Something like an Annuity.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXVII, Issue 1360, 14 May 1895, Page 3

Something like an Annuity.

lu the House of Commons, in Supply, a vote came up of £34,000 for retiring super-annuation and compassionate allowances, and was agreed to. The total included a sum of £3,250 to be paid to the executors of J. Wainewright. Sir Johu Hibbert, iu reply to a question by Mr Haubury, said ho was glad that attention' had been drawn to this case—the compensation allowance to the executors of James Wainewright, a taxing master. That was a remarkable case, and it might be looked to as an object lesson. In the year 1842, more than fifty years ago, an Act was passed at the time when Mr Wainewright was a sworn clerk in Chancery. The office was abolished, and by section 1 of that Act he was compensated for the abolition of his office, and the amount of the compensation was fixed by the then Lord Chancellor at £4,500 per annum. This represented three-fourths of his emoluments; which amounted to £6,000. Mr Wainewright died on September 27, 1893, Jt might have been supposed that the considerable sum he had received during his lifetime would have been considered sufficient, probably, to compensate him even for the abolition of bis office. But there was another step. Section 14 of the Act went on to provide that one-half of the compensation should be payable to his executors for seven years from the time of his death as “ part of his personal estate.” This was to be an absolute payment lor seven years, from tbo time of death, under the Act of Parliament.

One of the most curious trees in Germany stands on tire left bank of the Oder, in Ratibor, Silesia. It is a maple, at least 100 years old, which has been t%visto 1 and cut into a sort of two-storied house. A flight of steps leads up to the first level, where the branches have been gradually woven together so that they make a firm, leafy floor ; above this is is a second floor of smaller diameter, formed in the s one way ; and the ends of the branches have been woven into solid walls, and cut so that eight windows light each of the apartments. Below the first floor at the level of the second, and at the top of the tree, the boughs have been allowed to grow out naturally, while the intermediate walls and the edges of the window-like openings are kept closely clipped.