The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-30 00:00:00

tivtly require.

It is at length more than probable that the
.just demands of the civil servants of the Crown,
in reference to the Superannuation Bil►, will be
concealed. They have had the justice and equity
of their demand distinctly recognised by tlnee
different tribunals, viz.,' by a Select Committee of
the House of Common:;, by the Royal Commis-
sioners, and ultimately by the representative
branch of the Legislature, which, by a majority
of 60, last night affirmed the principle of the bill,
notwithstanding the opposition so improperly
offered by the Government. But they had, be-
sidcs, the intrinsic equity of their claims, which
must convince any unprejudiced and disinterested
person of the impolicy and impropriety of offering
any further resistance thereto.
We have always considered that " the labourer
is worthy of his hire," and that when once
a salary was fairly and honourably earned, the re-
cipient should do as he likes with his own. It is
absurd to give a nominal salary, and afterwards
to reduce it by deductions, of which but a small
propoition of the recipients can ultimately benefit,
and then by no means to the extent that they
could readily obtain front a well-conducted and
perfeely solvent private establishment. Even if
the full and fair equiscalent were offered in the
shape of a retiring pension, the large majority
would greatly prefer obtaining it in a shape that
would be available for their widows and childr©n
in the event of their own deaths. They would
naturally feel that so long a 3 they were spared
they could provide for themselves, and the dear
ones dependent on them, not only for the comforts
but the actual necessaries of life. An insurance
which would provide a specified sum on the deatii
of the parties, and which could be disposed of at
any time during his life, when a sum in hand
might be required, would be better in every re-
spect for the parties themselves, and still more
for their families.

W© need not dwell on the duty of an employer
r to provide for a faithful and efficient servant, who
has bestowed the best years of his life, and
worn himself out in his service. No man of
ordinary feelings would permit such a person
to come to destitution, or even to endure serious
privation in his old age. The sacred claim is
fully recognised and promptly and adequately re.
sponded to by all who have sufficient means at
their disposal. Where such is not the case, it is
the ability and not the wid that is wanting, and
it would be disgraceful to the wealthiest nation
in the world if they shoull permit their Govern-
ment to refuse to act in a similar manner.
But, at all events, if it was considered
desirable to establish a , provident fund,
it should be optional with the parties for whose
benefit it is avowedly established to join it or
ot
nequiva-
lent a ss
should they
thought proper, and an ample
voluntarily be
rreendeturrned.ed for any contributions
thus
But is this the case with the Civil Service
Superannuation Fund? Mc st t
od eecxi dt:adelty
from not. t
hI
et
was but an ingenious device to
pockets of the worst remunerated cl tss of
public servants the means of defraying
pensions to their more fortunate brethren.
Eminent actuaries have made calculAtions show-
ing that the parties subjected to these deductions
6hould, in common justice, receive far more than
has been offered to them. It has been proved

beyond the possibility of douloi-, that the sums
received have amounted in the aggregate from
August, 1829, to January, 1856, to no less than
843,4331., to say nothing of the compound in-
terest, which should far more than have doubled
the actual receipts within the time, while the
actual contributors, and no others should be
inkeia into account, have received but 92,2331.,
leaving a balance of 750,0001., unfairly extracted
from their pockets, and that they are actually
paying at this moment some '75,000/. per annum.
while nearly 12,0001. a year is returned in the
shape of pensions. This is so palpably unfair—
so manifest a swindle, that it is alike disgraceful to
the nation, and to every successive Government
by which it has been sanctioned and main-
tained. It should at all events- be forthwith
altered, and a just account taken of the receipts
from, and payments to, the contributors. The
balance would form the nucleus of a handsome
fund to be applied for their benefit ; and we
really think that all who have bean, dismissed or
resigned the service, and the representatives of
those who have died "in harness," should be
entitled .to fair equivalents for what they
actually paid. The British Government
should not shelter itself under pleas which
would be considered disgraceful to any per-
son in private life, and which would be fatal to
any reputation for common honour or honesty.
Lord NAAS'S bill will obviate future injustice,
but the next session should net be suffered to
elapse without providing for the equitable claims
of those who, for 28 years, have been plundered
under an iniquitous and unwarrantable law.