The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-17 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1856.

attracted the keen eye of Mr. PlTT—keener, no

doubt, from the financial pressure of the time

—and under the twofold impetus of State neces-

city on the one hand, and duty to the State's
servants on the other, he grasped the idea of di-

verting that Fund into the Crown's Exchequer,
and of granting in future gratuitous superannua:

tion to the despoiled and their successors.
had this balance gone on augmenting in the
hands of Civil servants, or been invested at com-
pound interest, it would now have been repre-
sented by one million of money, ample for its
legitimate objects, and the present oexatio questio
would not have been the subject of Parliamentary
discussion in 1856.

They may elevate their voices in favour of the
popular candidate, or wear significant ribands,
the meaning of which is perfectly comprehensible.
But let them vote privately, which will prevent
bribery—because no man will trust a person base
,notigli to sell his birthright, or believe that he
would not also be capable of deceiving the in-
tending purchaser of his venal suffrage. It will
also render ineffective all kinds of coercion, whe-
ther that of the landlord, the employer, the
customer, the priest, or the mob. All kinds
of domination will be prohibited, and the
vote will be given in accordance with the voter's
conscience ; and there will, of course, be a far
greater chance that the successful candidate Will
fairly represent the wants and wishes of the
majority of the constituency by which he has
been elected.

The Fund, however, was taken, and free super-
animations were liberally awarded until 1821,
when the Government of the day, by Treasury
minute, imposed a tax of 2} per cent. on salaries
from 1001. to 5001. ; 5 per cent. from 5001. to
1,000/. ; and 10 per cent. on 1,000/. and up-
wards. In 1822 a Bill was brought in partially
affirming that arrangement to the extent that
Civil servants should provide one moiety of the
Fund, and the Government the other. Brief was
the reign of this tax. The House, roused to a
sense of the injustice perpetrated in 1822, re-
pealed that Act in 1824, and directed the sums
levied from the officers to be repaid. Five years
had scarcely elapsed when a fresh attempt was
made to re-impose the tax. In 1828 a Bill was
brought in for that purpose, but was indignantly
rejected by the good feeling of the House.
Scarcely had a year gone by ere the Govern-
ment of the day returned to the charge, but in-
stead of re-inviting the co-operation of Parlia-
ment, the present 21- and 5 per cent. were di-
rected by Treasury Minute of August, 1829, to
be deducted from the salaries of all officers enter-
ing the service after that data.
For 5 years was this Minute acted upon, when,
in a luckless hour, another Bill was brought into
the House confirming and perpetuating the tax
imposed by that Minute. This was passed, and
is the Act of 1834, against which relief is sought
by the officers who entered since 1829, and who
have paid during that period no less than
‘ 800,0001. without computing interest, whilst
ley have only received in pensions therefrom
about 40,000/. !
In this state of things the present Chancellor
of the Exchequer came to the relief of the Civil
Service, and brought in a bill creditable in all
respects to its author, save as to the tax, ',Mich
is still left unrepealed. The main prayer of the
petitioners was to be absolved from an impost
which, being " an arbitrary tax on fluctuating
salaries, bore no equitable relation to the fixed
pension to be secured," a tax unjust in itself,
inequitable in principle, and contrary to sound
policy. The bill and the petition were referred
to a Select Committee, who, whilst condemning
the tax, appear to have yielded to a suggestion
that the Crown should have an equivalent in the
shape of an equally arbitrary reduction of salaries ;
but what is more extraordinary, in bringing the
result of the Select Comm ittee's labours before the
House, embodied in the form of a new bill, the
principle of the first is almost entirely destroyed.
This is matter of deep regret, but fortunately the
mischief is capable of an easy remedy, and that
remedy has been suggested. It is to resort to
the bill as originally proposed by the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, with the addition of a clause
disposing of the tax. The tax being conditionally
foregone, with an equivalent for its loss, matters
would stand as they were when the Chancellor in-
troduced his bill, and it is no mean compliment to

