The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-12-04 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

with a bag, which he had brought from his inn in mistake for
his own, which latter was, on examination, found to contain a
loaded Minid pistol. This induced the Reverend Gentleman
to have the dangerous delusionist placed under restraint, and,
as already stated, he pleaded guilty to the charge, when his
counsel admitted that .there was not the slightest ground for
the delusion under which the prisoner laboured. The prisoner
himself expressed a different opinion from that stated by his
counsel, thereby showing that his delusion still existed. The
judge, hoivever, Mr. Justice ERLE, appears to think he knows
thecase better than either of them ; for after remarking that he
seemed rational on every other subject, exhorted him to exert
himself to overcome the miserable deluSion under which he
was labouring. With this exhortation he dismissed BERRIDGE
on securities that he would be surrendered for sentence in the
event of making any other attempt to injure the Rev. Mr.
BROWN, or even threaten to do so. Small consolation this,
truly, to Mr. BROWN, who is thus merely assured that he is
not to be threatened any more, and that if any mischief is
meant towards him, it will manifest itself without warning.
Another instance of judicial singularity has just been afforded
by Mr. Justice.CoLnninon, in the case of Lieutenant Ausinx,
the dismissed Governor of Birmingham Gaol, who was con-
victed of various acts of cruelty to EDWARD ANDREWS, a
prisoner, which terminated in the latter committing suicide.
Several other suicides had also, it appeared, resulted from the
cruel system of discipline pursued by AUSTEN. In passing
sentence, Mr. Justice COLERIDGE, ipse facto ignoring the
conviction of the jury, said, "If the defendant had
erred, he had erred by the excess of his zeal in carrying
out the discipline of the prison," and he sentenced
him to be imprisoned for three months. If he had erred,
says the judge, it was through excess of zeal. The jury,
leaving the question of mere error out of view, pronounced
him guilty ; but the judge considered it was " excess of zeal"
which led to his error. Excess of zeal pointed the sword for
the massacre of St. Bartholomew—excess of zeal kindled the
fires in Smithfield—excess of zeal is the apology set up for the
tortures of the inquisition. None of these, however, so far
as is yet known, have been so fortunate as to have Mr. Justice
COLERIDGE for their apologist.
Among the literary events of the week, the chief has been
the advent of Dickens' tale of "Little Dorrit," the -first
number of which has just been issued, Of course it is im-
possible to tell or even guess the quality or purport of a tale,
in twenty parts, from a glance at the first one. So far as can
be judged, however, from the small mean* afforded, the story
promises to be fertile in incident and rich in character.
Several of the scenes sketched are hit off with. Dickens' usual
felicity of delineation, of which the following may not preve
unacceptable to your readers. Its title may be put as
" The English in Quarantine."—" No more of yesterday's
howling, over younder, to-day, sir ; is there ?'—' I have heard
none.'—' Then you may be sure there is none. When these
people howl, they howl to be heard.'—' Most people do, I
suppose.'—' Ah ! But these people are always lamVling,
Never happy otherwise.'—' Do you mean the Marseilles
people P'—' I mean the French people. They're always' at
it. As to Marseilles, we all know what Marseilles is.
sent the most insurrectionary tune into the world that was
ever composed. It couldn't exist without allonging and maw•
shonging to something or other—victory or death, or blazes,
or something.' The speaker, with a whimsical good humour
upon him all the time, looked over the parapet wall with the
greatest disparagement of Marseilles ; and taking up a deter-
mined position, by putting his hands in his pockets, and rattling
his money at it, apostrophised it with a short laugh. Allong
and marshong, indeed. It would• be more creditable to you,
I think, to let other people along and marshong about their
lawful business, instead of shutting'em up in- quarantine !
Tiresome enough,' said the other. But we shall be out to-
day.'—' Out to-day !' repeated the first,• ' It's almost an aggra-
vation of the enormity, that we shall be out to-day- Out !
What have we ever been in for ?'—' For no very strong reason
I must say. But as we come from the East, and as the East
is the country of the plague—'—' The plague ! repeated the
other. That's my grievance. I have had theplague oontinually
ever since I have been here. lam like a sane man shut up
in a madhouse r I can't stand the suspicion-of the-thing. I
came here as well as ever I was in my life, but to suspect me lil
of the plague is to give me the plague. And Lhavo had it—
and I have got it.'—` You bear it very well, alr.-Meagles;
said the second speaker smiling.—` No. If you knew the real
state of the ease, that's the last observation you would think
of making. I have- been waking up, night after night,-and.
saying, now I have• got it, now it has developed. itself, now'
am in for it, now, these fellows are making out their case-
for their precautions, Why,. I'd as soon have a- spit put
through me, and. be stuck- upon a card in a. collection
of beetles, as lead the life I have been leading. here—
`Well, Mr. Meagles, say no more about it, now it's.: over)!

