The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-28 00:00:00

" I have scores of times seen both men and children
asleep at their work. and very dangerous work too" (No.
10).—" Very often they go to sleep over their work" (No.
51).—" I have almost every day to take a board and beat it
on the table to waken them, as they were slumbering at their
work." (Observe the expression, reader—' at their work').
" At that time they would be hooking cloth ; and while
they should be doing it, I see them nodding and trying to
catch the hook" (No. 83).—" As to the older ones, I have
often and often seen them down asleep, not being able to
hold up for their work. If the manager had gone out, they
would drop down in a minute in the packing-boxes and go
to sleep" (No. 68).—" We have often gone to sleep on the
tables, or with our heads on the wet cloth, or anywhere
where we could sit still" (No. 378).—" The little ones very
often fall asleep standing to their work"—
No wonder the managers, whose task it is to keep
the poor little ones awake as " they fall asleep
standing," say that their hearts are so sore for
them they can hardly fulfil their painful
office. No wonder the " retiring from work
to die" is so common that ten conse-
cutive witnesses, employed at different esta-
blishments, mentioned many cases within their
knowledge of boys and men having been ill arid off
work, who died from long hours. What must be
the case then with the women and little girls?
And after all this evidence given openly before
parliamentary committees, uncontradicted and un-
refuted, embodied in their official reports, can our
legislators presume to say there is no call for their
interference ? Can they dare to justify this sys-
tematic cruelty ? It is doubtless only regarded by
the heads of these establishments as part of a sys-
tem which they did not originate, and for which
they are not responsible ; but let the people of
England see that such things are no longer possi-
ble while they have a voice in the legislation of
their couJry. Political theories or questions of
party may be safely left to the test of time and
success, but surely this is a case whose merits all
cai appreciate. There cannot be two opinions
as to the cruelty of forcing children
of nine or ten years old to work 18 and 20 hours
for many days together; as to the hardship of a band
of girls "mostly from 10 to 18" working for three
days, 20 hours each day. Who can read these de-
tails without thinking of HOOD'S pathetic words—
"lt is not linen you're wearing out,
But human creatures lives."
How his fervent indignation would have glowed
over such a recital, how his warm and tender heart
would have sympathised with the drooping little
ones, truly, as Mrs. BROWNING has pathetically
called them--
"Martyrs by the pang without the palm."

Surely the efforts which are now making in this
good cause will not have been made in vain.
Surely among our legislators some will be found
who are not insensible to the sufferings at home
while descanting eloquently on the wrongs of those
abroad. Surely when Mr. CROOK'S bill is brought
forward for a second reading, towards the close of
March, it will receive careful and deliberate atten-
tion from the Commons who represent the people
of Great Britain, that something may be done to re-
move this stigma from our nation, and to prove that
the pursuit of gold and the attractions of commerce
have not made us altogether indifferent to the
blessing which is promised to the merciful.

It is a remarkable fact that capital is always to
be found for investment in undertakings when a
reasonable prospect of profit can be shown to exist,
and how soon a public want is supplied.
When we look at the history of Life Assurance
Institutions, we find that in the years 1836-7-8
upwards of twenty companies were established, and
as all of these, with one or two notable exceptions,
are in a flourishing condition (some of them taking
place in the first rank), we may fairly assume that
their establishment supplied a public want. Then
we have seen the Discount Companies and Joint-
Stock Banks ; and, despite the heavy blow to this
latter interest from the disastrous termination of
what may be termed ill-judged and ill-managed
speculations, no sooner are new Banks projected
upon a sound basis, with a fair guarantee for
honest management in the names of the directors,
than capital is immediately forthcoming. And
within the last few years we have seen two Metro-
politan Joint-Stock Banks starting in vigorous
operation at the same time, with what successful
results the public are already familiar from their
balance-sheets.

But by far the largest field for joint-stock opera-
tions, at the present time, appears to be that of
Marine Insuaance. Notwithstanding the enormous
increase in our shipping trade within the last quar-
ter of a century only three companies of any great
importance have been established since 1720. The
subject has received considerable attention within
the past few months, and no sooner is the want of
increased facility and fair competition apparent
than we find British capital ready for investment.

The London and Provincial Marine Insurance
Company is one of those brought before the public
at the right time, under the auspices of a very in-
fluential Board of Directors, composed of merchants
and shipowners, men practically acquainted with
the business; and-especial care has been taken to
obtain the support of leading firms in Hull, Bristol,
Liverpool, &c.
We think ample scope will be found for the
operations of these new undertakings, and certainly
the price of the shares in the older companies would
prove the business to be of a very profitable
character.