The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-05-23 00:00:00

BURIAL CLUBS.

THE attempt to put a stop to systematic infan-
ticide by means of burial clubs, through a clause in
the Friendly Societies Bill, has received a sudden
check, owing to that measure having been referred
to a select committee, which is usually the grave
of legislation. So strong, however, is the feeling
of the necessity of some stringent law on the sub-
ject, that the HOME SECRETARY 11RS declared his
intention of bringing in a bill for this especial
object, in order that such a disgrace to religion and
to humanity may no longer be perrnitted to exist.
it is no wholesale charge against the morality-of
the working classes, but the horrible fact has been
abundantly proved, that parents have made a profit
of the mortality of their offspring by insuring their
limes in several clubs, under the pretence of securing
the means for their interment. With such tempta-
tions before them, and motives so plainly apparent,.
it 'is n-ot surprising that the frequent deaths of
children so insured should engender suspicions as
to the cause of their decease ; and therefore the
removal of such temptations becomes a question of
obvious importance. The remedy is simple, and,
whether the suspicion be true or false, can prove
no injustice. All that is required is to render
insurance of infant life in more than one burial
club illegal, and in that particular case to impose
the necessity of paying the amount of insurance
into the hands of the undertaker who has actually
performed the funeral, so that the parents would
have the expenses of interment secured, and, not
being allowed to touch any of the money, would
be spared the temptation which, it is feared, proves
too often too strong for them. Such a bill Would
be simple in its enactments, and as it is hardly likely
to experience any serious opposition, might very
soon be passed through Parliament.

THE NEW CHURCH OF ST. PAUL,
TRANMERE.

TILE foundation-stone of St. Paul's Church, Tranmere,
is to be laid this day, at three o'clock, on a site peculiarly
eligible for the locality, being an imperial acre of valuable
building land, for church and parsonage, at the corner of
Limekiln-lane and the old Chester-road, liberally presented
by Major Oman, the lord of the manor; in addition to
which Jonir ORRED, Esq., has given the noble endowment
of £3,000, so that there is a fair prospect of the fulfilment
of the wish of the promoters to have not only a church
which will be an ornament to the neighbourhood, but " a
poor man's church," at Limekiln-lane. The church is to be
cruciform in plan, seated for 700 worshippers, consisting of
nave 76 by 37 feet, and 48 feet. high, with' north porch ;
also north and south transepts, 27 feet wide and 89 feet.
from north to south ; a chancel, 30 feet deep by 21 feet 9
inches wide, with a well-proportioned steeple,llo feet high,
in the north-east angle of the transept and chancel ;
vestry on the south side of the chancel.' The arrange-
ments are somewhat different from those usually adopted,
in consequence of the principal approach to the church
being from the north and east. The style of the archi-
tecture is known as middle pointed Gothic, to be built
with red freestone. The carpenter and joiner's works are to
be executed with fine Baltic timber, varnished the natural
colour of the wood. Galleries are not to be erected at
present, but may subsequently be introduced in the tran-
septs. Messrs. Routledge and Hogarth have contracted
for the execution of the works, and Messrs. J. W. and J.
Hay are the architects. We find that in 1831 the poput
lation of the township was 1,168, which in 1851 had

increased to 6,519, without any addition to the church
accommodation, though for many years it has only been
afforded to about one in ten of the inhabitants. Tranmere
may fairly be considered a suburb of Liverpool, but with
this disadvantage, that as few or none of the " merchant
princes" reside there, its claim is not recognised, inasmuch
as it is upon the wrong side of the stream through which
Liverpool derives its wealth ; it has, therefore, been no
short or easy task to raise the sum of 0,000 at present
available, leaving still a deficiency of £1,250 to pay up the
work contracted for. It is, however, to be hoped that the
good work now so happily commenced will not be sus-
pended for want of funds—a stronger case, it is believed,
could hardly be submitted to the public; and we trust
that the friends of the Church will come cheerfully for-
ward on this occasion, to aid the indefatigable exertions of
the gentlemen responsible for and engaged in this laudable
undertaking.