•• ••••• -•-•••• /0 1/11 • • _ • CA •.1 - • •
glee, who appeared. (though without any ill-nature) tobe,in
that peculiar state of mind inwhich the last word spoken by
any body else is a new-injury.- `Over! and why shoukl•l say.
no more about it. because it's over!' It was Mrs—Meagles
who had spoken. to .Mr..Meagles.;.and Mrs. Meagles-was, like
Mr. Meagles, comely and. healthy, with a pleasant English
face which had been. looking. at 'homelythings for five-and-
fifty years or more, and. shone with a bright reflection- of
them. `There!. Never mind,.Father, never mind !' said Mrs.
Meagles.. For goodness sake content yourself wittlaret:—
'With Pet ?.' repeated,Mr..Meagles in his injured vein.- Pet,
however,. being close behind hinaltouched him on the.shoul- •
der,and Mr.. Measles- immediately; forgave Marseilks.,from
the bottom.of his. heart. Pet wasebout twenty. *fair girl
with rich brown hair hanging. free-in natural ringlets. - A
lovely girl, with.e.frank.face, andiwenderful eyes ; soy large, so
soft„ so-bright,. set. to such perfection. In her kind geed head.
She was round and. fresh and dimpled and spoilt,.ar.d there
was in. Pet an air of timidity. and -dependance which: was the
best weakness in the world, and.gaveler the only:crowning
charm a girl so pretty and pleasant could have begin without.
Now„ I ask yolk.' said Mr. Meagles in the blandest confi.
dence„falling beck. .a step himself,. and. handing his daughter
a step forward to,Blustrate bin. question : I ask yowsimply
as between man and .man, you: &now, .DID you ever hear of
such-damned nonsense as putting_Pet into quarantine ? !'
The precedingsketch, it willbsperceived, is replete with the
tenderness of handling and .minute. fidelity fen. which the
writings of." Boa 7. acquired sodeserved a celebrityt
The " Midsummer Night's Dream" has been merproduced at
Sadler's Wells Theatre with good effect. In the pact of Puck
Miss ROSE Epotrrs.has made st.f` kit,'! as has she, Miss Jinn.
MAESTON" in . the character of Ifermia. As B.O.tfom, Mr..
PHELPS was eminently successful., his performance being full
of racy humour. At the., Princess's, Mss,.. IACHBA.LD'ii;
comedy " E-zery one has his. Fault" has been revived with a
strong cast and good success., Madame ZETLITY LIND,
GOLDSCHMIVC: has arrived in, .London, and will make her re.
appearance - on Monday next in the Oratorio of the.
" Creation:_'

USES OF sn- GEORGE'S; 1:1111,L.

ROYAL INSURANCE COMPANY.

(FROM THE "MORNING CHRONICLE.")

Tins company was set on foot ten years ago, and as it is un-
questionably the most successful modern institution for the
entertainment of life and fire risks set on foot in thede later
times—or, rather, since the passing of the Joint-Stock Com-
panies Registration Act (7 and 8 Victoria)—it may not be un-
interesting to the general reader to glance at its origin, and
the nature, extent, and amount of the operations upon which
the opinion just enunciated is based.
When the "Royal" was set on foot the leading design of the
promoters was to transact a purely "fire" business; but, upon
second thoughts, they deemed it advisable to carry on a "life"
business in addition ; for the extra cost would be small in
amount, and, under careful supervision, profitable in the ex-
treme, as the result has sufficiently demonstrated. Before the
" Royal" was set on foot there was a popular notion, quite as
absurd as such popular notions or prejudices sometimes are,
that no great Fire Company could emanate from any part of
this land with any chance of success, except its portals opened
into one of the leading thoroughfares in London—the metro-
polis of the world ! This question had often been asked by the
men of Liverpool, and remained unanswered until the period
we speak of—" Why should not Liverpool, the second city in
the British empire, have its brace or more of Fire-offices, born
in the place, directored by the most respectable and wealthy
of its citizens, and, spreading their arms far and wide, encom-
passing whole districts, chock-full of commercial wealth, with-
in their protective embrace?" This question, twenty years
gone by, would have been voted absurd by all the gentlemen
connected with all the ancient Fire-offices. The "Liverpool
and London," the senior Fire-office in Liverpool, has achieved
a great and durable success since that time—has battled. with
difficulties of no ordinary complexion—has overcome them
all, and in strength and renewed energy ranks amongst the
first Fire-offices in the land. Bye and bye, we shall trace that
office from its outset up to its present full development. It is
our present purpose to speak of a kindred, not a competitive,
scheme—one which now occupies no second place among the
race of institutions to which we are referring.
At the commencement of this Company, a loud cry was
raised by the gentlemen interested in the established Fire-
offices—and very industriously fulminated all over the land
—that even under the most auspicious circumstances no new
Company could ever obtain the confidence of the public to the'
same extent as that well earned by the elder Fire Companies;
that, indeed, it would be positisely dangerous for the public'
to encourage new projects of the kind, inasmuch as whilst the
public might damage the elder Companies by withdrawing
some portion of their support, they could not possibly derive
greater benefit from the new conceptions than that they here-
tofore enjoyed. They offered, it was said, no new feature ;
and one disastrous yearef fire risks vrottid break their strong-
box, spread dismay and ruin among theirtoo confiding share-
holders, and,. in a word, " put up the shutters" of each and all
of them. This fallacy has been completely uprooted. Why,
in the brief period of ten years—a small space in the life of a
new Company—which may be said with truth to court nearly
the whole world for customers—the " Royer has acquired an
income of £130,000; which places it second wily to the great-
est Fire Companies in the land, some of which have been
established more than a century !
•
The Americans are generally styled "a go-a-head people.,,
Liverpool lies somewhat nearer the United Stats.than the
metropolis, and the inhabitants, as all the world:know, are
men of sharpest industry, keen witted, not easily diimayed by
obstacles which would annihilate the energy of weaker men,
less trained to business habits, and less gifted with the Saxon
quality of indomitable perseverance—that kind of unmatch-
able industry which, if a good and worthy end be the verdon
to be achieved, and the Mout, required worth the sacrificer
puthe3 on resolutely to the promised goal. Perhaps geogra-
phical contiguity with their-good cousins across the Atlintic
make the men of Liverpool—such is the force of example:—
as'excellent progenitors of great undertakings as the Landow
capitalists

