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

NORWICH lON lASURA CE.

Yesterday a Meeting was held at the City of
London Tavern of the London insurers, and others
who had heen contiectedroith the Norwich Union
Fire and Life Office, for the purpose of coosidering
whether it would he eligible to elitsitlish an In-
surance Office in the metropolis upon the same
plan as the Norwich Establishment. This Meet.
ing was very respectably, though not numerously,
attended.

At one o'clock Mr. BENSLEY, at the unanimous
request of the Meeting, took the Chair. He then
called the attention of the Meeting to the circum-
stances under which they had met. When he last
had had the honour of filling their Chair, they were
assembled to receive the final Report of the Com-
mittee appointed to investigate the affairs of the
Norwich Fire and Life Insurance Office. On that
occasion. a Gentleman who was a Member of that
Committee (Mr. Brookes), proposed for their con-
sideration that a future Meeting should be called
to consider of the eligibility of establishing in
London a plan of mutual risk and 111611111114:e on
the system of the Norwich Establishment, which
now discontinued Loudon Fire Insurances. He
(the Chairman) at the fornire Meeting had said,
that he had not considered Mr. Brnokr.'s proposi-
tion, and was not then prepared to give it ember his
shawl or dissent, lint tb.it as it seemed to be the
general wish of the Mretiog he would advertise
the future Meeting to taiwide-r the proposition—
he had 'hate so, and was not aware that any thing
further could be expected from hint. it was for
the Gentlemen present now to propose whatever
Measures any of them had it) their contemplation.
Mr. BROOKE/ rose and said, that as be had been
the proposer of the motion which led to the present
Meeting, lie felt himself called upon to say a few
words. He would, in the first instance, beg to set
himself right in the opinion of the Meeting respect.
tug the part he had taken. Snipe people had ima-
gined that he meant to lint him elf forward as the
promoter of It new Insurance Society—this was quite
erroneous, lie had no such intention. Ali that he
had 'tidied was, to give the public in the metropolis%
who were now excluded from the Fire Deportment
of the Norwich Institution, on oprortionty of con.
',tittering what step• they should take respecting
their lasusitaces. He begged unelnivocelly to de.

PRICE 8I VEN-PFNCE.

elate, that it 'sever had entered into his head to take
* lead in carrying; any new plats into retention.
They would recollect that he wire a member of the
lino Committee, and had indeed solicited permission
to resign after the first Report was feigned. When
he first .uggested the propriety of a Meeting
like the prevent, lie was rimier the ithittession that
men of tack al d consideration might he induced tb
emne forward to propote a i;leti which he thought
might he conducterreith greet advantage to the
public.—Since he had made ilie suggestion, he had
not received limn ally quarter the slightest informs-
lion that any such persors were ready to come for-
ward and embark a raintrl in the 'undertnking. Hfr
thought die plan highly (loanable t card that, if well
conducted. its advantages would be generally felt. It
was, horsever. slated by the Norwich Directory, that
the Loudon losurmices did not repay the expenses
they nad mewled; and, from hi. solpequesit in-
quiries, he had reasiiii to appteheed that all I 111,111rtirive
ertablishinent merely confined to the metropolis,
would out defray ila expenditure, utilesa It had the
be slit of extraordoiary activity and iiiibience. It
was her the Meetille to consider whether it would
make the attempt. For his own part, he repeated,
that his station in life precluded the possibility of
his taking * prominent part on suCh sir ticeasion. It
was for the Meeting to say whether they would
pottier the matter in the absence of that public en-
couregtnient which was essential to the estrahlish.
meat of a new Society. He felt warmly, that the
London (flamers had not been well treated by the
Norwich Society; and some persons had imagined,
that in what from him nt the last Meeting, he
meant to doubt the offer of the Norwich Directors
to promote the intl•reets of any new Seciety which
may hr formed ; he could, however, say, that he
Ilie.iiit to cunt 110 invidimis refit-coon upon the area-
tors; and lie belied that any thing which he migl
have said, would tint prevent the Directors front
granting the useistance which they had expremeti
themselves ready to afford to a new Establishment,
upon the plan of the Parent Society.—(Appiturse.)
Doctor A LIM begged to tome, that a number of
Gentlemen had already came forward as a Priori..
sitnial Committer, to set on faint a new establishment
in the metropolis on the principle of mutual In-
surance. They were ready to bring iota the con-
cern sitiple funds as a guarantee acid security lot
the imureri, and thought proper to u 1111 l mime that
they would lived themselves of the erred experieuee
of Mr. Hignold to cony their plan into effretr—they
did not mean that he should have the nemagemeot
of the concern, but merely that lit should assist
them in settieg it fairly afloat. They in short
meant to avail themselves of his assotaiice to put
the concern in motion. Ne would hike this upper.
tueiry of olaservritg. that in his .opiiiiou the pro•
ceeditigs of the Yuck Hotel Committee would not
bear the test of legal inquiry—he meant tin disrespect
to the Gentlemen who composed that Committee,
but he did not think they had proceeded as they
ought to haverdone. They sliould have recullected
the sentiment of the Poet—