The question of Civil Service Superannuation is
again occupying a large share of public attention.
To attempt to go through the whole history of
this matter would be a semewhat herculean task.
It has passed through many phases, and been
dealt with from time to time by successive Par-
liamisuts and different Governments in such a
variety of ways that to record all these changes
would be to string together a series of contradic-
tionA so utterly irreconcileable that they can only
ha attributed to those fits of caprice to which the
pressure of circumstances in no way germane to
the subject will occasionally give rise. It must
suffice to glance briefly at the leading facts of the
case ; and to begin with the beginning it may be
stated, upon the authority of the evidence adduced
before the Select Committee, that, although the
idea of a provision for old age appears to have
originated with the hard-working demi-official
men or slaves—we might say of the holders of
patent offices in the palmy days of sinecurism—no
sooner was the death-blow struck at that system
and the sinecurist gave place to an industrial class,
who were required not only to receive the wages,
but to do the work of office, than the country
became sensible of the justice of providing retiring
pensions for their more faithful servants when no
longer able to provide for themselves.

him to find that, after all the labours of the Select
Committee to improve it, the bill in its original
integrity is the only measure which has fairly
grappled with a difficult question, and is pre-
eminently calculated not only to satisfy the Civil
Service, but to do justice both to them and to
the Crown.

The broad distinction between the sinecurist
and the de facto working official is this—the
patentee enjoyed the salary of office for life, nay,
sometimes it Wa3 entailed on his heirs, whilst ill-
Paid deputies did the work for a bare remunera-
tion. The working official under the new regime
performed the duties of the office in propria per•
•soita, and received a moderate stipend for the
work so long as he was able to discharge them.
When age and infirmity deprived the latter
of the power to earn, an other stepped
into his place and took his stipend
on similar terms. It was obvious that
a man who has wasted his best days in the
monotonous routine of a peculiar service, even if
all his energies were not exhausted, was ill calcu-
lated for the hopeless task of beginning the world
afresh, and that the justice of the case demanded
for the worn-out, faithful servant of the Crown
that he should not be left to a degrading depend-
ence on his friends, or, failing that, to those pa-
roolaial resources, which the law provides for the
destitute.

The country, naturally enough, found a source
of gratulation in the downfall of those State
hangers-on, and the saving it effected in the Ex-
chequer ; and to the fruits of that change the
attention of Parliament was directed for supplying
the requisite provision for its retiring servants.
The fees of abolished patent offices were devoted
to the augmentation of the funds which the
working staff under the defunct system had pru•
dently set on foot. This was the nucleus of the
Superannuation Fund. Taus it appears that the
moment the necessity for such a provision arose,
and the duty of the country to support it became
apparent, the liberality of Parliament signalised
itself in the gratuitous transfer of the patent fees
in aid of the Officers' Fund, which together
amounted, in 1812, to nearly 340,000/. This
Wails the balance of a growing Fund, which, whilst
satisfying the demand for retiring pensions, was
tecurnulating at compound interest. This balance

It may appear strange that in a bill directed
against corrupt practices at Elections no mention
should be made of the system of voting—that
the mode of taking the suffrage, by which corrup-
tion in its most formidable forms is occasioned,
should be permitted to remain without modifica-
tion or alteration. But so it is. The Ballot--
which, under a judicious system, would render
bribery or intimidation perfectly impossible—is
passPd by sub silentis, while au elaborate ma-
chinery is created for the purpose of imposing
trifling difficulties in the way of that which might
be altogether obviated in a manner so simple and
so efficacious.

The cry for public voting is practically one for
the right of purchasing support, and bringing the
most intolerable tyranny to bear on those who
are compelled to gain their daily bread by their
daily exertions. We are proud to say that many
of these men will boldly assert their independence,
and steadily refuse to listen to the insulting sug-
gestions. But why should they be exposed to
serious loss and injury for their honest discharge
of a constitutional duty ? Why should any
man be enabled to say—You have opposed
my wishes and interest, and I shall now
injure you by every means in my power. As we
have stated, a conscientious man may despise the
threat, but he may still suffer severely by the
results, and that should be guarded against by
every practicable measure.
Of all the points of elective reform we regard
the Ballot as the most important—even more so
than the extension of the suffrage, inasmuch as
it is of greater consequence to insure the
purity of election with a limited number
of voters, than to have a large addition of
persons who would be peculiarly liable to these
corrupt and improper practices, that are verbally
deprecated, but practically sustained by the re-
fusal to adopt the Ballot. Let the mystification
that has so long been resorted to be speedily dis-
pelled, and the question placed in a correct point
of view, so that all who run may read. We can
trust Mr. BERKELEY to do so, and the earnest
and consistentßeformers to give the necessary pub-
licity to his arguments.

