The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-13 00:00:00

nature,'

" 'And catch the manners living as they rise,'
—(laughter)—l erred in the appreciation of those
whose good opinion I value, and whoso judg-
ment must have weight with me, I am ready to
offer the most ample expression of my re-
gret, and to make upon this occasion the
most fitting amende honorable which I can
offer." In other words—He 'll be a good boy
and not do so any more—even at a jollification.
At the close of all which, we don't wonder in the
least to find it reported parenthetically that
" (The Hon. Baronet who spoke in the airiest and
most off-hand manner possible, sat down amid
loud cheers.)" Of course—what could have been
done otherwise ? Sir ROBERT PEEL, at the worst,
had only been talking a little fun (poking a little
fun, we believe, is the correct phrase) at a Stafford-
shire jollification. As the son and heir of a great
statesman, and as himself one of the Lords of the
Circumlocution office to boot, he ought, according
to the practice of what :Mr. THACKERAY CAIIS
" the old fogyfied times" to have talked more
seriously, sedately, and didactically. Like the
Snip's son in the Obi Farce, however, who had
a soul above buttons, Sir ROBERT PEEL disdained
to prose away for an hour or two in the old Par-
liamentary style at Mr. ADDERLEY'S jollification.
Et voila tout ! Instead of doing so, he tells us,
be preferred to hold the Glus—up to Nature.
And so the House of Commons in all good humour
laughs and cheers (as it ought) at the Gay Young
BARNACLE'S explanation. And so that Gay Young
BARNACLE himself (as he ought) merrily takes
the Speech so often carped at, and, with a comic
glance out of the corner of his eye, carols it, as it
were, all over again to House of Commons ti the
tune of Vive la Bagatelle !

PROVIDaNT CLERKY BENEVOLENT

FUND.

-----
We beg to direct the to of our readers to
the excellent remarks mule at the meeting of the
above fund by the Chairman, Thomson Haukey,
Esq., on We Inesday evening last. A report of
that gentleman's speech will be found in another
column. Mr. Hankey's experience, both as a
Director of the Bank of England and as an Income-
tax Commissioner, enable him to speak with autho-
rity on the subjec', and ho declares, as a fact
within his knowledge, that the salaries pail to
clerks have not kept pace with the increased. and
increasing price of the nec3ssaries of life. The
wagesai w ea of
all
kknow,
o mechanicsw,
ri andseneoonf m s
iddoer:lsbltyi c
dservants h e have,last
few years. In house rent, espociAlly in the
neighbourhood of the metropolis, a large in-
crease has taken place. To taxes we need
not advert further than to remark that of all classes
who suffer from the pressure of the income tax, the
clerks are probably the most to be pitied, from the
severity with which it falls upon a fixed and limited
income.

While this increase has been going on, however,
the salaries of this la-gi body hive remained with
but little alteration ; and it was to this fact the hon.
gentleman alluded on Wednesday evening, as a
reason why the ranks of the Clerks' Benevolent
Fund are at present limited to some •four or five
thousand members, instead of amounting, as they
should do, to ten times that number. We have
little doubt that Mr. Hankey has, in vulgar par-
lance, " hit the right nail on the head." An in-
come of 1001., or 1501. per annum, especially if
a family have to be supported out of it, leaves but
little margin for future provision, even with the
most pinching economy.
Let us, however, bear in mind one important
'fact. The excuse above quoted cannot be accepted
on behalf of another class, whose duty and interest
it is to foster this institution. We allude to the
employers, to whom the well-being of their clerks
must be, as is well, expressed in the report, "an
object of deep importance."
There is room in the list of noble donations al-
ready received by the Provident Clerks' Benevolent
Fund for a long series of City firms and benevolent
individuals who have not yet contributed to its
funds, and we trust soon to see realised the wish
expressed by many of the speakers at the meeting,
viz., that every deserving candidate may be placed
on the list of annuitants without the necessity of
election. That which is done by many trades and
professions of limited extent can surely be accom-
plished by the exercise of good feeling and energetic
suchthn be but true to their i
co-operation Great
Britain.
Leta body as the clerks of
ex-
cellent motto, "Tuti qua providi," and they will
ere long place their fund at the head of the "cha-
rities" (we use the word in its best sense) of this
metropolis.