The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-08 00:00:00

The star Life Assurance Society,

The twentieth annual meeting of the members of the
Star Life Assurance Society was held yesterday at the
offices, 13, Moorgate-street. City.
Charles Ilarwood, Esq., chairman of the Board of Di-
reotors, presided.
The usual preliminary business having been transacted,
the annual report of the directors and the report of Mr.
Jenkyn Jones on the affairs of the society were read to the
meeting. The directors' report was read by Jesse Hobson,
Esq., the Secretary, as follows
The Directors of the Star Life Assurance Society, in
again meeting their constituents, have great pleasure in
being able to present a most gratifying report, at this, the
twentieth annual, or fourth quinquennial, meeting:_
The figures which will be presented to this meeting will
refer not only to the operations of the society during the
past year, but to those which have occurred since its estab-
lishment in 1813.
Tho directors have to report, that during 1863 they
received 1,195 proposals for assurance; of this number they
issued 956 policies for the assurance of £353,310, yielding
in annual premiums £13,114 16a. id., the highest amount
paid for new policies in any year since the foundation of
the soclety.
The directors have been compelled, reluctantly, to decline
many of the proposals which have been submitted to them,
as being, in their opinion, not eligible for assurance.
As a further illustration of the advance of the company,
the following comparative result is given of the four com-
pleted cycles of five years which have elapsed
No. of Sums
Policies. Assured. Premium.
First period, to 1848.... Z2Ol £690,277 42,606 16 11
Second period, to 1853.. 2,832 923,156 30,280 9 7
Third period, to 1858 ... 3,191 1,086,040 37,766 14 4
Fourth period, to 1863 .. 4,792 1,721,252 60,031 6 0
of this number there remained in existence at the close of
the year 9,370 policies for the assurance of £3,229,841 10s.
By the auditors' report it will be observed that the in-
come of the society on the 31st December last, amounted
to £120,489 4s. 3d., and the accumulated fund at that date
amounted to £557,361 9s. I Id., showing an increase in the
fund of £72,381 15s. I Id. during the year.
Claims by death have arisen under 107 policies, assuring
92 pe:sons, and the sum of £32,804 12s. id. (which includes
bonus additions of £1,469 65.) has been paid to the repro.
sentatives of those deceased. Of this amount, £6,000 hes
been reassured with other offices, thus reducing the net
loss to the Star by death to £26,804 12s. Id. The claims
which have been discharged, since the origin of the society,
amount, in the aggregate, to £91,348 be. 64.
It is scarcely necessary to repeat, that to the valuable and
general support of the Wesleyan Methodist Connexion is
this prosperity mainly to be attributed ; and the Directors
think that it will be interesting to the meeting to be .in-
formed, that a very large proportion of the assured are
either members or hearers of that religious body.
This being the fourth quinquennial period, the Directors
are called upon, by the deed of settlement, to investigate the
affairs of the society, with a view of apportioning the profits
to the policy-holders. For this purpose they have in-
structed Mr. Jenkyn Jones to make a valuation, and give a
complete and detailed report of the assets and liabilities of
the society. That report, which will be t sad to you, shows,
as was anticipated, that the business effected is of a very
profitable character, and will enable the Directors to declare
a reversionary bonus averaging rather more than 60 per
cent. upon the premiums paid during the past five years;
the result of which, as relating to each particular policy,
will be communicated to those interested at as early a
period as posrible, As, however, these calculations will
occupy considerable time, it is obvious that such result can-
not be communicated to all the policy-holders in less than
two or three months.

The Directors retiring by rotation are W. H. Smith, W.
M. Ware, A. Bealey, and Edward Ball, Esqs., who, being
eligible, will be proposed for re-election.
The CHAIRMAN sail it was with more than ordinary
pleasure that ho met the share and policy holders that day,
because the success of the past year's exertions had been
crowned with the most brilliant success. (Hear, hear.)
The new business for the year amounted to nearly 1,000
policies of Z 353,310, which would yield an annual premium of
£13,114 Ns. id., which would be the largest amount paid
for new policies in any year since the foundation of the
society. There was another matter of congratulation, and
that was the increase of the accumulated ,fund. (Hear
hear.) In order to comply with the terms of the deed of
settlement, the directors, with a view of apportioning the
profits to both share and policy holders, had had to select a
qualified gentleman to whom they could submit the affairs
of the society, and the highly interesting and favourable
report they had had from Mr. Jenkyn Jones fully bore out
the expectations of the directors. (Hear, hear.) The bonus
was a substantial one—(hear, hear)—and although he could
not gratify the policyholders with the specific sum each
would receive yet, ho would conclude his observations by
formally moving the reception and adoption of the report.
The motion, having been seconded, was put to the meet-
ing, and carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN next moved the ro-electioa of the retir-
ing directors—viz., W. H. Smith, Esq., J. M. Ware, Esq.,
and E. Healey, Esq., which was also agreed to unanimously.
Thanks having been awarded to directors, auditors, and
medical officers,
A special vote of thanks was proposed and accorded to
the secretary and his very efficient staff.
Mr. Housox thanked the meeting for the compliment
just paid to him and his staff. They had but one ambition,
namely, to see the society in the most flourishing condition.
He had finished his first apprenticeship to them to-day, as
the presentwastheeihgth annual report he had the pleasure
jcreading to them. Seven years ago their annual income
was £Ol,OOO, whilst it was now £120,000. Their assets at
4on4,finn. rl, r.wnro nnW rAYT.ArIfI, and thi.
alone would show some exertion had been made. (Hear.)
It would always be his constant endeavour to increase and
extend their success by every moans in his power. (Hoar,
hear.) He had a favour to ask those present; it was
to kindly communicate to their friends that the
amount of bonus payable to each policy holder could
not be ascertained for two or three months, but
immediately it was known there would be no loss of time
in acquainting those entitled to it with the pleasant fact. If
they would oblige him so far ho was certain it would save
him a great deal of letter writing, (Laughter.) The
Shareholders' bonus would be payable about the first week
in April.
A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the pro-
ceedings.

THE COUNTY FRANCHISE,

MR. LOCKE KING'S BILL.

Tho following is a copy of the bill prepared and brought
in the House of Commons by Mr. Locke King and Mr. H.
Russelljto extend the franehiso in counties in England and
Wales :

" Whereas it is expedient to extend the elective franchise
to many of her Majesty's subjects who have not heretofore
enjoyed the same. Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's
most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent
of the lards spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this
present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the
same, as follows :

"1: From and after the passing of this act, every male
person, of full ago and not subject to legal disability, who
occupies, as owner or tenant, any land or tenement situate
without the limits of any city or borough entitled to return
a burgess or burgesses to Parliament of the clear yearly
value, or for which he is liable to a clear yearly rent of not
less than ten pounds, and comprising a house of tho clear
yearly value of not loss than six pounds, shall be entitled
to vote at the election of a knight or knights of the shire to
servo in any future Parliament for the county, riding,
part, or division of the county in which such land' or
'tenement' is situate; but no such occupier shall be so
entitled to vote unless he be duly registered as such voter,
nor shall ho be entitled to be so registered in any year un-
less he have occupied suck ' land' or 'tenement' of such
value or at such rent as aforesaid, for six calendar months
at least next before the last day of July in such year.
"2. The act passed in the second year of King William
the Fourth, to amend the representation of the people in
England and Wales, and the act passed in the sixth year
of her present Majesty's reign, to amend the law for the
registration of persons entitled to vote, and to define certain
rights of voting, and to regulate certain proceedings in the
election of members to servo in Parliament for England and
Wales, and the present act, shall bo construed as one acts"