THE LATE JOHN HENRY B ELVILLE,
ESQ.

During the past week the Royal Observatory at
Greenwich has sustained a severe loss in the decease of
John Henry Belville, Esq., who for illie long period of
45 years was one of its most faithful and attached offi-
cers. Mr. Belville was born in the year 1796, at Bath,
was educated at Braintree, in Essex, with the view of
entering the church, but in 1814 passed to the Observa-
tory at the time of the late Astronomer Royal's (Mr.
Pond's) appointment. Whilst in office Mr. Belville's
duties were of a most onerous and responsible nature,
and he was successively entrusted with the superinten•
dence of the Great Mural Circle, erected by Troughton,
at Greenwich, in the year 1812 ; with the ten feet tran-
sit instrument erected likewise by Troughton, in 1816 ;
and within the last few years with the Great Transit
Circe erected by the present Astronomer Royal. For
many years also the rating of the Government chrono-
meters formed not the least part of his official dutieQ;
and for the long period abovementioned to the time of
his last severe and most painful illness he continued to
dischaige with the utmost faithfulness and ability the
duties of his office, requirine, assiduous attention during
the boors both of the day and night.
Mr. Belville was favourably known as the author of a
treatise on the barometer and thermometer. He was
also distinguished as the most persevering meteorologi-
cal observer of the time, his- private weather journal
extending from the time of his school days at Braintree
to within a very short period of his decease, and ise. one
of the finest on record. His third daughter was married
in the year 1844 to Mr. Glaisher, the well-known
meteorologist. It is understood to be the intention of
his family to inter the deceased in the old churchyard
at Lee, in Kent, beside the tomb of the late Astrono-
mer Royal.

Her Royal Highness the' Duchess of Kent, attended
by Lady Anna Maria Dawson and Sir George Cowper,
left town, yesterday, for her residence, Frogrnote, near
Windsor.
The Duke and Duchess of Atholl have left the St.
George's Hotel, for Dunkeld House, N.B.
The Earl and Countess of Lichfield have arrived at the
St. George's Hotel.
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston entertained at
dinner, at their mansion, on the Terrace, Piccadilly, last
evening, his Excellency the Ambassador of France and
the Countess de Persigny, his Excellency the Austrian
Minister, his Excellency the Portuguese Minister and
the Countess Lavradio, Count Karolyi, the Duchess of
Inverness, the Marquis and Marchioness of Elandford,
the Countess of Tankervilie, the Earl of Westmorland,
Viscount Chelsea, Sir Robert Peel, M.P., and Lady
Emily Peel, the Right Hon. William Cowper, M.P.,
and Mrs. C raper' Mr. Crampton, and Mrs. Augustus
Craven. After dinner her ladyship received a small
circle of friends.

The Frances Henty has arrived from Melbourne with
107,000 ounces of gold, valued at 428,0001. Her dates
are to the 30th of April.
Sir Erskine Perry and Davenport Dockyard work-
men had an interview with the Caancellor of the Ex-
chequer, yesterday, respecting superannuations.
SIR ALAN M‘NAB.—Our readers will be glad to
learn, that her Majesty has been pleased to bestow a
Barouetage on this public-spirited and patriotic Cana-
dian gentleman.
THe COLDSTREAM GUARDS.—The annual banquet of
the Coldstream Guards took place last even ng at the
London Tavern ; C.,lonel the Hon. A. -Upton presided.
Covers were laid for 110.

