Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-08 00:00:00

FIRE DEPARTMENF.

In directing the attention of the proprietors to the continued
-and continuing increase of the fire department, the directors
on this occasion prefer to cite the proof afforded by public
official documents rather than to offer anticipations founded
solely on their own investigations. It will, indeed, be remem-
bered that they were enabled to adopt this course is their
report for the preceding year. and to .show by the " Govern-
ment Returns of Assurance Companies" the high comparative
positio❑ of this establishment. They are now happily enabled,
with equ a satisfaction, to exhibit the advance in the British
fire business of the company, on the indisputable evidence of
the " Parliamentary Return of Duty paid to Government" in
the year 1-856, recently ordered to be prinied by the Howe
of Commons. The statistics of that return establish the
following facts, than which none can be conceived more fitted
to prove that no Insurance Company, ancient or modern, is
advancing more speedily than the loyal Insurance Company
in the confidence of the Blitisla people.. Only one out of
seventy-two London and country offices, included in that
report, exceeds the " Royal" in its increase of duty for the
year; and that one office solely by the all but nominal sum
of £2. The progress of this establishment, when compared
with the country offices, is still more apparent, Its increase
of duty for the period exceeds the total increase of all the
Sco'ch Offices united; whilst, taking the fourteen English
offices established north of Birmingham, most of them, like
the Scotch offices referred to, of tho highest respectability, it
is found that the surp'.us duty of the " Royal Insurance Com-
pany in itself all but reaches fifty per cent, of the entire
increase of all the others, and far exceeds that of any two of
them. Moreover, if the three producing the largest surplus
be excluded from the comparison, the amount of increase of
your company alone is greater than the accumulated surplus
duty of the remaining eleven offices. With respect to the
details of this department, it continues to produce highly
satisfactory returns in each of the two branches into
which it is divided :—the British and Foreign, and the Ameri-
can Branches. Their respective results continue, as was antici-
pated, to correct the irregularities of each alternately. Thus—
The large profits of the American branch for the year 1855,
as already reported, made up for the smallness of the result
of the former branch, whilst for the year 1856, now under
review, the balance to the credit of profit and loss on the
American acoonnt, is but small, and on the other hand the
profit on the British and foreign business, is ihe largest that
has yet been reported since the establishment of the Company,
amounting, inclusive of interest, to £47,243 93. 101 Again,
taking an estimate of the business for the last six months to
the 30th ult.. it is found that the branch just referred to—the
British and Foreign—has produced little or no profit, in con-
sequence of the extensive losses in Liverpool, London, and
other places in the United Kingdom, but, on the contrary,
the American branch has been attended with the most favour-
able results. These varying successes of the two branches,
apart from each other, have, however, produced, when united,
an increasing ratio of profit to the company year by year, and
the experience of the last two years shears an equally satis-
factory conclusion as respects each of these branches. It is
gratifying likewise to announce that the London department
has assumed, in its fire division especially, a magnitude of
result which leads to the most favourable hopes for the future.
Its revenue for the last year showed a most promising increase,
whilst the balance of profit arising from its transactions more
than equalled all reasonable expectation. Indeed, it may
safely be affirmed that no country office established in London
equals this company in its revenue derived from the metropolis.
The building now completed for the transaction of the com-
pany's business in Lombard-street has attracted public attention,
and it is believed that by the valuable aid of the London
directors, which hes been cheerfully rendered, the progre sa
of the life branch of the Company's business will hence-
forth be as large as that of the Fire department.
The branches of the company's business in Edinburgh and
Glasgow are likewise energetically carried on. Indeed, the
directors cannot refrain from evpressing their sense of the
valuable services rendered by the representatives of the com-
pany, both at home and abroad. To their integrity, activity,
and intelligent watchfulness they feel that much of the remark-
able successes of the company aro due. The report on the
fire branch of the company would not be complete without an
announcement that the premiums for the year 1856 are more
than those for the preceding year by a sum exceeding £20,000.