The Sun.
London, England, 1834-01-24 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

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e are inclined to think ' Trevelyan,' "
says the last number of the Quarterly Review " the best
Mifeminine novel, in many respects, that has appeared since
s 8 Edgworth's ' Vivian.' The authoress appears to us
etsuperior to all her recent predecessors in compass of under-
adndihg, and in subtle management of the passions ; an
inferior to none of them in the portraiture of manners,
and the
sq graces of language. The scene in Manchester-
uare appears to us not second to any one that could be
quoted from the whole body of recent romance."
The number of Polish emigrants in Switzer-
land, who have obtained permission to return and reside in
trance since the promulgation of the decree of the council
of
r Berne, desiring the retiring of those who could not
support themselves, amounts to 169.
BURSTING
Wed OF A STEAM BOILER.—On
nesday morning a mall steamer, engaged in towing
vessels in the river, assracing with a larger steamer called
the Endeavour, in Rockwall Reach, when the boiler of
the former burst with a tremendous explosion, and the
en
board was most dreadfully burnt. Three other persons
towed the
o escaped without any injury. The Endeavour
steamer to the Dreadnought hospital ship,
where the engineer vvas taken on board. He died the
following day.
PEDESTRIAN
MANNERS.--It is amusing to
observe the different manners of the pedestrians of the
various districts of the metropolis.
On Fish-street-hill, a
" By your leave," and knocks
heavily laden porter says,
in the Strand he says, "By Your leave," and
you down ;
only pushes you into the gutter; but in
Cuzon-street lie
says, c, By your leave, Sir,' and waits for it.--The
Coquette.
ti nter-
An unmarried female, of Bucks, it,
Wald, Switzerland, aged 45, small in
.stature, and feble
in constitution, commenced, in December, 1832, ae pil
to.
giiinage to Jerusalem,. having previously made one
Compostella, in Spain.
Shore, and another to St. Jame s of
made a long circuit ; taking Passau,
in the
Trieste, Bel.
grade, and Salonica, in her way,
and arrived safe
Holy City, where she gave a
piece
honour of the Infant Jesus. A Swiss religious paper,
of 40f. to a priest in
which gives these details, declares that the whole of the
Pilgrimage was performed barefooted.
Owing to the late heavy rains,
has been
tureen Lincoln, Nottingham, and Yorkshire .
the
the trade be.
ltoPped for several days, the water being so high. in
Trent that no vessels could pass at Torksey Lock.
A GOOD ONE. THE CONTESTED ELEC•
Tz°l43 MOORE AND LETCHER. One of the witnesses,
Whose testimony is submitted to the Committee of Privi-
leges and Elections in writing, thus answers the intent)
hetgatories administered to him :—Question :—" Did or did
your brother, who was and is a minor, tell you that
had sworn (in order to vote) that he was above 21
yeah old?" he had write Answer—" No ; my brother told me that
n
,e put in n the figures 21 on a scrap of paper, which
York Papheir! shoe, and swore he was above 21."—/Viw
CORONER'R INQUEST.—SUPPOSED - CHILD
William Paar,o
~inquisition held before Mr.
conigrohnt an was
sign .
Globe puoiic.nouse, serrfor London, at the of the
of a female infant, whY: k_street, Borough, on the body
the arches of the itornchfound exposed under one of
being no evidence to ti, h wasside of London-bridge. There
--gro any light on the matter, the
Jury riturned a verdict that the deceased was found dead
o_nd indecendy el
vleath4no eviden-crw7s, but by what means it came by its
before the Jurors.

Six,—Permit me, through the medium of your columns,
to draw the attention of the public to the consideration of
the laws relating to " Friendly Societies." It may not
be generally known to, at least it is worth reminding, the
members of these institutions, that the Act 10th Geo. IV.
c. 56, which was passed the 19th June, 1829, repealed
all preiious Acts relating to such Societies ; allowing the
old Clubs three years, viz , until the 19th June, 1832, to
conform to its provisions ; that in the early part of the
last Session of Parliament, at the instance of those who
dissented from the Act, the period for conforming was
extended to Michaelmas, 1834 ; and that now, as the
time approaches when the operation of the Act might be
rendered really effective and beneficial, it is endeavoured to
raise such an opposition to it, as the non-conformists
fondly b..dieve will render it feasible to obtain its repeal.
There is no doubt that the community at large are totally
unacquainted with the merits of thel/4Act 10th Geo. IV.
