The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-22 00:00:00

THE SUN,

origtettilatt ltit

LONDON, MONDAY, APRIL 22, 1850.

Our exceptional analysis of the Bill to be intro-
duced this evening to the House of Commons by the
Government, with a view to the making " better provi-
sion for the interment of the dead in and near the
metropolis," although carried to some extent, was still
incomplete in Saturday's impression. Neither space,
time, nor opportunity then admitted of any express re-
ference to that deeper and more comprehensive disad-
vantage which relates to the extent of its projected
operation. Now, however, immediately antecedent
to the introduction of the measure in the lower
branch of the Imperial Legislature, we conceive that
it may be in some degree advantageous to allude to
that most glaring deficiency, directly and emphatically.
That the Cabinet should have resolved upon adopting
an improvement of this nature solely in aid
of the metropolitan population reveals a
slovenliness of philanthropy as striking as it is as-
suredly reprehensible. Aanif to balance some of their
former sanitary proceedings, in which the condition
of the capital was altogether overlooked, while the
boon of amelioration was distributed preferentially
through the provinces, her MAJESTY'S Ministers appear
in the preser4 instance to have arrived at an exactly
contrary determination—producing a Bill as
decidedly one sided in its action, but this
time having reference alone to London and its
vicinity. Against such a course of mariagement in
the proffering of sanitary reforms to the community
we pretest with all the farce of the most energetic
indignation. Common sense, common reason, com-
mon humanity, tell us, that the Bail should be so
framed as to bring under its beneficial influence at
least the whole of E ighand and Wales, if not the en-
tire of the Uniteel Kip ;3:m. this, forsooth, the
only densely populated city in Great Britain ? Are
not Liverpool, and Manchester, Rnd Birmingham, and
a multitude of other great seats of commerce as
thickly crowded with inhabitants proportionately as
London ? A voice of terrible resonance, at any rate,
proclaimed as much in most particulars through the
cholera returns issued during the period of the last
awful visitation. And shall the ipso dixit of some
denizen of Downing-street be accepted as a sufficient
assurance to the contrary ? We E xpect that the re-
sponse of our Liberal representatives will be reso-
lutely given in the negative. Otherwise the results
may be frightfully calamitous. We say this boldly,
plainly, and deliberately. We maintain that unless
the different clauses of the Bill to be brought for-
ward this evening in the Commons by the Govern-
ment be most carefully revised, that unless those
alreadY.inimated by ourselves be sedulously emended,
that unless the Bill be extended in operation from
London throughout Eogland, and that unless the
management of the proposed system be entrusted to
laymen instead of ecclesiastical authorities—the con-
sequences may prove very soon to be most dire and
calamitous. In simple terms—the approach of sum-
mer, with the possible elevation of the mer-
cury in the thermometer to an unusual
extent, may demonstrate that the Cabinet
has trifled with the health, nay with the
very lives of the population, for the sake of attending
exclusively to the interests of the clergy of the Es-
tablishment. Should the nation be again subjected
to another visitation of the cholera, the Government
would recognise, when too late (as far as many indi-
viduals are concerned) that those facts which are
already beginning to be perceived by them should
have been attended to as long ago as 1842, when they
were all of them clearly enough demonstrated after
the sitting of Mr. MacseasexoN's Committee.
Besides what we have above intimated, the effect
of the Metropolitan Interment Bill should be at once
and permanently to close all the graveyards situated
within the districts of the metropolis. There should
be no opening allowed of for the resumption of the
old detestable system of intramural interment,
Burials should not even be suburban, strictly speak-
ing, but the cemeteries should be situated at a rea-
sonable distance from the limits of the capital. Under
any other mode of proceeding the Government will
only be playing with a grievance ; and the ben( fir
conferred by the measure will be one of mere botch-
ing instead of one of radical improvement.
Again and yet again we would insist upon the im-
perative necessity existing for the alteration of
the 6th, 7th, and Bth clauses, already parti-
cularizod, and for such a change in the 9th
clause that the power of superintendence and of
governance shall be reposed exclusively in the
hands of the laity—no bishop being empowered to
exercise authority either as a manager or as a referee
in a matter intimately affecting the safety of the
people. The alternative is plainly this--an alterna-
tive between the pockets of the clergy and the lives of
the community !
Other clauses, especially the money clauses, will
also demand from our Representatives a most
cautious revision. For example, clause 39, enabling
the Commissioners of Public Works to advance
(by aid of t Vic., e. 9, sess. 2.), money to the board
of management ; and clause 46, in which the trans-
fer and registry of mortgages are provided for,
which latter should be maintained (if there be any
necessity for mortgages cf property at all), at one
shilling, or even say at sixpence, in lieu of two
shil-
iings. In reference to other subsequent clauses (48
and 49), it should, moreover, be decided that no rate
whatever can be levied, and that the advance shall
be made conditionally, in the first instance, with the
returns provided for by the income derived from in-
terment. Before abandoning the matter to the first
night's consideration of our Representatives, we may
observe that the several parishes in the diocese of
London are possibly enumerated in the Bill, to the
end that neither the Dissenters nor the private grave-
yard owners shall retain any power to claim
compensation under the Act. May we not
inquire, upon this consideration, with all reason,
why, in the name of simple justice and common de-
cency, the ecclesiastical authorities of the Established
Church should expect, on the contrary, the doubt.
compensation of power and of payment? What the
multitude, and, we believe, what the Parliament de-
sire, is not a clerical but a popular Bill for Extra-
mural Interment.

When the Secretary of the Treasury, on the first
day of the session, announef.d the Ministerial inten-
tions with respect to the business about to be brought
under the consideration of Parliament, the first place
was properly assigned to the Savings' Banks Bill, of
which the Chancellor of the Exchequer had!given notice.
The debate on the amendment to the Address was
brought to a conclusion on Friday, the Ist, or rather
at two o'clock on Saturday morning, the 2d of Feb..
ruary. The first Government day then was Tues-
day, the sth of February ; and, on looking to the Par-
liamentary notices, we find the first order for that day
"The Chancellor of the Exchequer—Bill for amending
the law relating to Savings' Banks." The first notice
of motion for the same day, was " The Chancellor
of the Exchequer—Select Committee on Savingio
Banks." The great importance of the subject, in the
opinion of the Right Honourable Gentleman, was thus
clearly shown, and much credit was given to the
Ministers for the prompt attention about to be be-
stowed question in which the interests of the
work
ingocu a
lasses were so deeply involved. None com-
plained of the priority, which, on the contrary, met
with general approbation. The numerous frauds
brought that had previously been to light—the large
suns embezzled by officials,disbonestthe existing
la
the
wto
inade-
quate protection afforded by
z sdne general
nera and l
depositors, and the Lducemen
apathy en the part of the trusteesttoocccaal:eiol
consternation. There was reason to fear that a run
would take place on these valu tble institutions such as
would be deeply injurious to those who might in a ;