The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-18 00:00:00

ROYAL GENERAL PENSION SOCIETY.

On Saturday the annual meeting of this society
was held at the Hawn. e-square Rooms, for the purpose of
nc iri..g the report and determining upon future operations.
The chair was occupied by the Earl of HaDDIN Dion.
The commiqn commenced emir report by stating that at
two former meetings they candidly admitted the it inability
to continue the payment of allowances to the p nsionen of
the society, or to discharge their own liabilities, unless re-
course
wale had to the trust fund. A resolution was passed
at the last of these meetings, authorizing and directing the '
teureet to complye the necessary arrangements for the sale
of the funded stock, through the instrumentality_ of the
bankers of the semi ty, Messrs. Ceuta and Co. No time
was lost in transmitting to the trustees—Colonel
Wood, Mr. Hope, and Mr. Demos, collies of this
resJiution, but unfortunately the repeated applications
made to these gentlemen to carry the same into effect had
not bee,. attended with success. The committee, in conse-
quence of this most unexpected didieul,y, left it to be their
duty to engage the as•ittance of a professional gentleman to
aid them as to the best course to adopt under the cireuni-
InUcts, and tney had since been advised that the resolution
directing the sale of stock was detective in consequence of its
having been paged in the month of July insead of the
mon.b of June, which, according to ons of the rules of the
society, and a clause in the trust deed, was the only month in
which a general annual meeting could be held. The
minii.tee, therefore, issued a circular detailing these facts,
and adding that the present liabilities, including the arrears
due to the pensioner?, amounted to 60W. Toe income of
the society from D4O to 1818 had been 7,5381., and its
average receipt uow, provided the subscriptions were re-
gularly paid, which they were not, was 7501. The weekly
allowance to the pensioners 47 in number, had not been
paid, even at a reduced scale, since the 15th of February
last. Un ler all the circumstances, the committee saw no
other method available for meeting the liabilities except the
sale of the funded rock, which they again earnestly recom-
mended for adoption. They runner recommended that,
after discharging the liabilities out of the proceeds of
the sale of the stock, the surplus should be reinvested
in government securities in ice joint names of the
trustees for the benefit of the sociaty. The stock con-
aired of 1,0001. in the Three per Cents. Reduced. The com-
mittee concluded by impressiag upon the friends of the
society the imperative necessity which now existed for ob-
taining additional donations and subscriptions in order that
pyations for the future might continue o be carried on.
Col. WooD, Mr. HOPE, and Mr. DUNCAN severally ex-
*Mel that their sole reason for declliong to sell the stock
was to preserve, if possible, the only permanent fund of
which the society was possessed, fearing that if that fund
were once br keu in upon it would be inspossilt'a any longer
to sustain the benevolent objects contemplated by the founders
and promoters of the charity.
Lord Manvalas e :pressed his extreme regret at the
discouraging circumstances under which the friends of the
society were that day assembled. He thourbt it disgraceful
up n the part of those who had put sown th. it names as
sub-eriben to the fund, and who neverthel.ss had decl,ned
to aft Id any pecuniary assistance. He moved the reception
of the report, belaying that there was no other mode of
releasing the committee from their liabili in but by disposing
of the trust fend.

The motion was agreed to.
Upon t'.e motion of Mr. Czanocn, a committee of 18,
ins(ea.l of 30, was appointed for tile ecsuir.g year.
Some discussion took plus upon the ns 'luting authoris-
ing the trastsses to make arrangements tor the iale of the
1.0001. stove ; but. eventually, it was unairmously adopted.
It was thou agreed that the arrears to the pensions»
should be paid, is the first instance, at the reduced sale of
weekly payments—that afterwards the orb, r Labilities should
be discharged, and that the committee shoul I immediately
consider the prrpri• ty of relucing the ezpenditure, and
bringing it within the income.
The meeting 'sprawl, after having puma the usual Tote
of thanks to the noble earl in the chair.

FIRE IN ST. GEORGE'S-IN-THE-EAST.-011 Satur-
day night, shortly atter 10 o'clock, a fir, involving a con-
siderable destruction of property, broke oat in a long reap
of premises occupied conjointly by Mr. Jonathan Clark, bis-
cuit-baiter, atd Mr. Thomas Smith Gordan, a cabinetmaker
end ship joiner, in Orange-court. Great liernatsge-street,
fit. George's•in-the-Mast. The dimes commenced in the
lower flow, in she tenure of the first-named parry, and al-
though aesistenos was promptly at hand, at.d every endea-
vour mule to arrest the progress of the fire, scarcely five
mimes • had elaps-d from the time the fiat discovery was
nude, before the fire penetrated the do xi. ft of Mr. Gor-
don's premises, and the stock-in-trade therein being of an
easily ignitable character, the flames spivs' with great rapi-
dity. The r fiee.ton of the flames on the river brought out
tho various shits and smaller craft in bald relief, and from
the several bridges the fire presen•ad all the appearance of
the L oidou atlas being enveloped in fl ins's. Plenty of
water being at nom], the whol• force was brought to bear
upon the flaws, by which means their farther extension was
cut ofi, beat it w c nearly 12 o'clock before they could be ez
tingui4ted. and a .t wail the whole of Mr. Clark's premises
were to aly roved, and the content of Mr. Gordon's
workshop consumed, nothing remaining of either building
but the Hirer •el s. f ereral of the adj rining premises were
also materially damaged.