_Mr. Francis Crossley_ (now Sir Francis) went over the ground of the very deficient means of investment for the surplus cash of the poor, producing statistics of a kind with which our readers are now sufficiently familiar, and stated that it was impossible to over-estimate the advantages which must accrue to certain classes in the country from the carrying out of the proposals which had been submitted to them. "A great deal of fault," said Mr. Crossley, "had been found with the improvidence of the working people in not saving money, but let them first see what the Government had done to help them. The State provided beer-shops in every street for working men to spend their money in as fast as they earned it; but hitherto he did not think it had been sufficiently forward in giving them facilities for saving their money." He then alluded to the fear which working men had of the ordinary banks, from their masters being connected with them, and who from that connexion would be able to see what they were able to save. "Under the Postmasters, this would, or should be, different." The country was indebted to Mr. Gladstone for the amount of attention he had bestowed on the proposals of Mr. Sikes. Mr. Crossley concluded: He "did not think Government ought to seek to make a profit on the new business; nor did he think they ought to lose by it. The working classes of the country did not want charity, they only wanted a fair field and no favour, and it seemed that at length they were about to get it. If at any time the rate of interest could be raised without loss or inconvenience, he hoped it would be done." _Colonel Sykes_ said that no praise could be too high for anything of this sort, which tended to induce the working classes to lay by against a bad time. He contented himself with referring to two or three subjects connected with the mode of working the scheme. _Mr. Arthur Kinnaird_ thought the scheme simple and practical. He "heartily congratulated the Chancellor of the Exchequer on having at last succeeded in one of the fondest hopes of his heart--that of creating a two and a half per cent. stock." Mr. Gladstone at once demurred to this, and stated that he had no notion of establishing a national bank. The money which came into the hands of Government by means of the bill would simply be applied as under the existing Savings Bank law. Mr. Gladstone, in closing the debate, took the opportunity of referring to Mr. Sikes, "who had devoted a great amount of labour to the subject. He felt greatly indebted to him. At the same time, the bill was not intended to embody altogether Mr. Sikes's plan, though this was a matter of detail into which he would not then enter."