The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-12-31 00:00:00

new Society was already formed. One Learned
Gentltruaii had made the communication. and
another lied eulogised it. It would surely be very
desirable, now that it was announced the Society
was actually formed, if the Gentleman who had
awed the fiat would give some further informa-
tioa cm the subject, for the satisfaction of the
Weting.-1 I fear, hear.)—Let him hr so good as
to way win are the principal
.Directors? who the
manager or cunductor ? Because if the Meeting
were to he insulted with a notificatioti that 114 r.
liigtiold, urn. w. rr to he the giszii diets of their fn•
tune interests, tln re rrosihl he au end to any i onfi-
deuce in the pl in. lie did :114 ear that the guardian-
Ship was so placed., all he wanted was same expla-
nation on the in itter.—(//ear, hear.)
Doctor ALUIS said, that calling on him in this
!ark sra,:e of tne biirioess to nein.- the chart per-
sona who were to ansuage the ate slmstltuunn, isas
either I:tilting the questions pri.rri. Ne w•.uld
nie•ely wi, that they are persons of the first respec-
tability.--1 Cries of " Vuwe thern.")--fle should
tiot 1141111 C them oil the present riccasaw, became he
did not think ii right, in the infancy of the plan, to
eater uleal details. --(The Gentleman was here in-
terrupted by csnsnleruble expressions of disappro-
lution.l-11r sand, that there was 110 atgunical iu
this interrupt ion—broodier West pas repondre. Ile
would still persevere in decliiiing to name the indi-
vidual, concerned—the public would soon re-
ceive this informatiou. lie inertly meant to an-
nounce that ow li an ertablisliment was set on loot,
so far or the iippoiritinent of a Provisional Commit-
tee, and that the Gentlemen concerned intended
tnerely to avail themselves of Mr. liigtiolePs loog
experience iu the insurance bushier% to set the Es-
tablishment afloat. Whatever imputations had been
ease (lie believed unjustly cart) upon Mr. Bignold, uo
man, lie nu:owned, could deny, that he possessed
eminent knuwledge of insurance matters, and that
his assistance, under such circumstances. would he
a desirable advantage. Indeed his great fault
seemed to be, that he would not pay implicit cre-
dence to the statements of losses made by indivi-
duals, and by such a course had excited their tbs.
Illoshclian.—(Cry of " Order !")-- hhr. names
would he known is a day or two; lie would 'distal')
frain preniatuiely mentioning thew.—(Disappro-
bation.)
The Cll.l IVIAN—‘ ft would be very desirable
if the company were informed who the Gentlemen
are who have already etobinked to the iiaw plan.
Unless they know their urines it is quite impossible
'fur them to say whether they emotive of the new
Society. and will co-operate with it. They cannot
ailment to what they do not know, and they may dia.
swot. in the *libellee of tills information. from that
perhaps, otherwise would receive their sup-
part."— (.4pdlairsc.)
Hr. A Lute said, that for the reasons lie 11111 al-
ready given, lie must decline mentioning any monies
to the present Meeting. When, however, tiny
beeel.l.4rrrytlperly announced, Its was confident they
-would ssierl4 pollet apperrlestion.-17 his riyntal
to mention the names excited repe sled nuir dis-
upprobation.)
A Geneleinan present said. that as no 'usurer lie
ti(l.l ~ _1•1•41'1144
had received a letter from Mr. li•A I
hint to renew his insurance at the Bridge-start
Office. He begged to inquire, if lie dal DO, with
whom was he to consider hituself insured
Mr. CHIPPENHAIII said, that the Meeting had
assembled to consider of a new Sacitay. They had
heard that ore was already waited, but their efforts
had been Yam to ascertain who were its founder,—
they hail halfectually tried to get at these mein in
buckram,—(A lough )—er these nun-entities; per-
haps if the information were given, they would
find the whole to concentrate in Mr. liignold.
/ Ifear.)—lf the men concerned in the new Wail
were really men of character, was it likely they
would refuse to have their names publicly men-
tioned, how that they had actually embarked in the
liilliertuk I ?—(1-Ieur, hear.)—The gentleman who
the plan had shrunk from naming its
sip ponies, and the Meeting would judge ea it
plratlil ft this eitiraordarary course. The
eody con-14:i ration which lie thought now remained
fir the Nleettag was, to consider if it were advisable
to appoint a Committee, to see if the matter should
be varied further. lie was himself a considerable
insurer at some of the Assurance Officer, and had
some influence im his sphere of hie ; he approved
of the Norwich plan, and was about to car.,
.his insurance there when this public inquiry
into their management was first started. lie since
that time lay by to wait the issue. All he should
vow ray was, that lie would take his insurances to
au ertablisliment sin ilarly coisidituttd, if he ap-
proved of the plan, and of the persons concerned in
its inanagrinent.—/ Hear.)

