The Express.
London, England, 1855-07-31 00:00:00

TO TYI SDITOB OF MI DAILY WIWI.

Stu,—Through the medium OlYourcoltimns I
would call the particular attention of the members
of Friendly Societies, to some of the provisions of the
new Friendly Society Act, 18 and 19 Vict., c. 63,
which received tle royal assent on the 23rd inst.,
and is to come into operation on the Ist of August.

By the 18 and 19 Viet., c. 63, all the previous acts
relating to these societies are repealed, except as to
subsisting societies, although nearly the whole of the
sections are made applicable to inch societies.

i Friendly Societies n future can only be estab-
lished :

1. For insuring a sum of money to be paid on the
birth of a member's child, or on the death of a mem-
ber, or for the funeral expenses of the wife or child
of a member.
2. For the relief or maintenance of the members,
their husbands, wives, children, brothers or sisters,
nephews or nieces, in old age, sickness, or widow-
hood, or the endowment of members or nominees of
members at any age.
3. For any purpose which shall be authorised by
one of her Majesty's principal Secretaries of State—
or in Scotland, by the Lord Advocate—as • purpose
to which the powers and facilities of the act ought
to be extended; and the sum to be assured on any
contingency is incressed to 2001., but no annuity is
to exceed 301. per annum.
No money is to be paid for the funeral expenses of
a child, except upon production of a copy of the
entry in the register of deaths; and if such entry
shall not state that the cause of death has been certi-
fied by a qualified medical practitioner, then a certi-
ficate, signed by a qualified medical practitioner,
stating the probable cause of death, shall be re-
quired : the sum payable for the funeral expenses
of • child under five is not to exceed five pounds, and
of a child between five and ten is not to exceed ten
pounds.
By sec. 16 the trustees of a Friendly Society may
purchase, build, hire, or take on lease, any building
for the purpose of holding the meetings of the
society.
By sec. 24 a remedy is given by application to
justices against any officer, &c., who shall wilfully
apply any part of the foods to purposes other than
those expressed or directed in the rules.
A provision is made against circulating copies of,
rules or alterations. as being certified by the registrar,
when they have not been so certified.
By sec. 32 further facilities than those in the
termer acts of investing the funds of a friendly society
are given, as well as by sec. 33 extended powers to
the registrar to order the transfer of stock and money
be gawp banks, when a trustee is absent from Eng-
land, &c., or has been removed from office, &c.
With respect to the settlement of disputes, consi-
derable alteration has been made in the law. The
rules may direct the manner in which disputes be-
tween a member or person claiming on account of a
member, or under the rules, shall be decided; and
the mode of enforcing the decision of the arbitrators,
or of deciding disputa, if no award is made, &e., is
by application to the County Court; and after the Ist
of August next the power of justices to decide die-
pea under rules which referred the decision to them
L taken away, and such disputes must be referred
to, and decided by the County Court.
By sec. 46 every society already or hereafter este-
blished. once in every year, in the month of
Jimmy, February, or March, to transmit to the
registrar a general statement of the funds and effects
of such None_ ty during the past twelve mouths, or a
copy of their het annual report. This provision
supersedes the necessity of the annual return, required
seder the repealed acts, being sent to the registrar.
In the ease of a member, in the militia, serviog
oat of the United Hiogdom, the society have power
in certain cases to demand an extra contributie,e
daring each service, see. 47.
There are so fees payable to the registrar to': his
artifices to rules or alterations, after the leg at
August next, and I am preparing a form o f theig
roles required by 18 & 19 Vic. c. 83, s. 25, wt.ieh may
shortly. le obtained, on application to tau, by letter
PrWritportanes of the subject must /de my excuse
for the length at this letter.
I am, sir, yours faithfull7, •
JOHN TITAD PRATT,
The Registrar of Friendly thr.listies in England.
London, July 27,1865,