The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-16 00:00:00

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES AND GOVERNMEN

WE recollect being particularly struck with the
remark of a gay and stalwart young fellow who was
making a tolerable income from his profession, and
whom we met on his road to pay the annual premium
en his life insurance policy. As he was but some flue
and twenty years old, and unmarried, we asked him
how one apparently so careless and so unburdened as
he was came to think of death and lib
Insurance ? " Why, you see," said he, " I
(spend the small income that I earn freely, and
I hope generously ; if I get into a scrape or debt, oe
require a little advance now, one's friends don't mind
helping one on, even if they do grumble a little, be-
cause they see the fruits of their kindness; but if I
should be knocked over some day, though they might
without much ado (or rather without much dimi-
nution of their grief at my death) pay my
funeral expenses, yet, if in the course of a few
mouths sundry notes should be received, delicately
hinting that their departed relative had left certain
nnliquidated accounts, and that the family would no
doubt wish that they should be settled, depend
upon it, the thought of me would be more connected
with inconvenient demands for money than with any
sesellestion of my early virtues; whereas now," said
be, shy paying my 101. a year (a mere nothing), I shall
leave behind me 4001., which will be enough to bury
me, to pay my debts, and to leave a five-pound note or
two; my effects to my family, and a token to Tom
Dacres; and then every one will say what a good fel-
low I was, and my early virtues will not be forgotten:o
And a vast deal of worldly wisdom there was in
what he said--ay, and more than that, much
sound sense and moral principle. He was young,
hearty, thriving, and a "gentleman." The means
he took to ensure posthumous respect for himself,
and to save his friends from annoyance, would be
probably sufficient in such a case as his. The chances
were, that ere he got old he would have made some
permanent provision for himself, and that, in cams of
temporary sickness, he would always have a little
fund to fall back upon. But how if he had been a
working man, living, perhaps, almost from hand to
mouth; overworked, perhaps, at an unhealthy
employment; perhaps not quite so young or so
healthy; or perhaps married? In such a cam, a few
weeks' sickness would consume all his little hardly-
earned savings ; old age and the loss of power to work
lat all might creep upon : him en he had laid by any-
thing ; and that old age unaccompanied by honour and
troops of friends" might be passed in the union poor-
house, and his death be that of a pauper. No! had
he been a working man his precautions would not have
bon sufficient; besides guarding against death, be
wield have had to guard against temporary sickness,
I amlpsemanent inability to work. And how could he
lbws done this By becoming a member of a Friendly
Ssaiety, and by buying a Deferred Government
Annuity. Friendly societies are well enough known
snow the class whom we would wish our present
Roark' to reach ; the Government annuities are lea
lama than they ought to be, and yet if there is one
Nag more than another which we would large upon
the bard and honest working men of Great Britain
(mad none work harder, better, or more honestly), II
wield be to insure themselves against the day
abbess, infirmity, and death, by small investments
while young and strong in the abovementionsd
seserities.

We bare been led to these remarks by a buty
perusal of two pamphlets issued by Mr. TIDD Purr,
the registrar of Friendly Societies in England.
The one is entitled Suggestions for the Esta-
blishment of Friendly Societies and the Per-
ches*, of Government Annuities ; and the other
Instructions in Book-keeping for Friendly Societies.
The latter is just what it purports to be, and has

TUESDAY

been drawn, up, evidently with peat sue* nadir the
superintandenos of the Registrar himself (a most
competent Judge in lush matters) and "approved by'
eminent actuaries.* The former contains mine good
prsotisal suggestions on insurances against sickness,
&a, and several tables of the prices of Government
Annuities, and the contribution■ to Friendly
Boddie&