Air. TitosisoN approved of what had fallen from
the last speaker. He was himself, together with 11
number of fiends, deeply connected with the Nor-
wich Office, and he had a nuinlo-r of leirials await.
tog the result of this Meeting's deliberatioini.
came here to-day ready to offer Ilia purse. Hod his
services in the till-m.oton of a new Society, on the
Norwich plan. To promote it he would, if neces-
sary, give sixteen hours of his time out of the
tweisty-four, and the first year for nothing. lie
was well acquainted with the principlra of 111.0r8
Viler business, and hail 'toed us agent to an I.lllre
of this kind in one of the principal towns al. tiviit-
luial. He did not come here to heg a blitlatloll—
ha:l that already, and tinployeil two clerks
wider him. 11' itioaey were wanted iii the Hew
;:new where to rt tnjt too, and he was
convinced that the only wanted to establish H
new Society was a 1011 g pull, a 8 *. 0104 pwll, and
a pull all together. lie would go to all the princi-
pal towns in Scotland, and hr knew them all writ—
he was cm,fident that lie could in this manner ren-
der essential service.

Mr. Tit.t.ocu said, that hitherto the business
of the day had gone on in a very irregular man-
ner. and he saw no likelihood of its going on other-
wise. Ile had therefore a motion to make. nod it
was. "'hhatthis Meeting should adjourn sine die."
Ile thought the Meeting was greatly indebted to
Mr. Brookes fur his conduct on the forener Conn-
mettee, NIA Still more for his candour ill
this d..v the difficulties which appea►ed to him to
eposie in the formation of a flew Society. To
the Committee it did not appear a prudent mea-
sures and M►. Brookes's intimation ought now be
taken as a delicate way of getting rid of the bus&

16

t

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twos.. He therefore moved that this Melting do
wow adjourn.
Mr. !NookEs seconded this motion, and wished
merely to add, t hat the difficulties in the establish-
ment of it• new Society, appeared now to him to be
very great. The principal difficulty was the want
of a proper capital to set out with. There must be
at the beg 1111 l log a large capital to cover the imme-
diate risk. Ile was convinced that a new Society,
olio!' a good plan, would soon find plenty of cus-
tomers. In the end, it was true, that customers
funned the capital ; but at the outset they must help
to consume it, unless a proper fund were its the be-
sat apart. He saw no likelihood olpersons
coming forward to furnish the necessary capital. As
to the other Institution alluded to by Doctor Alibi.,
he was glad Mr. Hanson had called the atientioo
of the Meeting to it in the manner lie had done.—
The Alerting need not he told that their former
Committee had all connexion with this new Society,
or any Its ephemeral projects. Let the men
embarked in it come tOitii as they had been called
upon to ito. (Hear, hear.)-1r they were respecta-
ble, ant meant to place their business upon a good
system of m inagement, the,, they would receive
public support. So bung as they kept themselves
in secret, they could expect neither confidence nor
co-openation.—(!lsar, hear.)
Mr. CANNON inquired, whether the projected
Society were yr 1111 l tea:owed by, or had ally cornier.-
tom with the Norwich Institution ? This would
throw a new light upon the matter. As to the oh-
jaction to Mr. lligitold, be his past conduct what
it may, there might be no objection to his being
again employed wider a more efficient deed and
better digested regulatimis. Certainly Mr. Big-
mild had assumed au air of authority which did not
belong to him : us Secretary, hr should have been
obedient, and not refractory to the Directors.—
What he meant to ask now was, whether the Nor-
wich Director.' were ready to appropriate is suffi-
cient portion of their capital to form a sufficient
fund for the insurers hi the Few Society, until the
latter were enabled to establish than own capital ?
Mr. Titus. BIGNOLD, jun. stated, in reply, that
he was professionally cooceruril for the Norwich
Directors, and he could assure the Meeting. that
they had ue intention whatever of appropiiatiuK
any ;not of their funds to any new Institution—
neither had they the power of doing so.—(//ear.)
Mr. BIGNoLD, sell. then came forward, and said
that his youngest son bail, it, a recent conversation
with hull, offered to advatice loin 15,000/. to carry
on a Society to the Metropolis, after the plan of the
Norwich, and he (Mr. B. reit.) was himself ready
to add 5,0001. to this 15,0001.; so Vitae was at
once 20,0001. at the instaitt to begin with. He
could assure the meeting, that when the public at-
tention was first called to the affairs of the Norwich
Office, and indeed long before, lie had been actively
engaged in putting the business of the Office oil a
heifer footing than had been observed. It was iiis
desire, and he was engaged its carrying it into el-
feet, to have a Board of Directors at Loodop, to

