The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-19 00:00:00

:MUTUAL LIFE ASSURANCE socrxrt:
The half-yearly general meeting of the members
of this society was held yesterday at the London
Tavern ; Mr. W. C. Harnett in the chair.
Mr. S. BROWS, actuary to the society, having reset
the minutes of the last meeting, and the notice con-
vening the present, proceeded to read the report of
the directors. It stated that the progress of the
society had been steady and satisfactory during the
past year, and that the surplus and additions to the
policies had been gradually increasing. The affairs
aed
of the society were in a most prosperous condition,j
if there might be a passing regret that more new bit.
einess had not been transacted, it would be borne in
mind that the past year had been one of an unusual
character, and that most of the life assurance com-
panies had felt its effects. The total number of pro.
pose's laid before the board during the year had been
167, for assuring the surn of 83,7711. Of this
number 126, for 60 946/., had been completed; 9
propoQals for 4,6001. were standing over for
completion or further consideration at the
end. of the year ; and 32 proposals fur as-
suring 18,225/. had been declined, or not pro-
ceeded with.
The claims by death during the year
had been remarkably small, being only 10,0501. on
total sum assured varying from 548,8051. at the
premiums
r haacilybe
beginning to 874,347/
- b lessen
c
remaining in force at the end
of
mortalityth the
year.
o This
ne de sutapnuttedhe,
and was only about four-fifths of the average amount
of claims for the preceding four years. The policies
remaining i;1 force on the Ist January,
1852, were
1,367; essuring 874,347/ ; and producing an annual
income from premiums of 29,0581. Ss. 9d. The total
assets or, the society on the 31st of December last
amounted to 604,5051.18 s sd. (including the value
of future premiums receivable), and the total liabilities
to 514,9331. 18s. sd. (including present value of all
the sums assured, leaving a clear surplus for division
of 89,5721) The calculations for arriving at these
results had been completed with the greatest care,
and ample allowances had been made for contin-
gencies so as to avoid any undue assumption of
profits. The whole of the invested capital of the
society was either in the Government funds or
secured on the mortgage of freehold or other
available property, none being lent out on per-
sonal security. The amount of theinvested
capital had increased during the past year from
152,4961. 1 ls. to 174,1701. 10s. 6d. The system of
agency had been too recently adopted to produce the
advantages to which it must ultimately lead ; but it
could not fail when fully carried out to be the means
of making the character and position of the society
known throughout the country. During the past
Year 70 new agents had been appointed. The direc-
tors hoped that the members would not only assist
them in selecting an active and efficient agent in
every principal town in the kingdom, but would also
make known amongst their private friends the satis-
factory working of the society, and the superior and
increasing advantages which yearly experience
showed to be the result of an assurance in this in-
stitution.

The CHAIRMAN moved that the report, which had
been read, should be received, adopted, and entered on
the minutes, and in doing so expressed his willingness
to afford any explanations that might be desired to the
members of the society. No member, however, rising
to ask a question, the resolution was put and carried
unanimously.
On the motion of Mr. S. W.RosuLL, it was ordered
that the report should be printed and circulated
amongst the members.
The proceedings terminated with the unanimous
adoption of a cordial vote of thanks to the director-
for their zealous attention to the interests of the
ciety during the past year.