But the Royal " had high claiins upon thesupport of Liverz-
poollandtheWesternworldacroarthe Atlantic, where, weleariV
its fame-is of the best and most dinible character. The new,
.corapanies, set on foot in accordance with the behests of the beet'
referred' to,. are compelled annually to register their accounts..
The elderrace of kindred institutisnssclomothinc, of the kind, -
they d'O' not place, and possibly do•riot desire to place, their
financiaV position before the world; = so, that their colossaN
wealth, so' much prated about, mar-after all have dwindled
away instbad of accumulated. We de not say it has ; but
secrecy in- theconduct of public institutions'-and Assurance
bodies partake essentially of this character—breeds suspicion
and distrust-even where least deserve- What, then, is cer-
tain, with regard: to the financial condition-of Companies like
the " Royal; is,- in truth, a mere matter!uf conjecture as to
some of the elder provident institutions—more especially those
which entertain fire risks. The public hare-greater faith in
institutions that open vricle their meeting-ddors• to the repre-
sentatives of the- press, and which periodically publish un-
garbled balance-theets, than in those whose,annual, conelares
are held in secret—whose meeting-doors carer. "hermetically
sealed." Blind huleed. must be that man's faith-who places
his money in a bank. of whose monetary condiqOir and engage-
-meats he knows- 'nothing, or with respect to which he never
cares to inquire.
The "Royal" commenced business in June, 1.8445,;: its- fire
rates are moderateand safe; its, life premiums-under those of
the mass of eldereffieess;: its principles are salient in the
highest degree, and'; all. the requirements of the-provident
community, in reprct to life and fire insuranoerare catered
for and answered ter, the. full The paid-up atpitat at the
outset was £166,04A2. At the- dose of 1848 an investigation
resulted in the discovery- Mit a dear profit had-been made
_
reasonable cOntingentrclgentaltracliftlfg4ls"t*Tf'r
Of this, £89,280 War appropriated as a bonus outfit paid-up
capital, making the actual: paid-up capital of the-Company
£26B,l4o—thus constituting a; bonus of 50 per cmati,upon- the
original sum so pail up., 432: was the sum called: upon; each
Share, and, in the cow of 'native, possibly no. furriercontri-
bution may ever be askedfronithesbareholders, each of whose
shares are now valuet and: are• indeed sold in the market,. at
24! The public are net however,. awareof the fact thatmoney
invested in the sharesofgoodAsettraneeCompanieslissproved
mere' productive than; money sunk in; any other investment ors
record- The shares of the, 'Rook"' very old Lifeofte—ou
which; lee. was originallkysid, are- now- worth £7 15sq.those of
the 'lmperial" (£l€opaid);. Ilan; those of the "Law,Life.'
(,£l* paid), £57 ss. ; those- of ths 'Atlas " (£5 15ir.4paii1)4.
B' 'los. These are' old companies:. This new one- has
realiked a profit of £2B2,oBeinase-than ten years—aqsarter
or a 'million sterlin and fits ,shares, are- at a premituniof one
hundred per cent. !
Our chief object im referring-loth°. "Royal " at tliiiitiine,,
is' to, -draw attention; to. ,the foot:that new companimpset on,
foot on right prineipite,gand with' a, auiliciency of capital! to,
afford. Security to the- pplaiec anditugive force and effect to,
tkeir, operations, anc4. morececer conducted by hmourable,
men well versed in thelvork:the;enter upon, stand azeason-
able.chance of success,; ..and,liusayingthik, to direct attentien
to-the-recent divisioriof profits-lirthis company in partitidair.
Afteriretaining an ample reserve- fund out of the amassed
profit's;: addition to,thataffbadtdi by- the accumulabodShare-
capita4 £23,459 was; apportioned! to- the policy-hoIl&w and
shareholders. We quote --thepradiedi effect of this-division
from .the directors' nepectl-,.
"The result to thepropriet3nsg is- an, addition to taeiridiVii-
land from this source eking. tt per- mot. (making,, with, the
ordinary dividend finangenesaliprofit and losS accoon4 in ail
13t per cent.) upomtha capitalloriginally paid up ; nab try the
poliey'.bolders a booms 01U:21)er-cent.. upon the sun assured,
in respect of each participatiag,,poliey,. issued before the- Ist of
January, 185.3, for- every !entiknyearthat such policy-hasheert
in, :exiStenee. Thagives- addition of 18 per cent tu the
amount of every policy ism/akin! the. year 1845, theitattyear
of; tike company's oxistenee.P-

