The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-30 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sir,—Through the medium of your columns, ,I would
call the attention of the members of friendly societies to
some of the provisions of the New Friendly Societies'
Act, 18 and 19 Vict., c. 63, which received the Royal
Assent on the 23d inst., and is to come into operation
on the Ist of August.
By the 18 and 19 Vict., c. 63, all the previous acts
relating to these societies are repealed, except as to sub-
sisting societies, although nearly the whole of the sec-
tions are made applicable to such societies.
Friendly societies in future can only be established
For insuring a sum of money to be paid on the
birth of a member's child; or on the death of a member,
Or for the funera► expenses cf the wife or child of a
member.

2. For the relief or maintenance of the members, their
husbands, wives, children, brothers or sisters, nephQ.vs
or nieces, in old age, sickness, or widowhood, or the
.nadownaent of members, or nominees of members at any
age.

For any purpose which shall be authorised by one
of htr Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, or in
Scotland, by the Lord Advocate, as a purpose to witich
the powers and facilities of the act ought to be extended,
and the sum to be assured on any contingent?! is in-
creased t i 2001., but no annuity is to exceed 30/. per
annum.

No money 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 certified by a qualified
medical practitioner, then a certificate, signed by a
qualified medical practitioner, stating the probable cause
of death, shall be required, and the sum payable for the
funeral expenses of a child under 5 not to exceed six
pounds, and ofa child between ..5 and 10 not to exceed
101.

By sec. 16—the trustees of a Friendly Society may
purchase, build, hire, or take on, loan any building for
the purpose of holding the meetings of the society.
.By sec. 24 a remedy is given by application to sureties
against any cfficer, &c., who shall wilfully apply any
part of the funds to purposes other than those expressed
or directe'd in the rules.
A proviso is made against circulating copies of rules
or alterations as being certified by the Registrar, when
they have not been so certified.

y see. 32 further facilities than those given in the
former acts of investing the funds of Friendly Societies
are given, or will, as by sec. 33, extend powers to the
Registrar to order' the transfer of stock and money
in Savings Banks, where the trustee is absent from Eng-
land, &e., or been removed from office, &e.

With respect to the settlement of disputes, consider.
able alteration has been made in the law. The rules may
direct the manner in which disputes between 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 such. disputes
if no award is made, &c., is by application to the county
courts; and after the Ist of August next, the power of
justices to decide disputes under rules which, referred the
deci.sion to them, is taken away, and such disputes must
after that day be referred to and decided by the county
courts.

By sec. 55 every society, already or hereafter esta-
blished, is once in every year in the months of January,
February, or March, to transmit to the registrar a gene-
ral statement of the funds and effects of such society
during the past twelve months, or a copy of their last
annual report. This provision supersedes the necessity
of the annual return required under the repealed acts
being sent to the registrar. In the case of a member in
the militia serving out of the United Kingdom the society
have power, in certain cases, to demand an extra con-
tribution during such service—s. 47.
There are no fees payable to the registrar for his cer-
tificate to rules or alterations after the Ist of August
next, and I am preparing forms of those rules required
by 18 and 19 Vict., c. 63, s. 25, which may shortly be
obtained, on application to me, by letter prepaid.
The importance of the subject must be my excuse for
the length of this letter.—l am, sir, yours faithfully,
JOHN TIDD PRATT,
The Registrar of Friendly Societies in England.
London, 27th July, 1855.