The Hon. Gentleman the member for Bristol,
whose exertions in the cause of the Ballot have
earned the thanks and gratitude of every true
Reformer, is determined to attempt at least to
remove this grave anomaly. Ho has given notice
that he will, this evening, move the insertion of
clauses providing that votes shall henceforward
he taken at elections by ballot. If the professing
Reformers prove faithful to the promises made at
the hustings, there can be no doubt as to the com-
plete success of Mr. BERKELEY'S proposition. It
would be carried by an overwhelming majority,
in which the names of sundry members of the
Cabinet, and other leading Ministerialists, would
figure. But years have fled since the last
appeal to the country. Former pledges are,
therefore, forgotten ; and the next General Elec-
tion is not sufficiently close to excite the appre-
hensions of the " waiters on Providence," many
of whom hope to have " made their game" before
the terrible appearance of deceived and indignant
constituents shall be presented to their astonished
gaze. We shall, therefore, feel no great surprise
at finding some persons voting in direct opposi-
tion to all their former professions, and a still
larger proportion of absentees, who will adopt the
less manly course of avoiding the contest, and
thus keeping fair with both sides. We must
say, that, to our judgment, the party
who remains away on inadequate grounds
should be more severely condemned even than
the avowed rat. Both must be regarded
as deserters from the standard to which they had
previously vowed allegiance; but sneaking away
from responsibility will be goner:oly regarded
as the most un-English practice of the two, and
will certainly be visited with as stringent censure
when the parties are called on to render the
accounts of their respective stewardships.

THE APPROACHING CORONATION AT MOSCOW.—On
th. 20t% of A.tign,t the Emperor will arrive at the
Chateau of Petroweki, situated near the gates of AL )s-
-cow, and on the 22d will make a solemn entry into the
capital. .

MADAME VIARDOT GARCIA'S MATINEE.—A. concert
of vocal and instrumental music was given yesterday
by Madame Pauline Viardot Garcia, at the Dudley Gal-
lery, by permission of Lord Ward. The attendance was
fashionable and numerous, the programme highly at-
tractive, and the performance admirable.
LYCEUM THEATRE.—Last night Madame Ristori
made " her last appearance this season," again sup-
porting the characters which she assumed on Friday
last. Madame Ristori will of course return to London
after her visit to the provinces.
ARRIVAL OF TROOPS.—PORTSMOUTH, Wednesday.—
The Terrible, steam-frigate, with 1,000 troops, chiefly
Royal Artillery, and the Firebrand, with 200 men, have
arrived from the East.
WAR DEPARTMENT, 17TH JULY, 1856.—The follow-
ing vessels passed the Bosphorus on passage to Eng-
I tied on the 11th and 15th instant :--Royal George,
with head quarters and wing of the 56th Regitneut ;
Perseverance, with 200 men of the Medic +1 Staff Corps.
AUSTRIA AND NAPLES.—Au extremely well-informed
person, writing from Vienna, says that Austria cannot,
end does not, now employ such- straightforward language
towards. Naples as she did some months ago. Formerly,
the Imperial Goverement openly condemned the foreign
policy of the Neapolitan Cabinet, but it does not ap-
prove of foreign intervention in the internal affairs of a
state—" unless, indeed, that intervention is demandtd
by its Sovereign."
MURDER.—John Murdoch, aged 20, wright, was
tried at the Lewis Assizes, yesterday, for the murder of
James Wallerd, the keeper of the gaol at Hastings, who
attempted to prevent the prisoner escaping therefrom.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty, (qt recommended-
him to mercy. The learned judge, in an impressive
speech, then sentenced the prisoner to death, on hearing
which the prisoner turned round and said to the people,
" There's a lesson for you."
LIFE INSURANCE.— At the Lewis Assizes, yesterday,
an action was brought by a person named Gover against
the Albert Life Insurance Company for the recovery of
the amount of a policy of insurance for 8001., effected on
the life of his wife. The company pleaded that the
plaintiff had made a false declaration as to the state of
health of Mrs. Gover at the time the insurance was
effected. The jury gave a verdict for the defendants.
THE MURDER AT OLD SWINFORD.—AI the Worcester
Assizes, yesterday, John Phipson was indicted for the
wilful murder of Elizabeth Mil ward at Old Swinford on
the 27th of June last. The prisoner, it will be recol-
lected from the facts that have already appeared in The
.scan, was a nailer, and during a quarrel he threw a piece
of hot iron at deceased, which entered her side and
killed her. The jery returned a verdict of guilty of man.
Roughter. Toe judge sentenced him to a fortnight's
imp risonment.
SgOCRE TEMPEST AT LOWESTOFT.—On Tuesday- even-
in thid town and neighbourhood was visited with a
severe temp.'st. During the day the wind blew a brisk
breeze from the south, and at 10 o'clock p.m. rocky
cumuli clouds rose rapidly, with distant lightning, which
lasted until midnight, when the heavens presented al-
most one c,mtinual display of electricity, the thunder
about the same time being incessant. For more than
,%weuty minutes the rain fell very heavy, at intervals
u 'ingled with hail. and at a quarter-past one the storm
in,ereased, the lightning became mere vivid and fork, d,
the thunder more startling, and another heavy fall of
rain.. It was near 3 o'clock before the storm began to
subs'Ae, when it gradually disappeared on its way north-
ward„ having lasted for more than three hours. It, was
the a aniversasy cf St, Swithin.