A friendly society consists in a number of persons
each subscribing a small sum in order to secure
a certain allowance during sickness and old age. The
rules of these societies are " certified "by the Regis-
trar to be in compliance with certain requisites of the
Act of Parliament under whisk they exist; the
hods ere allowed to be vested in
_certain govern-
ment and other securities ; and they accept
contributions from members weekly or ether-
wise. If their tables are properly constructed
and founded on the real probability of sickness among
the members, whether they are all of one class of
workmen or mixed ; if care is taken to guard against
fraud by a medical man being engaged by the society
to attend the sick members at a fixed charge, and by
the allowance in sickness not exceeding two-thirds of
a member's wages when at work, and by a rule that
no member shall belong to more than one society at
a time, and by some other precautions, they answer
their purpose as an insurance against sickness. As
affording a provision against old age, how-
ever, they have not been found to answer
so well. Mr. TIDD Purr says, "This has
doubtless arisen from various causes, but among them
we can certainly point out one, viz., that of paying
too small a contribution to realise the amount of
money required to support the old members I
another cause appears to have been a want of confi-
dence on the part of members of friendly societies,
that even if a sufficient sum were paid by them they
would in future years receive the benefit of it;
and this want of confidence is founded on very

just grounds." Now, here the Government
comes to their assistance, and gives them an
annuity commencing at once for a sum of ready
money on very easy rates, or a deferred annuity—
i. e., one commencing at some distant time-!or a sum
down, or an annual payment; and these deferred
annuities may be either purchased on the condition of
the purchaser or his representatives having beck all
the money he has paid in case he should be unable
to continue his payments or die before the annuity
has commeiced ; or at a lower price, the money not
being returned in any event. The payments may be
made through the savings banks, whose officers are for
this purpose considered the agents of the Government ;
and thus the purchaser may pay small instalments at
any time, the savings banks paying the Government
at the fixed half-yearly periods. Thus cheapness and
facility are ensured; and for security, it is that of the
Consolidated Fund. To illustrate the matter we give
the following extracts :
The amount of the money to be paid down in one sum,
or of the rosily or other payments, will of course depend on
the age of the party, and the time when the anauhr is to
commence ; but the following examples from theta's' will

give an idei of the yearly pa ymenis required to purchase
these annuities. For instance, a male aged between 19 and
20 years of age would have to pay 21. 139. 4d. a year, or
601.105. down to purchase 201. a year for life, to commence
_ _

on his arriving at 60 Teals of age ; a male aged between 25
and 26 would have to pay 31. 6s. a year, or 691. down, to
purchase 201. a year for life, to commence on his striving at
60 years of age ; if aged between 29 and 30, he would have
to pay 41. 3s. 44. a year, or 831.65. paid down; or if between
36 and 36, St. 6,. Sd. a year, or 941.185. 4d. psid down, for
the same ; a person aged 18 would have to pay 21.11. 114. •
year, or 981. 11.84. paid down, for 101. a year for life, so
i commence at the age of 60 ; and so on for all other ages and
lather amounts of annuities.
When the purchase money will not be returned in any
event, a male aged between 19 and 20, will have to pay
down 321. 31. 44., and a female 441. 13s. 4d., to secure an
annuity of 201. per annum to commence at the age of 60;
a male between 26 and 26 will have to pay down 421. 60.,
and a female 671. 1.. Bd., for the same annuity ; if between
29 and 30, to secure the ems annuity, a male must pay
down 501. Ils. Bd., and a female 671. 6s. Bd.; and if between
35 and 36, the sum to be paid down by a male will be
661. 61., and by • female, 861. 101. A male of 18 would have
to pay down 641., end a female 801. 10s., to secure 201. a
year for life, to commemse at 60.
The beet thing a young man could do would perhaps
be to ensure in a Friendly Society against sickness up
to the age of 63,and to purchase a deferred Government
annuity, commencing at 65, by a present annual
payment, upon the condition that the pay ments,were
to be returned in the contingencies abovemenffoned.
We will contrast what a person would have to pay if
he insured wholly in a Friendly Society, and if he also
purchased a Government annuity.
A male aged 20 insuring in a friendly society for
lOs. a week in sickness until 65, for 201. a year after
65, and for 61. at death, would have to pay 11. 14s.
yearly. If he insured against sickness in the society,
and bought the 201. annuity and the 51. at death
from the Government, it would coat him 21. 71. 6d.
annually.

