The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-17 00:00:00

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aid with their judgment and
injudicious interference, the efforts- th_
man to better his condition, and, by self-denial in
the present, to look forward in the future not merely
provision for himself, but his wife and children after
him, form a bond of union which hes happily united
all classes in this kingdom, and made these friendly
societies a medium of kindly sentiments, of generous
sympathy, and of mutual respect, which would
render the total destruction of them, whether by
accident or design, a public calamity to this country.
The registrar receives almost daily complaints, by
and on behalf of the members of friendly societies,
respecting the compulsory payments for beer and
for anniversary expenses. Considerable difficulty
appears to exist in obtaining the payments due for
sickness, or on the death of a member or member's
wife, where the parties have joined friendly socie-
ties through the means of agents; complaints are
also made as to the misapplication of the fund-.,, and
manner in which societies are dissolved ; and iu
order to make further provisions for settling disr
pates, preventing misapplication of funds, the fur-
nishing yearly statements, and to enable, if possible,
the industrious classes to insure with safety against
sickness, and for a payment at death of sums under
£2O, it is suggested that a committee should be ap-
pointed in the next session to take these matters
into consideration.

PRICE
STAMPED:....Sd.

land all their available force for the protection of

he camp.

I have since ascertained that the report of the
natives coming down to attack To Papa was true,
but the result of the affair at To Ranga disarranged
their plops. . . .

For nearly an hour previous to the assault I had
seen Maori reinforcements coming down from the
woods, yelling and firing their guns, and, when the
advance was sounded, they were not more than 500
yards from the rifle pits.
I beg further to add that, while in command here
I have only endeavoured to carry cut the instruc-

Lions given me by the Lieutenant-General com-
manding, and, if I have had any success, it is to the
foresight of those instructions and to the good dis-
cipline and courage of the troops under my com-
mand it is to be attributed.

On Wednesday morning last (22d inst.) I sent a

strong patrol, under Major Colville, 43d Light In.
fantry, to bury the dead and fill in the rifle pits;
108 Maories were buried in the rifle pits, which
they had themselves dug the morning before. The
patrol returned the same afternoon, without having
seen anything further of the hostile natives, nor have
any been observed in the neighbourhood.
In addition to the number buried in the rifle pits,

15 of the woundcd prisoners have died since they
were brought in. lam sending up B_wounded and
11 unwounded prisoners by the Alexaildra, and 9
are detained for further treatment in the hospital
at this station, making a total of 151 Maories ac•
counted for. Enclosed are lists of the arms cap-
tured from the enemy and handed over to the Alia.
tart' Store Department, and returns of the killed
and wounded of the force under my command.-1
have, &c.,

H. H. GREER, Colonel, commanding Taurangra
District.
The Daputy Adjutant-General, &c., Head quarters,

New Zealand.

The following is the nominal return of killed and
wounded in the action at Tauranga on the 21st of
June, 1864:--
43d Foot.—Captain Herbert Berners and F. A.
Smith; Sergeant John Cain, Corporal John Wheeler,
Privates Robert Johnson, Jeremiah Maher, Wit-
ham Varlaw, Henry Wilkinson, Robert Brown,
David Casey, Reuben Corey, John Drury, Daniel
Felton, Robert Longley, George Martin, John
M'Auliffe, John M'Guire, Charles Moires, and
John Payne, William Warner, and Thomas Wil-
liams.

68th Foot—Captains H. W. J. Trent and Thomas
Casement, Lieut. 11. J. R. P. Stuart, Ensign W.
H. F. Palmer; Sergeants Thomas Stafford and
Henry Marschner ; Corporals Lucas Beattie, John
Kearney, and Charles Clayton; Private Peter
Shanahan, James Taylor, John Timms, James
Bramble, Daniel Caffery, Patrick Crawley, John
Derricott, James Hammill, Thomas Malla, John
Marmion, Lawrence Marnon, John Martin,Patrick
M'Gregor, John Purday, Isaac Sargeant, George
Smith, John Smith, Thomas Smith, Abbott Thrift.
and Henry Wade.
The following is the numerical abstract :
Killed. Wounded. Since Dead.
hank and Rank and Rank and
File. File. File.
43d Foot 4 13 0
68th Foot 3 29 2

Corps.