We trust, however, that there will be found
at their posts a sufficient number of good moon
and true to insure the triumph which the inde-
fatigable zeal and indomitable energy of the
champion of the Ballot so well inerits. All
that is required is that the apathy and
indifference which constitute the most fatal
obstacle to the much - required iinprovement
should be shaken off for the time being. The
matter has been fully argued all the salient
points of the case are before the public. Mr.
BERKELEY has left no point untouched that re-
quired elucidation. The ridiculous absurdity of
speaking of it as an " un-English practice," by
men who resort to it at every election, at their
clubs, has long been exploded. If voters wish to
proclaim the side on which they desire to array
themselves, it is perfectly easy to do so.

.1.411)-

Tt!-12:. SUM LON_DON, TILURSDAY EVENING JULY 17, lA56'

LATEST NE WS.

INSURRECTION AT MADRID.

MADRID, TUESDAY EVENING.

The fighting which began yesterday between
the National Guard and the Garrison of Madrid
has continued.

It is not true that a Republic has been pro-
claimed.

The Queen presented herself to the National
Guard, and to the troops of the garrison, and was
well received.

A suspension of hostilities has just been agreed
to, and the truce is to be in force till 5 o'clock in
the evening. General O'Donnell has declared to
General Infante, commanding the Insurgents,
that, after that hour, the troops will act with tho
greatest vigour.

If the insurgents should not have surrendered
by the time of the departure of the despatch, it is
feared that the telegraphic communication will
shortly be interrupted.

MADRID, WEDNESDAY.

The insurrection is crushed.

The O'Donnell Ministry has named a new mu-
nicipality for Madrid,• and declared the whole
kingdom to be in a state of siege.
Several journals are suppressed.
There are still no tidings of Espartero.
The National Guard is disbanded, and their
arms are to be given up.
It is rumoured that a movement has taken
place at Saragossa.

A letter from Ancona of the 6th, in the Opi-
nione of Turin, states that the Austrian garrison
there has been considerably reinforced of late,
and that guns have been mounted on all the bat-
teries.

THE CRIMEA•

BALAKLAVA, JULY 1.

The evacuation of the Crimea is all but accom-
plished. In last night's orders are the arrange-
ments for breaking up the Staff. There remain
now the 50th, 56th. 72d, and 82d regiments, a por-
tion of the 11th Hussars, some Land Transport
battalions, and a few Sappers and Miners. The
plateau is deserted.

FRANCE.
PARIS, WEDNESDAY EVENING.

The Moniteur continues to publish decrees pro-
mulgating different laws adopted by the Legislative
Body during its last session.
BOURSE, July 16.—The following were the last
quotations : .
• Cash. fr. e. End otMonth.
44 per Cents 93 75 —f. —e.
3 per Cents • 71 5 71 35
New Loan 7l
Bank Shares 4,125 Roman
Credit Mobilier 1,530 Austrian
Belgian Fives 93 Spanish Threes —
Fiedmontese (5) . — Home Debt
' RAILWAYS—IOU CASH.
' fr. a. fr. c
Orleans ........, .... . . 1,400 Western...
Northern
Lyons. ., 1,415 New Ditto
Mediterranean ...... 1,822 50 Grand Central 705 --
.Lyons Geneva — Teete
Cette 775 Austrian Com. 867 50
~ .