The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-09
lMsuRANCe ANo MuADeR.
Bruliant Address by the Bishop Of Peter
borough.

Brlllisnt Address by the Bishop Of Peter
borough.
The Bishop Of Peterborough reappeared
in The House OF Lords after too long an ah-
senco from Parliamentary debate. Health
may have to some extent accounted for his
protracted withdrawal from the scene OIL
his former triumphs. But, while bishops
retain their ancient position as Lords spir-
finals and ms legislators by virtue Of their
office. il cannot De right that Dr. Magee S
brilliant el0guence and argumentallye pow
ers should be lost To- the House Of Which DE-
is a member. The subject ON when ne au-
dressed the Lords, with all ms Wonted pow
en- and more than his usual ,eainestnc Is
well worthy The attention Of a christian
prelate.
THE insurance Of children's lives, as the
machinery i0r facilitating their murder IS
with grim irony designated has led % such
fearful evils and shocked the world by such
horrible scandals, that many impuislYe pnll-
antbr0pisls and some hard-hedded men Oh
the world would absolutely prohibit me
practice altogether. The Bishop, as VIII De
seen. +, content with milder methods, ana
only proposes to regulate q proceeding
which has been so lrightfully abused. HIS
bin met. ~ 10 was, with some opposltlon'
and was only read second t-me on conui-
ton of being referred to select committee.
Although this step usually implies the III
possibility Of legislation during me cuirenl
wear. we cannot say that the Lord Chancel-
ior was wrong I'm suggesting OF the House
in adopting it,
For undoubtedly the Bishops case does
rest upon statements which ought TO DE
DrOyed. and which can best be examined, as
tbev can DE most conveniently brought to-
eether. before a tribunal appointed for the
express purpose of dealing with them Inc
Bishop was, indeed able 10 cite the impair
tial testimony Of several judges ana cOio-
ners. especially Of Mr.. Justice Day But
of course. il is easy 90 make @ brave snow
of authorities bv parading % few casual OBJ
seryations which may have been provoked
bya wholly exceptional story. or even 10y
false evidence. We are quite prepared %
believe i'm the sOundness of the Bishops
views. and i'm the substantial accurac! OF
his allcdged facts.
An the more. however, do we acknowledge
that the fullest inquiry is needed, so that
sceptics may De convinced and that farlla-
ment may not leglslate m the dark. nor
should the House Of Lords, consisting as ii
does Of men IN ailiuent circumstances, Il
more the susceptibilitics OF the wO. alng
classes. The crimes which the Bishop OF
Peterborough den0unces, ana when nc
seeks'tO prevent, are necessarily committed
bv the Door. The criminals form such an
nfntesimal minority Of the labOrlng popu-
laton that 10 talk about libelllng class j.
absurd. But at the same time AN improved
assumption should never be made against
any considerable number of Englsnmen OF
EnglishW0men.
In bis lucid review Of the question on its
historical side, the Bishop of Peterborough
traced the origin and source of the mischief
10 the Friendly Societies act Of 1919. That
respectable and thoroughly well mentioned
statute was passed when the present Lord
Cross was Home secretary, and i'm the palmy
DAYS of his official career. But, uni0rtu-
nately. in bis zeal for the promotion and en-
c0uragement Of thrift. Mr.. Secretary Cross
dangerously extended and relaxed the old
law Of insurance. In l11l il was provided
that no insurance should be effected by one
person on the life of another, unless the M
surer could show a pecuulary interest IN the
lie ofthe insured. The prOiessed object OF
the Act of George iii was tOpreyent wager
ing and gambling or, as the Bishop iorci0ly
puts il, gambling in human life ana spe-
cuuti0n on human DEATH
I'm 1919. perhaps on the hypothesis that a
hundred wears had eradicated from mankind
some OF the baser and more cruel passions,
the insurance of children's lives was eX-
pressly permitted boy statute. The theor!
and its result are expressed by the Bishop
Ol Peterborough in language which we can
not hope 10 improve. "lhe principle upon
which Parliament allowed that was, that
the death Of the child might be attended by
expenses, for which the Legislature though
the parent should be permitted 10 recdup
himself. In fact, children were insured rs
goods were insured. Children were allowed
90 be insured as peri liable goods. But lnsur-
ing animate or inanimate goods placed the
insurer under the temptation OF insuring
for a large sum, and then Of destroying the
goods
The Bishop. it will be observed, does not
attempt 10 soften the picture. lie places be-
fore the House and the public, with almost
cynical plainness, the possibilities ofwicked-
ness for which the law affords scope and Op-
portunity. He must expect, ifwe may quote
his own words on a former occasion, TO be
SCREAMED at by hysterical Canons,' and he
was denounced i'm the course Of the debate
with quite unnecessary bitterness by Lord
Beauchamp. But the Bishop did not say,
or suggest, that ordinary parents would Kill
their children for few pounds, or that the
"tempiatiOn" whose existence he predicatcd
was regarded with any other feeling than
horror by the vast majority OF the poor. lie
obligation entailed upon him By the nitro
ductiOn Of his bill, that INSCRIPTIONS
scOundrels are enabled by the Act OF 1873 to
perpetrate with impunity the most hideOus
crimes. Does Lord Beauchamp deny that
there are men and women in every class Of
society who would murder their own boys
and girls for money! If be does, he must be
blissiully ignorant Of what most people are
compelled 10 know. II he does not, his at
tack upon the Bishop for framing a gem
eral indictment recOils upon himself.
IL is said that the motive for doing away
with these infants must be Inadequate, be-
cause Parliament has fixed the limit OF in
surance at 60 in the case Of a child under
live, and at 10 in the case Of a child under
ten. But, as the Bishop observes, "there is
a definite margin Of profit on each death Of
child. and there is a temptation 10 crime.n
We honor the courage with which the Blsh-
CD OF Peterborough, undeterred BY threats
and jeers, has probed this dreadful bush
ness 10 the bottom. The insurance Of chill
dren has increased enormously Of late
years, and there are now considerably
more than halt "A million Of these young
lives, with premium upon their prema-
ture extinction.
We do not altogether agree with the
Bishop Of Peterborough in his yeiled in
situations against the Companies, whose
interest it is that the children should live.
and not die. But OF course the multiple
cation Of these transactions multiplies
the risk OF foul play Children are now
insured before they are born, and at the pay
ment OF one penny week. This ensures a
sum which tar more than covers the funeral
expenses. and the same child Is often
insured ga more leaa .Onc ohice. Under
such s,stem the father or Mother may
make rFout Of three or four pounds on
tue death Of a baby, 10 say nothing Of what
would be- spent on food and clothes. The
y ieited a shocking phrase, which
and which would be only
Ir nment. They talk in a
ia ~ I'd not and we will not