" Thole, is he gritted that tenth his qiiiirrel just,
And he but nuked, it locked up in steel,
Whose cutociease is curtained."
The formation of the Society, the ;Aso of which
be nowt announced, would, he was persuaded, do
national good. The public would hear the details
of the plan through a different channel.
Mr. BARRY congratulated the Meeting on the
prospect they now had of ,ering the principle of
the Norwich Union, without its 1111111 r, ati.lllttd
among them upon a more solid and equitable basis.
Will respect to the eundtict of Mt. Brookes, the
Meeting wonld, he was sure, think with hint, that
it was upright, candid, and honourable, throughout
the whole I i JUI.IIeSa• He was sorry there was test w
fuller Meeting brie to-day, to consider in a collec-
tive assembly the important business in which they
were interested ; bit it was gratifying to hum to
find that they were satisfied with the flew plate
which was *unnoticed to them, and their satisfaction
was a palpable proof that this Society, though flow
in its infancy, would meet with public supports
He. now foreboded that the new Society would rise
like a phueuix, and soon €:110)11811 its prosperity.
The Meeting, if it pleased, might appoint another
Committee ; but the worst of bßell
was, that they engendered similar proceedings else-
where; every parish would then have its Committee,
and the business be in the end flint-red aiwuy to
nothing. There was already a little club of this
kind in the Borough. lie though 4 therefore, the
best thing which the Meeting could do this day,
would be to depart to peace according to the *wit,
for he thought he saw before Into the salivation of
their interests. He trusted he 'right make this
allusion without incurring any censure, for surds•
if to guard against the poverty of their fawilies
was one of the leading considerations of a goial
man, it was noon essential to take those steps which
would best insure so laudable au object, and 1w
thought lie saw in the estublislatient of the new
Society, the means of affording the hestitcurity to
their interests.

Mr. HANSON thought it right that us some hoist
minion had been given of the establishment of 4.
new Society, the Meeting should not separate with.
out hearing so ~e further particulars respecting it.—
licar.)—lt was the opinion of s great initialer,
that as the Norwich Society could nut legoillt ki-ey
the Loudon lire insurers, it would be desirible fur
the latter, if possible, to form themselves tinder I
system like that in which they had already inswed,
and which was in every respect so beneficial, or at
least might be made so, tinder good management.
Mr. notiokett, who qtaried the !imposition at the
last Meeting, had, certainly, adverted to it merely
as au experiment, a.. 4 without at all pledging him.
sell to take a leading part in any new pi.. Be
was ens/ perhaps Ili...nodeel from tHlotig.utiy further
steps iii the lite,iiiess, by the apparent coithiteas
the Mettiiig ; lie had, however, dune what lip ih•iibt
he conceited to have beets his duty, And it etas
the Meeting to adopt its men view of ulatt.r,
Advantage,, they must have obaerved, Itasi hem
takait uf the potent Meeting, to autsuusicp ttio; At