The Bee-Hive. — 1873-04-05 (London, England)

PLIMSOLL. It is quite Clear that he and his fellow members at  lALOYD'B, though they had the foul matter under their noses, never sought to interfere with U. They dreaded being personal, and ao murder was permitted to go on lest commercial etiquette should be infringecl, and the scarcely-concealed anger of Mr. WILLS is the punishment Mr. PLIMSOLL has to put up with because he was earnestly burnane, instead of  eing blandly tolerant of what seems to be regarded as no worse than a commercial irre.  gularity. . . "As .regarded the general questlon of facts stated, he thought there was a pretty general concurrence. there, that there was a largo amount of, truth in them." If, so; why all the caution and. prudence of ..I.lr. Wrus and ,his fellow member ? Unseaworthy, over-loaded,  and over-insured vessels, sent to sea that they might sink, may not be "murder in jest," it however, murder for profit. But. then, (wording to City morality, it ought not to be spoken strongly of, and, above nil things, Mr. WILLS wished to guard himself and his fijends from the suspicion of having, subscribed a penny to cover the :law expenses that Mr. Putisoi.r. may incur, in consequence .of denouncing the little murder, speculations of the owners of rieketty.ships. "He knew that room. woulcl decline to interfere in any way with legal proceedings now. pending," Mr. WILLS need not have.. insisted so strongly that the great body of shipowners are not implicated in such transactions. In this We entirely agree with him; but is not. that a strong reason why suoh a body ehould assist .in bringing to punishment those whose conduct renders such a disclaimer necessary? But then Mr. WILLS assures us that, Mr. PLIMSOLL'S impeachment implicates the whole nation, the general public, ha insists, being as much to blame as .any of the, parties .whose business it was to deal constantly with the matter. This issimply absurd. The public know nothing about it until it was thoroughly exposed. No time was lost when that exposure took place, and it was,made at a great .personal risk. Now that. it has been made, although the gentlemen of LLOYD'S may not give anything to carry the matter through ~the law courts, they may rely the public will; and in that sense will be more generous than those who know from ,experience that " there .is large amount of truth" in the charges made. "Every underwriter," according to Mr. WILLS, "knew that it did net pay to go into litigation; everyone know..that they were out of pocket by it;. and it neither benefited an underwriter in his .reputation nor in money." It "did not pay" to interfere. with the horrid, practice exposed, underwriters would. lose .money and reputation, by such interference; and, therefore,,the speculation in murder was allowed to go on! And tais is City morality, Christian consideration for human life ! And these men go to their ohurehes and chapels on Sundays; and subscribe to send. in legionaries to the iheathen! "It is , a mad world, my masters." We are. told. that in the shades the groat,men of the ancient world aro employed in menial occupations and receive as wages ,fillipcou the um, .Lay :WO not,beliove that some ofitliegreat men,at LLOYD'S will be put to. the doing of very 111447_ things when they join, the.. -ancient ghosts; and if. thoy get. no worse: payment. than fillips on the nose, they will be ungrateful if they are not.eontent.