FATAL COLLISION ON THE LANCA-
SHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAILWAY.
BURY, FEB. 17.—A shocking collision on the Lan-
cashire and Yorkshire Railway, which resulted in tilt
loss of two lives, was the subject of a lengthened in-
vestigation yesterday, at the Queen's Hotel, in this
town, before Mr. T. P. Deardon, the coroner for
the district. Mr. Gaskill, solicitor, of Bolton, with
Mr. Blackmore, the general superintendent of the
line, and Mr. Hirst, locomotive superintendent, at-
tended to watch the evidence for the company. The
facts of the unfortunate event appear to be briefly
these :—Between one and two o'clock on Saturday
morning a goods train was in the act of being shifted
from the siding or branch line connected with the
goods warehouses of this station, when the Normanton
luggage-train arrived from Bolton, and came in fear-
ful collision with the one which was being moved on
to the main line. The shock is described to have been
very severe. The engine was thrown on its broad-
side, and the driver, Robert Dunkerley, had one of his
legs cut off, and was otherwise much hurt. He died
shortly afterwards. The stoker, Benjamin Hewley,
was killed on the spot. He was thrown under the
tender, and his body was not extricated until between
six and seven o'clock. It would appear that the Bol-
ton train had not to stop at Bury, and that it bad
been going at the rate of twenty miles an hour, but
on approaching the station and descending the incline
its speed was reduced. There seemed to be some
difficulty in ascertaining whether the red
signal was on or not, and it would seem
that the watchmen on duty at the station
charged the guard with having knocked it off, and
that he might at once say that it was on, and that he
(the watchman) would not report him. The guard
stated that he did not do so, and that indeed he could
not tell whether it was on or not. The watchman
informed the Court that he put the red light on to-
wards Bolton at about 10 minutes past 12 o'clock—
that he had not altered it afterwards. Immediately
after the collision, however, he found it off, as did the
guard of the train which was run into. The signal
was moved by a lever, and the watchman stated that
he:had never known it to go off on its own accord. In
tihmeposritgannalt
,intfhorempartoieoenedimngigehwt
were
adjourned.
orgletedthraet
spoectht:g

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.
LONDON AND Noant-WEsranx RAILWAY.—Return of
Traffic for the week ending Fe'o. 15:—
Passengers, parcels, mails, Sc. ... £22,439 411
Merchandise ... 17,383 17 11
Cattle .. ••• ••• ••• 860 13 6

...
... •••£40,683 16 4
year •• • 40,335 R
h d -
Corresponding
aspubhs e are exclusiveof th
a
Note.—The returns Canal and Shropshire U Huddersfield Union North
traffic of the
and Wyre,South Ju •
notion, Manchester and
Union, Preston
d Buckinghamshireßailways, and of the propor-
tion week
lest .
Buxton, an
deducted under agreement with the North
GREAT WIESTERN RAThwAY.--Return of traffic for the
week ending Feb. 15 ••• -.. £14,038 15 3
rresponding week last year... 13,873 13 5
Co
THE GREAT NORTHERN R an.W.A.Y.--( Billies in work, 2410
it turn of Traffic for the Week ending Feb
stiteonffeorfdethrafliirecCompany.
Feb. 8, 1852:—.
.... e
Passengers, parcels, carriages,
horses, dogs, and mails
... £5,68 410
Cattle ... 7 Merchandise and nainexaLi ••• 5,741 8 0 •••
142 17 2

Total ..
Corresponding week, 18M (236 miles) :
Passengers, parcels, &c. 137
Merchandise, Cattle, &c. • £4, •
3,662 9 9
0 9

11,491 10 0

Total ..
....£7,799 10 6
LONDON AND SOUTII-WESE'RN RAILWAY.—Amount of
Passengers
Goods -

... £5,961 18 10
... 2,404 7 6

Total ...
...
.. £8,366 6 4
Corresponding week last year... 7,960 13 2i
LANCASHIRE AND YORKSIMLE RATT,WAY• (260 tßilgi
Open.)—Traffic for week ending Feb. 15 £16,056 2 6
Corresponding week in last year (260
£13,544 19 10 miles open) ..

NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAILWAY.—(MiIes 0pen,112.)..
—• X 4,487 0 0
Return of traffic for the week ending Feb. 8 :
Railway and canal
Corresponding week last year ..• 4,399 o 0
Note.—The above is exclusive of the receipts available
under the agreement with the London and North-Western
Railway Company.

CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAILWAY..—Traffic for the
week ending Feb. 15 :
MAIN LLNE.

•••
Passengers •••
and D.
...
Parcels, H u• ,
iails Goods, cattle, ex
.•. •.•

••• £1,004 19 3
••• 60 4 4
••• 567 14 1
575 0 0

Total

£2,207 17 S

passengers
•••
Parcels, H. C. and D. ...
Goods, cattle, &c. ~,

£44 S 4
1 9 11
43 1 11

Total

£B9 0 2

STEAM-BOATS•