• --
prev•eriktlie jifigay and difficulties which tolentled
correspondence, on all occasions, with the Board
at Norwich. He had also devised an efficient
plan for the Inner ',revelation of fires in the
metropolis, and was 110%,/ ready to give any tuts
Society that he approved of, lass plat., and Ins 30
year. experience. An outcry had indeed been rais-
ed against him, and Mr. Hanson had paoclaisned
that there could be no confidence in any society in
which he wa4 engaged. Fie believed that Nlr. I 1411-
ball was au ironmonger ; awl might he not as well
say that nobody ought to buy iron at his shop, as
that Mr. Hanson should proclaim that no fruta was
to be placed in Mr. Bignold ? A number of Gen-
tlemen had come forward to establish a new Society
upon an improved plan; they were at present en-
gaged in examining his plans, and lie was Wady to
assist them in the exectition of these plans in any
mangier they might deem advisable.
Nlr. S. BIGNULD here stepped forward, mid
begged to explain one part of his father's state-
ment. Ile certainly had called upon his father after
a rupture that had taken place between theta, sod
the cause of which he greatly lamented. He dud
not call of his own accord, but by his fither's de.
sire. The latter inquired of him if he should he
enabled by an association with most respectable
connexions, to start such a plan in Loudon as tiw
Norwich Institution, his sons (three in iiiittib,r)
would assist him with IG,OOOI. to promutc the un-
dertaking. Ile replied to this applicatien of liis
father, that he thought such an assistance might
be tendered by them under the circamstancts men-
tioned, and there the matter rested. But this wis
a mere private family occurrence, and could not
at all be niixed up with the concerns of the Nor-
wich Company or the London project. Nuitilog
could be more distinct than the one from the other.
—( Hear.)
Mr. ratustohro, arn. s id, that he was ready to
lend 10,0001. to a new Society adopting his im-
proved plait. In making this tender, and adding
to it the offer of his services, he had no wish to
stipulate for the Secretaryship or any other (Ayr.
Mr. [JANSON Kik], that in what had fallen f
hint he was inei.ely actuated by a laudi.lale motive
to know who were the persons engaged its the new
Society. Mr. H. then nail a letter, which be sand
was addressed to the Insurance Agents throughout
the country, sisal winch srateai, " that a Board of
Directors for the stew Society was now actually
formed," and that the Bound of Directors at Nor.
ich were ready to co-operate with a set of respecta-
ble Gentlemen in London to give effect to their
views. 'Fiats letter w a., he said, signed by Air.
liignoltl, sett. If this Institution were actually
trolied, as set forth in that, circular, what reason
upon earth was there lair concealing the oantes of
the parties who had so embarked fur its proinutioa ?
—( liter, hear.)
Mr. BIGINOLD. Nem replied, that a number of
Gentlemen bad formed !hem..lves into a Pr., a.
&load Committee, but they could not prolierly
style themselves Directors until they hail the saute_
bon of a public 'Meeting. If they hail alone so, I ley
would expose themselves to the imputation of
self-constituted Directors. It was for this ream•ii
that it was premature to mention their names.
A Gentleusan wished to knots from Mr. list ttnlri
whether the 10,000/. he eripreseed himself ready to
advance, was out of the Isrue fund which, it ‘..?‘
sold, lie refused to surrender to the Norwich
Di-
rectors who claimed it ?

BIGNULD replied, be meset to Irnd
10,0004 of his goo real wooer. It was a good