The intention of the Act is mainly to protect and benefit
Friendly Societies, by affording privileges to such insti-
tutions of a nature to secure their well-being and perma-
nency; at the same time the Act imposes some wholesome
restrictions on the inferior description of Clubs, which
have had the effect in some instances of producing a
beneficial change, by the revision of their rules, and the
adoption of a scale of rates and payments better adapted to
meet the contingencies to be provided against. Unfortu•
nately, however, under the impression that Government
had gone beyond its province in interfering with the
management of Benefit Societies, a violent jealousy was
early perceptible, and the merest sophistry was sufficient
to prevail upon the mass of subscribers to Friendly So-
cieties to disregard the Act, otherwise than by denouncing
it as a species of unjust legislation.
Notwithstanding this, I ant of opinion that, taking into
account the number and respectability of those Clubs pre•
viously established, and which have conformed to the
10th Geo. IV., the number of those institutions which
have been raised entirely on the basis of the Act, together
with the influence of the parties who support the improved
systems, th e conformists will prove as strong as their
opponents in the forthcoming struggle. If lam correct,
it will prove rather difficult to overturn the Act. lam
Willing to allow that some of its provisions might be mo-
dified, but I should regret if any hasty er unduly considered
change were to take place. I shall probably at a future
time, with your consent, enter largely into the considera-
tion of a subject in which the moral interests of a I irge
Portion (and that of the humbler class) of the community
is Particularly concerned ; for the present I shall confine
Thyself to pointing out the danger of provoking further
alterations in the law on Friendly Societies.
Friendly Societies enrolled under the 59th Geo.
I2Se are admitted to the privilege of depositing their
capitals in the hands of the Commissioners for the Reduc-
tion of the National Debt, at the same rate of interest
and upon the same conditions as the S ivings Banks.
These deposits can therefore be made at 41. I Is. 3d. per
out
cent,
per annum interest, and the money can be drawn
at pleasure, without making the Savings Banks the
medium of effecting the deposit or return, as has been
erro"neously supposed. By the 9th Geo. IV. c. 92,
An Act to consolidate and amend the Laws relating to
Savings Banks," the rate of interest was reduced to Savings
Banks to 3/. 16s. op. per cent. per annum, reserving,
however, to such Friendly Societies as had been enrolled
under the 59th Geo. 111., the privilege of still receiving
41. I ls. 3d. per cent. The Act 10th Geo. IV. confirms
this privilege. It might be supposed that at least all
those Societies which were enrolled under the 59th
Geo. 111., and whose funds were deposited in the Savings
13 inks, for which they can only receive 31. Bs. sd. per
cent. per annum interest, would have conformed to the
10th Geo. IV., and through their trustees have deposit d
their capital stocks in the hands of the Commissioners, for
Which they can obtain 41. 1 Is. 3d. instead of 31. Bs. sd.
On the contrary, it is only necessary to refer to the pe-
riodical returns of the Savings Banks, to gather the fact of
the immense loss to which the members of Savings Banks
subject themselves from their total ignorance on this point,
to Which their attention would naturally be excited by the
revisal of these rules precedent to conforming to the Act.
!The public, on the other hand, are not unmindful of the
act, that to provide this interest to the depositors in Say-
Mg' Batiks, and to the contributors to Friendly Societies,
an onerous burden is thrown on their shoulders, from
the circumstance of the Commissioners never obtaining so
Hutch interest from the appropriation of the funds thus
cofmsmitted to their charge, as they pay—viz., in the cases
Savings Banks Si. 16s. 04d., and to Friendly Societies
14alw' Is. 3d. : hence, in disturbing the present state of the
thauque!tion may he raised as to the propriety of con-
'inag this boon. It would be well, therefore, if the
members of Benefit Societies were to considerl:the seriously
arTeoexposed
the uncertain tenor of existence to which
by the frequent agitation of the law thereon): also on the evidence adduced before the Parliament reflect
Committees, and which led to the passing the Ac
10 Geo. IV. ; to be assured that in compellin the with-
drawal of the capitals or stocks from the hands ofg
irrespon-
sible individuals, to be placed under responsible control,
their safety alone was consulted. There are persons who
Would persuade the less informed that the Act is an a: bi
trary one—that the intention of its promoters was to ob-
tain possession of their money, and to hold their most
nimple proceedings under a sort of surveillance. It were
a waste of time to argue against such an untenable posi-
tion--the idea is ridiculous. I shall conclude by recom-
mending all persons interested in the welfare of Benefit
Societies to watch narrowly the proceedings of those who
Pretend to uphold the rights of the humbler classes, by
lb:eighing against the Friendly Societies' Act, whilst, at
their actions.
time, sinister motives may give the spring to
actions. INVESTIGATOR.
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