The Press. — 1854-01-21 (London, England)

THE. PRESS.  among our labouring population, both in town and country. Mr. CLAY, in his pamphlet, gives the details of four or five murders committed in this way, of which the perpetrators were fortunately brought to justice. And for one who is detected, how many escape ? But the actual infliction of death by near relatives on one another is not the only result of this unnatural system. There are mealy who would recoil from actual homicide, who nevertheless wish to profit by its fruits: they " would not play false, but yet would wrongly " win." A little neglect during illness, a refusal to call in the doctor, some precaution, slight but necessary, disregarded, is enough— death ensues—and no one is ostensibly to blame. " The poor," says one official before the Health of Towns Commission, " seldom " seek medical assistance for sick children, " except when they are at the point of death." We continue in Mr. CLty's words : Another collector states, " The poor people have often told me that they were unable to pay at that time; but when a certain member of the family—generally a child— died, they would be able to pay." " A lady states that a young woman whose services she required as wet nurse, having a child ill, she offered to send her own medical friend to attend it; the reply of the nurse was, Oh, never mind, ma'am, it's in two burial clubs.' " It also appears, on the unimpeachable authority of a burial club official, that, " hired nurses speculate ou the lives of infants com• mitted to- their care, by entering them in burial clubs ; " that "two young women proposed to enter a child into his club, and to pay the weekly premium alternately. Upon inquiry as to the relation subsisting between the two young women and the child, the club officer learned that the infant was placed at nurse with the mother of one of these young women." Such examples—even if there were none of a still worse character—are enough to show the demoralising tendencies of burial clubs. But further, to quote trom the same report, " There is no restrictton in any of the societies as to the admission of illegitimate children. If the weekly penny or halfpenny is paid by either father or mother, he or she is entitled, on the demise of the insured, to all the benefits which the society promises." Now, ,what solicitude can either of the ignorant and profligate parents of a bastard child have for the preservation of that child's life ?—a child which is a burden and a reproach to them; which, living, costa them 3s. or 4s. a week; but whose death, should it be in the " lists," will profit to the amount of 5/. to 201.  This is the second class of crimes arising out of the same inducement. But the evil in fluence of these societies is not to be measured exclusively by the actual guilt, in the eye of the law, which they create. Even where no murder is committed, either by positive violence or passive neglect, it is impossible that demoralisation should not ensue from a system which renders the death of children a profitable speculation to the parents. The natural feelings are blunted or destroyed—a hard, calculating, mercenary spirit is fostered—parental affection is checked—and a corresponding sentiment is produced on the part of the children, thereby perpetuating the evil, and entailing it upon the next generation. We shall resume this subject at an early period.