Total 8 33 2
J. I\lou.kT, Deputy-Inspector-General of
Hospitals, P,M.O.

Report of the Registrar of Friendly
Soci,)ties in England.

Yesterday was issued Mr .Tidd Pratt's report,
dated July 16, of the present year:—
During the year 1863 the registrar has examined
and certified the rules of 1,054 friendly societi s,
and also the alterations of the rules of 1,231 so-
cieties; making a total of 2,285 certificateq.
Twenty-three fiiendiy societies have deposited their
rules with the registrar under the 18 and 19 Vic.,
c. 63, s. 41. Notices of dissolution have been re-
ceived from 118 friendly societies ; of which num-
ber 47 were advertised in the London Gazette.
During the year 1863 the sum of £1,150 in the
Bank of England has been transferred by the re.
gistrar into the names of trustees appointed by
friendly societies, in the places of others removed,
absent, &c.

The registrar gives in the report the leading
features of the most recent tables of observation as
to the expenses of sickness and mortality in benefit
clubs or friendly societies. " It must be admitted,"
he says, " that amongst the 20,000 societies some
are certainly insolvent; but, as a general rule, this
result may be attributed to the ignorance of the
managers of the real risks to which they stand
liable until the inadequacy of the funds is forced
upon their notice by the gradually increasing
claims. It does not at all follow that the clubs are
reduced to this condition by fraudulent intention.
On the contrary, it may be gathered from the re-
gistrar's reports since 1855 that there is a very
earnest desire amongst the managers or members to
ascertain their real condition, and to avail them-
se pereinvailietgieens. as areA glance
td
theto
number of the rules and alters.
steadily
the
el e of
si
to better
increasing
suchee
rt
et er
as g

tions of rules, Examined and certified by the regis-
trar, is sufficient to strengthen this conviction. Even
the increasing number of notices of dissolution is
not to be looked upon as an unhealty state of affairs.
Oa the contrary, the dissolution of a society is fre-
quently effected with a view of remodelling and
starting afresh under better regulations, and with
rates of premium such as increased knowledge
has shown to be necessary for the risks which
they have to incur. It is to be regretted that so
many continually break up, and that so many more
may have to do so before the whole status of these
societies can be considered soun 1 and wholesome.
But for many years past the enlightened legislation
on this subject, and the general good sense of the
managers themselves, have been effecting a silent
though perceptible improvement throughout the
country."

Mr Pratt gives as the principal causes of failure, the
small number of members, inadequate premiums, the

gnorance of the members of the extent to which

the surplus of premiums ought to be accumulated in
early years to meet the requirements of advanced
age, the difficulty of distinguishing at ages above
60 between superannuation and true sickness, the
very deplorable practice of holding the monthly
or other periodical meetings in public-houses and
under the influence of the publican, injudicious
and speculative investments, and the combina.
tion of the different risks in a common fund. " If,"
says Mr Pratt, " the effect of Government competi-
tion, under the late act passed for granting annui-
ties or payments at death, is to make all doubtful
societies look into their affairs, to amend all that
may be going wrong, and to see that to all their
other advantages they can add a security which, by
good management, scientific skill, and strict honour,
may, as in the case of many of our existing institu-
tions, be little short of what Government can offer,
then no harm, but a vast amount of good will result
from the Government proposition. But it would be
tlad indeed if, instead of improving and setting on
.a
firm foundation the present friendly eocieties,rt

simply destroyed the rn in detail. The great anti-
quity of these funds for self-help is a proof that they
meet the spirit of this people in every ago. Thu
changes that have of late years followed a more en-
lightened legislation evidence their desire to keep
pace with the intelligence of the country. The meet-
ing of the members, when held in some room of their
own and away from the influonce of the public-house,
encoure.ga that spirit of self.reliance and of partici-
pation iu public business, and iu the management
of his own affairs, which the working man has a
right to in common with the highest classes in the
land. And, finally, the good feelings which in the