RELIGIOUS TRAINING

FOR

THE PEOPLE;

OR, HOW TO BE

HAPPY IN BOTH WORLDS.

BY

AN OLD INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS.

LONDON:

WERTHEIM, MACINTOSH, AND HUNT,
24, PATERNOSTER ROW;

JOSEPH BENTLEY, 13, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.;

AND ALL BOOKSELLERS.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY ADAMS AND GEE, MIDDLE STREET,

WEST SMITHFIELD, E.C.

ADVERTISEMENT.

THE Introduction at page vi, so fully states the objects of this little volume, that there would be no need to say more; were it not for the fact, that this work was promised to the public, more than twenty years ago. The reasons why that promise has not been redeemed, are too instructive to be withheld from the public.

In 1845, when preparing the SECOND DIVISION of the work, of which this will form the THIRD; investigations were instituted, that disclosed a very sad state of things. The title of the SECOND DIVISION being, "WEALTH; How to Get, Preserve, and Enjoy it ;" and one of its three objects of instruction being, to promote Saving Habits among all classes of the people; it became a necessity, to study the various forms and plans of saving then in actual operation, and the principles on which they were based; but above and before all other things, to see which Institutions were in a sound and prosperous state, and if any were not so.

At that time, incredible as it may appear, the public had no means of knowing the financial state of Life or Fire Offices, Banks, or Savings Banks! And nine out of ten of them, absolutely refused to give any accounts, for publication. Life Offices and Savings Banks, appearing to be the most important Institutions for receiving the people's savings, it was resolved to devote special attention to them. Because, if people are taught and urged to save, and bad men receive those savings and never repay them; those who thus devoted their time, talents, and money, to such teaching, would justly come in, for a large share of blame.

Therefore, a Registry was formed, for the accounts of all Life and Fire Offices, and Savings Banks; and great expenses were incurred, and long-continued efforts made,

to collect these accounts yearly, from all parts of the kingdom. An abstract of these accounts was published from time to time, and thousands of copies given away, so that all who saved their money, might be guarded against those concerns that were not likely to pay. This important tabular statement, with several others, was included in "WEALTH; How to Get, &c.," on its final publication in 1851, as soon as PENNY BANKS had been fairly organised and carried out, to a sufficient extent, by the author.

Many Savings Banks in the meantime had been closed, at a fearful loss to the poor; while others had been put in a solvent state by public subscriptions, to make up for the money that had been fraudulently taken from the depositors. But few of the Life Offices were closed, because they take money from the public during a whole lifetime, and it can only be demanded back after death.

In 1856 fraud had assumed such gigantic proportions, that more than one-half of all the Life Offices then open were insolvent; and no one in or out of Parliament took, or proposed to take, any practical method of stopping this national scandal. A plan was therefore devised, which, in less than six years, has closed 138, leaving only 17 insolvent offices now open. This evil has been abated by simply publishing the accounts of all offices together, in such a variety of works, as to diffuse them everywhere. Although the loss by these 138 offices has been £4,000,000, it might have been three or four times that sum, had they been allowed to go on, undisturbed.

Some idea may be formed of the labour and expense all this must have entailed, from a statement of what Government has done during the same time on this subject, with its results. An Act of Parliament became law, on Nov. 1, 1845, requiring all Life and Fire Assurance Institutions that might be afterwards established, to Register their accounts annually, in an office then opened for the purpose. It is still open, and generally costs the public about £2,000 a year; but only five publications of these accounts so registered, have yet taken place. None of these were issued, while all the just-named work of purification was going on. There are only 24 offices now in existence whose accounts have been published by Government,

and their total invested funds were £1,002,640; while BENTLEY'S REGISTRY publishes the accounts of 118 Life Offices, that had invested funds in hand, amounting to no less than £72,271,958, on May 31st, 1862; or more than seventy-two times greater in amount, than the accounts published by Government! Are comparisons odious?

If we merely estimate the money value of these services for the last six years, by the Government standard, it will be at least £800,000; and, during this time, Parliament has published no accounts of Life Offices. The Managers, Secretaries, Directors, and others, who were dependent on the 142 concerns that have been closed since July, 1856, have attributed their downfall mainly to the publication of accounts from BENTLEY'S REGISTRY and many of them have, in the spirit of our fallen nature' resented this favour conferred on the Saving Classes.

Nearly four years ago, one of the worst and most daring of these men, elected himself to be their leader. From that time, the most formidable conspiracy ever organised against a humble public man, has been incessantly at work, to stop the compiler of the only Life Office Accounts published, in our country. As the newspapers derived an income six years ago, from the offices that are closed, of at least £40,000 per annum in advertisements, &c., it may be readily supposed which side they took. But truth has overcome all the opposing forces, though its advocate was very humble; and the Session of 1862 endorsed his views so far as to pass a law, which secures to the Saving Classes a correct account of their funds.

The pen that should have written this book, has thus been intensely occupied, in doing the work that Government ought to have done. Whether that will be taken as an acceptable excuse for this volume not appearing till now or not, it is impossible to estimate the amount of evil it has been instrumental in preventing. This also proves the deeply interesting fact, that a single citizen, with limited means, can so apply them in a free country like ours, as to effect such marvellous results as these, for the good of his fellow-men. May his efforts to improve and extend RELIGIOUS TRAINING among the people, be equally or more successful, and God shall have the glory.