitute ; for be
it known that all benefit from these annual deduc-
tions ceases with the life of the contributor. What,
therefore, the civil servants ask the country to do
for them is, to take upon itself, as before 1829, the
burden of the pensions, but diminished one-half by
means of the reduced scale, and allow the deduc-
tions which they still wish may be made, to accu-
mulate according to the principles of life assurance,
that the contributor may derive the benefit of the
deductions by feeling assured that when he dies
his family will not be left altogether destitute.

COURT CIRCULAR.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited the
Queen on Saturday.

A deputation from the city of Glasgow, consisting of
the Lord Provost, Bailie Gourlay, Dr. Strang (chamber.
lain), and Mr. Forbes (town-clerk), had an interview on
Saturday morning with his Royal Highness Prince
Albert, to present an address with reference to the estab-
lishment of a national library and museum of inventions
in that city.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert, accompanied by the
Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, Prince Alfred, the
Princesses Alice, Helena, and Louisa, Prince Arthur,
the infant prince, left Buckingham Palace at eight mi-
nutes before two o'clock on Saturday afternoon, for
Osborne, Isle of Wight. The royal suite consisted of
Lady Caroline Barrington, Hon. Mary Bulteel, Colonel
the Hon. Charles Grey, Colonel Wylde, the Master of
the Household, and Mr. Gibbs.
Her Majesty and his Royal Highness were conducted
to their carriage by the Duke of Norfolk, the Duke of
Wellington, Lord Ernest Bruce, Lord Byron, Lord Geo.
Lennox, Colonel the Hon. A. N. Hood, Major-General
Buckley, and Lieut.-Colonel F. H. Seymour.
The Queen and the royal party were escorted by a
detachment of Light Dragoons to the Nine-elms station
of the London and South Western Railway, and left by
a special train for Gosport.

OSBORNE, SUNDAY.

Her Majesty, his Royal Highness Prince Albert, and
the Royal family, attended by the ladies and gentlemen
in waiting, arrived at Osborne yesterday evening, at 10
minutes before 6 o'clock.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited her
Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester on Saturday,
at Gloucester-house.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, accom-
panied by their Serene Highnesses the Princess Adelaide
of Hohenlohe and the Prince Ernest of Leiningen, and
attended by Lady Anna Maria Dawson and Sir George
Couper, honoured the Royal Italian Opera House with
her presence on Saturday evening.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent attended
divine service yesterday morning at the Chapel Royal,
St. James's.

His Serene Highness the Prince Ernest of Leiningen
has left Buckingham Palace for the Continent.
A deputation relative to Jamaica, consisting of Sir
H. Lushington, Mr. Dawkins, Mr. J. Carson, Mr. W.
Beckford, Mr. S. Cave, Mr. W. Stirling, Mr. H.
Davidson, Mr. S. Hibbert, and Mr. T. Hankey, jun.,
had an interview with the Duke of Newcastle, on
Saturday, at the Colonial-office.
A deputation on the subject of the Pilotage Bill had
an interview with the Right Hon. E. Cardwell, at the
Board of Trade, on Saturday. The deputation con-
sisted of Lord Chelsea, Captain Shepherd, Mr. James
Macgregor, M. P., Mr. Fearon, and Mr. Peter Hardy.
A deputation from St. Nicholas, Deptford, consisting
of Sir Edmund Filmer, M.P. ; Mr. Masters Smith,
M.P. ; Mr. Rolt, M.P. ; Mr. Sanders, M.P. ; and
Messrs. Davis, Fanchon, W. Masten, W. Smith, B.
Roberts, and Tilham, had an interview with Viscount
Palmerston, on Saturday.
Dispatches were sent from the Colonial-office on
Saturday, to the Governors of the West India Islands.

THE DUBLIN EXHIBITION.—The proceedings on the

12th May—the inauguration day of this magnificent un-
dertaking—will be gorgeous in the extreme, no less
than 1,000 performers—vocal and instrumental—usher-
ing in its existence, in the presence of the nobility and
gentry of the United Kingdom. The Lord Lieutenant
and the Countess of St. Germans, and the Knights of
the Order of St. Patrick, her Majesty's Cabinet Minis-
ters, the Foreign Ambassadors, and the municipal au-
thorities of all the principal cities and towns in Great
Britain, will take part in the interesting ceremony ; and
judging from the general interest all classes take in the
success of the Exhibition, there can be no doubt what-
ever but that the undertaking will be crowned with the
most signal success.
CABINET COUNCIL—On Saturday afternoon, in com-
pliance with summonses issued on the previous morning
to all the members of the Cabinet, there was a Council
at the Foreign Office. At two o'clock, the hour ap-
pointed, the Ministers began to assemble ; the following
attended :—The Earl of Aberdeen, the Earl Granville,
the Duke of Argyle, the Duke of Newcastle, the Earl of
Clarendon, the Right Hon. Sir Charles Wood, the Right
Hon. Sir James Graham, Viscount Palmerston, the
Merquis of Lansdowne, Lord John Russell, Sir W.
Molesworth, and the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert. The
Lord Chancellor subsequently joined his colleagues.
The Cabinet Ministers remained in deliberation till after
five o'clock.

DEPARTURE Or THE UNITED STATES AND CANADIAN
MAILS.—On Saturday about noon the British and North
American Royal Mail steamship, Cambria, Captain
Lang, sailed from the Mersey for Boston and Halifax,
with the usual mails for the United States and British
possessions in North America, 103 passengers, and a
large and valuable cargo of merchandise on freight. Her
mails were carried out in charge of Lieutenant Boys,
R.N., Admiralty agent.
ARRIVAL FROM AUSTRALIA.—The ship Kate, 904 tons
register, Captain Graves, from Sydney, Feb. 12, arrived
at Plymounth on Sunday evening. She has over 26,000
ounces of gold dust, and 45 passengers, four of whom—
viz. Mr. and Mrs. Harley, Mr. Babbage, and Mr. Leye,
landed here. The Kate is laden with wool, tallow, and
bides. She came round the Horn, experienced strong
contrary winds, has not touched at any port, and has
been 108 days on the passage. _

LETTERS FOR THE ARCTIC SHlPS.—Letters for offi-
cers, seamen, and marines serving in the arctic ships
will be in time for her Majesty's ship Phcenix if sent to
the Admiralty before the 9th of May.
SYDENHAM.—The Conservative Land Society have
purchased an estate within sight of the Crystal Palace at
Sydenham, close to the Forest-hill station, and a short
distance from Lewisham.—The Builder.
THE ISLE OF WIGHT SAVINGS-BANK.—NEWPORT,
ISLE OF WIGHT, April 30.—William Wheeler Yelf, the
late actuary and manager of the Isle of Wight Savings-
bank, underwent a final examination yesterday before
the magistrate., of this borough upon several charges of
forgery and embezzlement, by which he had succeeded
in defrauding the bank of upwards of 8,0001. Mr.
Eldridge asked for a committal on the case of forgery
and embezzlement. He would be prepared with other
cases equally strong to bring forward at the prisoner's
trial at Winchester. The prisoner offered no answer to
the several charges. The bench then informed him that
he stood committed for trial on three distinct cases of
brgerh and for stealing 201, the moneys of the trustees.