The Express.
London, England, 1860-09-03 00:00:00

THE POLICE COURT&

MANSION-HOUSE.
A few daps ago an applicatiem was made to the Lord
Mayor by the daughter of ea aged man named Joseph
Davis, for a summons against • beeefit society called the
Lovers of Peace and Justice, which holds its meetinp at the
Gun and Star, Petticoet.lane, for then to show cause why
they refused to place her father upon the Het of permanent
pensioner,of the society, he being entitled to that privilege
bl reason of having paid all the claims of the society upon
him, and being old and infirm and incapable of work.
The applicant stated that her father had for a great
many years been a member of the society in question, and
had always paid his contributions regularly. lie was now,
however, so old and infirm that he was obliged to give up
labour, and he had applied to the society to place him on the
list of pensioners, but they had put him off on one pretence
or other, and she was at length compelled to take the pre-
sent step to obtain justice, as she thought it very hard after
her father bad paid the contributions to the society for so
many years that in his old age he should be deprived of the
benefits to which he was eatitled.
The Lord Mayor said he wee afraid that it too often hap-
pened that societiesof this description endeavoured to evade
their liabilities, and be inquired of the complainant what
excuse the society made for not placing her father upon
the list of peoirmers, according to their rules.
She replied that they did not appear to deny that the
claim was a
_just one, but stated that they had no funds.
She believed, however, that this was Nat tree, and that
the society was really in possession al • considerable sum
of money if they chose to make use of it,
The Lord Mayor upon this statement directed that a
summons should be issued against Raphael Abendona, the
secretary of the society, ceiling upon him to show muse
whybe illegally and unjustly refused to place one Joseph
Davis,n a member, upon the list of pensioners of the so-
ciety, he being duly entitled by the rules of the society to
be so placed, sad he 'subsequently attended to answer that
complaint.
TLe defendant, when he was called upon to plead to the
summons, said that he was only the secretary or servant of
the society, and he did not consider that he was liable.
Mr. tike, one of the clerics of the court, said that 120 had
caused a clause to be introduced into the Friendly Societies
,tit of ISM, which ertirely cured this difficulty, and it
was as well that the defendant and all other persons in.
terssted in benefit societies should be made aware of the
effect of this clause, which he believed was not generally
the case at present, He then road the clause to which he
referred, and which was to the effect that in all proceedings
taken against societies of this description it should be
sufficient to make the secretary or other officer of the
society at the time of the plaint the defendant in such pro-
ceedings, end that the death of such officer should not slate
or terminete the plaint.
The Lord Mayor told the defendant that as the secretary
of the society he could see he was clearly liable, and he
wished to 1[1:11W what answer he had to make to the com-
plaint.
The defendant replied that he did not dispute the facts,
and if his lordship would allow the matter to stand over
he had no doubt that some satisfactory arrangement would
be come to.

His Lordship then said that upon the understanding that
the complainant's mac should bo fairly considered by the
society Le would allow the summons to stud over fora fort-
night, and at the end of that, time, d the complainant was not
satisfied, he should adjudicate upon the matter.