The valtiatiOn of the funckswas•shaply made at fiedbee rate
of. £3 per cent., which may with.trutia be termed a safety-rate,
'especially at a period twben, money is realizing sox arge an
amount of. interests The -.Hopei:ter, the monthly jeurnal de-
voted to Provident Institutions,. fur...ishes the following com-
ments upon the -bonus referred. to
" Perhaps the reader isnot aware. that this, the first bonus
of the `Royal,' is larger. iskamount end far more beneficial .in
its nature, then any, of. the late bonuses decEnedd, by that.
marvel—that magnificenb mutual viace—the `Scoettieh
or, indeed, we believe,b the Sc
y-any or of all ot
everybody knows .wllat. n!agn is ifiartt. r
fame—Lnw- great the institutioZo •
.the Scotch
offices are— bow, workt-wade.
amount of good confesred.upon the community,. This bonus,
too, is equalito,if, not larger; than that declared!; at any time..
by most English offices—even the 'Law Life,' -.abuse diViSional
profits andi thumping bonuses; every now L...-uct ;tben .startl4,
cautious people whoa know,- nothing of the expaualve nature,ut:
Life Assurance nimbi,. and think there mutt, somethille:
cabalistic or talismanic. within the walls of these wonderful;
institutions! Indeedi.the,tenus of the R*a.,l',' may be pro.,.
flounced Ito, be largtm than any yet declared bti,tbe mass of the.
English offices. titre is a new office, whiebbin :ten ,briet-deet.--
ing years, ields &fairly earned and wholese/x4e reversionary,
bonus...of 8Q per eent., in its Life branch, and; in regard tedilre
operations, can make• this very enviable boast, that in, these.
ten years it has exeeeded the Fire busineseof all: but two. of
the-Londen Fire,oflices—viz., the receipt, of nearly. 41.43%0001
per. year in Fire premiums alone—some. of which ancient
oMees have been, in existence for a century ! FAqpally sue-
cessful and singular in both departments Indeed,. the. Life
department- may be said to present results. eqpalky as, worthy
of mention, and memorable—as a singular instance of a modern
office, so organized and well managed; and with. suekopportu-
nities of realizing good interest on its. large inatestied capital,
o'ertopping,. thus early, its ancient compeers—presenting a
strong, indication, indeed, that the.future business will exceed
in amount those payable by all thenld establishments of the
country.. Some new offices spend:from 50 to. 70 per cent. of
their' premium receipts; but, we think the premium—and
that is. 7fi per cent. of the. gross. premium receipts—
should be held intact for: claims and bonuses. How-
ever, the early years of all new Companies of this
nature have heavy charges thrown upon them ; and if
the lives be carefully selected, the premium receipts
will bear in their opening. years, when the risks are new
and slender, greater pressure to feed the vital springs of MIN
rent life than in later years. Bs this, however, as it may,.
this modern Company has been so well managed that ..-taa,
per cent. has been the maximum cost of carrying on the
business up to this period ; and moreover, all the preliminary
expenses have been defrayed. - No millstone of this character
hangs round the neck of the Royal,' With Mr. Holme,
who addressed the meeting, we may well ask, ' whether the
public can have a better security than- now offered by the
Royal Insurance Office of Liverpool ?' "
The cumulative value of Assurance Policies effected in
sound, well-managed offices, to which class the " Royal "
especially belongs, will be quickly gathered from the sub-
joined little table :