12 JUNE 1875, Page 2

Among Sir Stafford Northcate'a recent weaknesses, not the least has

been the concession, in the Friendly Societies' Bill, of a maximum of a £6 insurance to cover the cost of a child's funeral. It is a most dangerous principle to let people insure the lives of others by whose death they suffer no pecuniary loss ; and cer- tainly a poor parent's loss by the cost of a -child's funeral need never be more than £3. But Sir Stafford Northcote yielded to foolish talk against insulting imputations on the character of the working-class, as if every law of contract was not in most cases. an insulting imputation on the honour of contracting parties. If we are to legislate only for the good, we may dispense with most of our laws altogether.