Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-03-30

msnt monopoly even where i, results in unequal tax
alton and deprives individuals of pursuits which in
volve no immoral tendency-merely for tile satisfac
ton of public convenience.
| But the case OF insurance does not even involve
| this extent Of governmental capacity. A monopoly
| Of insurance by the State would not deprive ndivi.
duas of legitimate vocation No citizen is, or
ought to be permitted, in his individual capacity, to
insure his neighbor's life and property. Any sach
general license would be equivalent in its moral of
feet, and morc than equivalent in material injury, 10
the permission Of unlicensed lotteries, or even of
gambling transactions which still more obnoxious
to public continent The individual citizen has no
right, moral or legal, 10 become an insurer. But it
properly guarded and restrained, can be 80 instituted
TO assist general and particular interest and
nience, without accompaniment of moral injury. For
the purpose, then-np Of multiplying rOcations, b"A
Of sHbserping the general inieresl-and far The tat
t purpose Only has been found expedien to erect
corporations, the creatures Of legislative authority
and strictly subservient to legislative regulation
These corporations are permitted the privilege of in
surance, only 80 long as the Legislature shall consider
that such exercise Of the privilege will best conduce
toward the advancement Of the public interest. The
charter of each corporation is repeasble Each was
created at the mere dictate of expediency and the
same power which granted the privilege, may right
fully withdraw it, whenever better eIpedien is dig
covered, since these corporations exist de graim.
From all this, il is undeniabe: lst. That govern
inent may invade the domain of individual vocation
whenever the general interest urgently requires such
Interference. I'd. That the adoption of system of
State insurance. would involve the monopoly of no
pursuits whatever, which are, can be, left open TO
Individual competition.
Sd. That the State has contracted no engageme Mt
towards insurance corporations which at all nfringes
the right Of The State 10 withdraw totally partially,
the charters of such corporations whenever tho pub
lie interest shall 30 require.
Thus the question of legal and moral right pre-.
sents no obstacle to tho system proposed And the
system is as practicable AZ il is Legitimate There in
M machinery employed by corporations which is
not equally available tor the use Of the State
What would be tho best aystem Of arrangement
Ia carry out the scheme, we need not pause 10
eonsiier. We can, however, easily refer to modes
which may be adopted, and which will be suf.
icient TO ensure prscticabty The clerk of
each county or corporation court mag he empowered
10 esue policies. In the case OF life insurance, this
may be done, On tho filling up OF specific tormulss
signed and confirmed under oath by licensed physi-
Dian, as we'll a. by the insured himsef In case oi
tbs daah Of the insured tho finding Of a coroner
jury will be sufficient 10 decide the question of osa.
In The Of the insurance Of property, the insured
may be ssfely permitted under oath, 10 in The vaua-
ton. And when loss occnrs, viii lsaued a the de
mand Of the insured Will enable petit jnry Ia de-
eide the three questions o fraud neglect. and actual
amount OF lose incurred. Such arrangement will dis
penss th a the 81 Of advertisement. by the insurer,
aud will lear necessity for the employment OF The
swarm Of drumn-rs, pni'srs, and general agents IN
clebt 10 The system Of private Insurance The State
will be no exposed than private companies now
are 10 loss by reason OF fraud the part Of the in
sured And the question: whether persons desiring ia
iusurs will not rely implicitly On obligations
guaranteed by tho Treasury of Virginia than on those
dependent on t,e cash box OF private corporation
is one which mast decline 10 admit 10 aeriou= ron
si-rati"n.
II, then, the system Of State insurance is legal
It can he conveniently adopted at less cost, and with
no more risk than now attends private insurance; u
the State exclude sil competition, aud at the same
time offer greater inducensnt for Insurance., thu con
cuson unavoidable that thu State can secure for
herself the entire profits now drawn from The people
| OF Virginia by each aud a OF ihe Insurance. c"mpa
| uiss which now esue po ciss within her limIts.-
Moreover, if the State can thus monopolise the custom
aud profits Of all These companies sls will be ena
bled to issue policies on lower premiums than any
one company can possibly afford. This will imme
diately induce a still greater amount Of insurance.
and thus the reciprocal increase of insurance and
diminution OF premiums be continued to An eS.
ten limited only by The nature of insurance itself, or
by The whole amount of tha property aud pnpua
ton Of ls State.
This is no clners. II is no hasty Suggestion of a
fertile brain. II is sriG business calculation, which
bears the test not only Of severe scrutiny ol rea-
soung applied to established facts. but Of yesrs oi
study The part of practical statesmen, and actual
long tried application in governmental eIperence~-'
When the present Governor OF Virginia. ssVen years
ago. broaohej proposition before the constitutional
Convention which he has sinos found reason TO urge
before the Legislature of the State, hs WAS not deal
lug with an untrisd calculation Of results.
For very many years the Cantons Of Switzerland
and under each of the different forms of government,
and subject to each variety ofpopulson aud OF S''
ation the fact has been proved beyond doubt that
State insurance is tho most convenient and by far tho
cheapest system which has yet been devised. We
have already had placed in our hands large mass oi
official documents embodying the present laws and
regulations of each Canton this subject. We expect
soon TO receive statistical data setting forth the re-
| suits which have been secured within the last lew
years. compendium Of which we desire to lay heore
our readers In the meantime We are able to CLEAN
the following instance from reliable statistical work.
The Canton of Zurich has instituted general sys'
TEN of insurance against fire, by being itself tho gen
eral insursr In 1888 the losses amounted TO about
Il. YG59ll6 l.-say IS. $40 sterling, while the costs
of administration amounted to f. 7O8. II. or about
1870 sterling. This expense insured all the buildings
of the Canton which are estimated at value o! ssV-
enty seven millions of Horns-ssy seven and three
fourth millions sterling being at The rate of % 81 per
flOO sterlng-i e.-less than one eighth OF one per
cent. on the property insured.
Virginia State insurance. far ss il has been tried,
will compare fsvorably with that Of Switzerland
Virginia not only insures all the tobacco cent {" her
markets. but furnishes storage; and the duties per-
formed by tobacco inspectors save the commissions
which the producers would otherwise pay to brokers
and middle men. Moreover, when tobacco ia offered
for sale, there necessity for advertisement Here
is State monopoly both of insurance and brokerage
A few lines from the Governors message furnish us
with the results of this system Of insurance on Elm
| gle article of trade:
"Up to lSll the Losses by insurance OF t"haeco
-
only on millions Of value" THE fee Of 81 cenfa per
hopshesd has accumulated fund in the treasury 10
protect warehousing for the planter, Of "hon'
s5OO,OOU"
We again commend this important eufject "a puo'
lc consideration and urgently request that our b'eh
rem Of the press will add their endasvors 10 oars to
sscure an exposition which will commsDd the ;5st 81
| least of thorough and candid investigation.