The difference of the sums appears at first sight to be
in favour of assuring a payment for old age in the Friendly
Society's Mistral Food; bet it should be observed that in
the Friendly Society, if the individual cannot pay up his
contributions, all the money that has been paid is for-
feited, or if he die before arriving at, in this instance. 65
years of age (which is a very probable case) all the money
paid for the old age allowanos is lost to his family, who
would not receive any part back again from the Friendly
Society; but if a Government Annuity is contracted for,
the money paid in respect thereof will be returned, al
that the Annuity payment forms likewise a savings fund
to meet the chances of misfortune, poverty, or early death.
We cannot at present say more on this subject ; it
is, we believe, an important one—a highly important
one morally, socially, and even politically; and
though at present we have perhaps said more of
Government annuities than of friendly societies, yet ,
it is not because we consider these latter, when used
merely u a provision against sickness, less important
than the deferred annuities as a provision for old age-
On the general question of provision against con-
tingencies, we cannot do better than quote Mr. TIDD
PaArr. Re says :

Whenever a liability to any unfavourable contingency
exists, the beet and cheapest way of obviating its effects is
by uniting with others. It has been frequently said that
those individual, who are members of friendly societies,
and who have passed through life, as many of them bare
done, without any occasion to claim any portion of their
funds, lobe the whole amount of their contributions ; but
this is a most minions statement. It is true that the in-
dividuals in question have not received any pecuniary con-
palmation; but they have enjoyed what was of equal value,
a feeling of security against want, and a consequent puce
of mind sad eonsoiousasse of independence.
—Daily Nem.

LONDON COFFEE AND EATING-HOUSE KEEPERS
Amon&Trox.—Lest ennui the thirty-sixth half.yearly
mating of this memialies wee held at the Freemason's
Tavern, Mr. Yates, the !reddest, is the chair. A state-
ment of the eves of the society was read by the seem.
emy, INN VMS it append net since the anneal meeting
is Jam, SOK bad bees adial to the amount of invested
Weak swift a a total wan, iacluding lateral, to the
MI of lWinber last, of 3,1021.185. Bd. The interest
apes this saw bens loftiest to sever the whets of the
espeassi et the Mein. The. committee maim& also
that the MSS deem et Ow lets Ms. HMOS& bad been
plead apes the lode of the beetitmisa as is of an
'newness of ens leant a math, sad the of the
wiiew tithe late M. Jainess, of who had
bees debt yeses s sulassibee, was stroagly iseannended
by the eseweittee Ise assiderstioe. la sesissies, the
sewwilese sinewisiged the aid neeived from the trade
griesselly. agesielly from the peer. The repast and
ansaate wen reeieed all ;doyen, as eddiliwal pen-
&ow was Plalea wish tM Body by eiretfasja the person
et Ms. learn ; sad eftw the and Walliblftif W. the
ehelemeet the awing Isperatut

. ,

JANUARY 16, 1855.

THE "POUR POINTS.*

WO lUD DDITOI 07 :as DAILY XXVI.

Birk—There can be no doubt that a renewal of the
blessings of peace would be a welcome boon to the
whole of Europe if it could be obtained on honour-
able terms. But the question very naturally suggests
itself, What is to be understood by "honourable
terms"? Each Cabinet interested will of course
interpret the expression according to its own ideas or
for its own benefit. This will probably be the fate
of " the four points" said to have been accepted by
Prince Garb:baba* (in the name of the Czar), accord-
ing to the interpretation of the four powers, as the
basis of negotiations for a treaty of peace. But it
must not be forgotten that this very interpretation
of the four powers is very vague, and may lead to
endless discussion.

The first point guarantees the free navigation ofl
the Danube. To do this effectively it will be abso-
lute nessessu to make Russia give up that bit of
as possesses at the Salina mouth, the only
channel, and which she has by a systematic
allowed to fill up, so that where there was
many years ago a depth of 16 feet—quite ad&
abet for all ordinary purposes of memento nega-
tion—these is now a bar with but 7# feet water on
it in the summer. If Russia is left in quiet posses-
sion of the Selina mouth—and it must not be forgot-
ten that she has both banks—the free navigation of
the noblest river in Europe will become a mere farce,
and we shall at some future time be served with a
second edition of that memorable diplomatic quibble
put forth with reference to the free navigation of the
Rhine—"jusqu'a /a mer."
The second point stipulates that Russia is no longer
to exercise the protectorate of the Principalities on
the Danube. Here is a field for diplomatic ingenuity.
If Russia loses the protectorate, who is to have it?
Not • word on the ultimate views of any of the
Powers is to be found in any of the numerous
" memorandums " and "notes,' and " despatches "
which have been so liberally published by official
organs on the continent.
With respect to the third point—the revision of
the treaty of the 13th July, 1841, there is certainly
a prima
the
discrepancyin the original interpreta-
tion of the question by France and England, which
requires at all events some explanation, for whilst
M. Drouyn de rHoys, in his note of the 22nd July,
last year • speaks of the subject—the free navigation
of the dack Sea—es one of necessity, "dans is but
de limiter tin /fume .Russe," Lord Clarendon, in his
despatch of the Bth August, to the Earl of West-
moreland, makes use of the words, " for the sake of
re-establishing abetter balance of power in the Black
Sea."
Lastly, the fourth point has reference to the more
immediate, or rather ostensible, cause of the war,
namely, nsides claim to the protectorate of all the
Christians of the Greek faith in the East, in virtue
of the treaties of Kudjuk-Kainafeji and Adrianople,
confirmed by the firman of 1854 and the previous
irade of the Sultan, although the latter were invali-
dated by Prince Mentchikofrs departure from Con-
stantinople.
These four points were, such as they are, rendered
obligatory on the contracting powers by the mutual
exchange of the notes of Bth August, and morally
guaranteed by Prussia by its dilatory adhesion, as
contained in Herr von Manteuffers note of the 22nd
September, although M. Dronyn de l'Huys designates
them as " fuslguiPs-urea des conditions lea plus men-
' tislks pour le retablissement de la pax" from which
we may infer that there were several ethers in store,
ready to be brought forward as soon as the first were
L satisfactorily disposed of. A GERMAN.
Berlin, Jan. 11.

• To Baron de Bourqueney, at Tien's.

Vbe Court.

WINDSOR, JAN. 15.
The Queen, with the Prince of Wales and Prince
Alfred, walked I. the Rome Park this morning.
Prince Albert, accompanied by Prince Nicholas of Nissan,
Prince Ernest of Leiniagen, and the Right Hon. E. Card-
well, went shooting.
Prince Nicholu of Nassau took leave of her Majesty to-
day, and left the Castle for London.
The Right lion. E. Cardwell also left.
The following bare bun invited, and are Imputed this

afternoon :—Tl;e French Ambassador and the Countess
Walowskl, the Duke of Newcastle, the lasi and Countess
of Beseborongh, and Viscount and Viscountess Sydney.

The Earl of Harrowby had an interview with the Earl of
Aberdeen ynterday, at his official residence in Downing-
Street.

Meetings of the Oxford University Commission were held
at No. 18, Great Queen-atreet, Westminster, on Wednes-
day, Thursday, and Friday, in the last week. The com-
missioners present were :—The Earl of Ellesmere, the Earl
of Harrewby, the Bishop of Ripon. Mr. Justice Coleridge,
the Dean of Wells, Sir John W. Awdry, and Mr. George
Cornewall Lewis. Mr. Goldwin Smith and the Rev.
Samuel W. Wayte, Secretaries.
Despatches from the Commander of the Forces in the
Crimea were received yesterday at the Foreign-office.

The Rev. William Cooke, M.A. incumbent of St.
Stephen's, Hammenmith, Middlesex, and examining chap.
lain to the Bishop of Chester, has been collated to an
honorary canonry in Chester Cathedral.

TRIESTE, JAN. 11.—The addition of the Radetaky
deem frigate to the Austrian navy was celebrated yesterday
with prayers, church music , the national hymn, firing of
cannons, and a ball, at which the Archduke Max stayed till
3 o'clock this morning. The Duke and Duchess of Brabant
are here.

REDUCTION OP WINE

ho. 4.

Mr. Oliveira, the member for Pontefract, has been patting
some time here for the purpose of obtaining accurate in-
formation upon the subject of the wines of this part of
Spain. He has visited many of the large establishments

at Forts =d'art St. Marys, and the proprieters and mer•
chants have shown every disposition to amist him in the
object of his inquiries by furnishing him with every infor-
mation relating to the stock of wines on band, the annual
produce, and the probable increase of production. It is
understood that on the reassembling of parliament Mr.
Oliveira will immediately bring on his motion for a reduc-
tion of the duty.

NAVAL AND MILITARY.