The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-26 00:00:00

DIRECTORS.
His Excellency Senor M. Jose de Salamanca, of Paris and
Madrid.
William Latham Bailey, Esq. (Messrs. Bailey Brothers
and Co.), Liverpool.
Sir John Gray, Director of the Land Securities Company.
Robert Simpson, Esq. (Messrs. Fredk. Levick and Co.),
Cwm Celyn Iron Works, and London.
P. S. Fletcher, Esq. (Messrs. Alexander, Fletcher, and Co.)
8. L. Koe, Esq., Bowling Iron Company, Bradford.
Samuel Gibson Getty, Esq., M.P., Belfast.
Y. Bavier (Messrs. S. and J. B. Bavier, Bankers), Switzer-
land.
M. Jules Levita, Advocate to the Austrian Legation, Paris.
Wm. Evans, Esq., Gresham House, Director of the Dub-
lin and Droghea Railway.
D. 3. Hoare, Esq., Director of the Bank of Hindustan.
George P. Kitson, Esq., King's Arms-yard, Direct& of
the Continental Banking Corporation.
H. Alers Hankey, Esq., 25, Old Broad-street.

BANKERS.
The Bank of London.
SOLICITORS.
Messrs. Sole, Turners, and Hardwick, 68, Aldermanbury.
BROKERS.
Messrs. Seymour and Co,, Bank-chambers, Throgmorton•
street.
OFFICES.
9, King's Arms-yard.
SECRETARY (PRO TEM.)
Frederick Wilkins, Esp.

The Company is formed as an auxiliary to the Great
Financial Associations recently established.
It is not the province of these Institutions to carry out
the public works contemplated in the concessions they ob-
tain. They are therefore compelled to seek the co-opera-
tion of contractors whose capital and position offer an un-
deniable guarantee for the completion of the works, thus
relieving the financial associations of that responsibility.
The constantly increasing scale on which public works of
all kinds are carried out, and the immense capital involved,
place them beyond the reach of individual contractors un-
less supported by joint-stock enterprise.
This company has, therefore, been formed for the pur-
pose of undertaking the execution of great public works,
and arrangements ave been entered into with well known
contractors, by whichh contracts to the amount of £11,000,000
sterling will be turned over to the Company.
Among other contracts handed over to the Company is
that for the construction of the European Central Railway,
Which has been secured on favourable terms, and will be
commenced forthwith.
The active services of an eminent Contractor, whose busi-
ness has been secured, will be retained to execute the work
on terms highly advantageous to the Company, he retaining
a large interest in the Company by receiving payment for
the transfer of his contracts in Shares with £5 only credited
thereon.
It is well known that many undertakings of great com-
mercial value have hitherto remained in abeyance for want
of Contractors who can command the necessary resources to
ensure their completion. This Company, combining the in-
fluence of a large subscribed capital, extensive financial co-
operations at home and abroad, with administrative experi-
ence and ability, will secure such an amount of confidence
on the part of governments, public bodies, and the great
financial institutions, as will enable it to command an ex-
tensive business on favourable terms.
Prospectuses, with forms of application, may be obtained
at the Offices of the Company, also from the Brokers, Soli-
citors, and Bankers.
In the event of no allotment being made the deposits will
be returned in full. Should a less number of shares be
allotted than are applied for, the deposits will be made
available towards the payment on allotment, and the
balance, if any, returned to the applicant.

•_ . -
THE INTERNATIONAL CONTRACT COMPANY
(Limited).
FORM OF APPLICATION FOR SHARES.
To be retained by the Bankers.

NO.
To the Directors of the International Contract Company
(Limited).
Gent,emen,—Having paid to your Bankers, the
o Bank of
London, the sum of £ , being a deposit fXi yer
share on shares in the above Company, I hereby re-
quest that you will allot me that number; and I agree to
accept such shares, or any less number you may allot me;
and I agree to pay the deposit on allotment, n and to sign the
Articles of Association of the Company whe required ; and
I authorise you to insert my name on the Register of Mem-
boro for the number of shares allotted to me.
Usual Signature .............. :
Name in lull
Residence
Profession
Date .......... .

91111 E INDEPENDENT FIRE INSURANCE
COMPANY (Limited). Capital One Million Stirling,
in 40,000 Shares of £25 each. £ l per Share to be paid on
application, and £1 10s. per Share on allotment. Calls not
exceeding V. per Share, at intervals of not less than Three
Months.

DIRECTORS.
John Downes, Esq. (Messrs. Downes and Scott), Upper
Thames•strest, Director of the National Provincial
Marine Insurance Company.
George Haines, Esq., Merchant, 36, Lombard. street.
John Ingledew, Esq., Cambridge House, Lee Park, Kent.
'William Knight, Esq. (Messrs. William Knight and Co.),

83, Lembaid-aitreet.
Henry Ledgard, Esq., Forest-hill, Kent.
George S. Symons, Esq. (Messrs, G. S. Symons and Co.),
20 and 21, St. Dunstan's-hill.
John E. Tibbs, Esq. (Messrs. J. E. Tibbs and Son),
Threadneedle-street, Director of the Staffordshire Roll-
ing Stock Company.
James Lunham, Esq. (Messrs. James Lunham and Co.),
231, High-street, Borough.
Labez Voss, Esq. (Messrs. Voss, Meek, and Co.), Billiter-
square.
Walter Brodie, Esq., 13. Delamere •terrace, Hyde-park,
ew
late Member of the House of Representatives, N
Zealand.
(Influential names in Manchester and Liverpool will be
immediately added to the Direction.)
BANKERS—The Metropolitan and Provincial Bank, 79,
Cornhill,
Sommons—Messrs. Bennett and Stark, 4, Furnival's
Inn, Holborn.
SURVEYOR—James Edineston, Esq., F.1.8.A., Crovrn-
court, Old Broad-street.
BROKERS—Messrs. Scrutton and Son, 81, Old Broad-street;
Mr Samuel liernyhough and Messrs. Black and Robson,
of Glasgow.
Aunrrons—Messrs. Cash and Edwards, Public
Accountants, 13, Tokenhouse-yard, B.C.
GENERAL AND RESIDENT MANAGER-111r. Robert Steers.
SECRETARY—Mr. George Drew Hodges.
OFFICES-29, Nicholas-lane, Lombard -street, B.C.
This Company has for its purpose the transaction of the
important and remunerative business of Fire Insurance,
and that only, to the exclusion of other branches of busi-
ness not unusually associated with it, under the same direc-
tion, and operating on one.and the same capital. The
Directors are satisfied that the scope for the business of fire
insurance presented by this country and its
of dependenciesount
,
la, as a commercial speculation, deserving param
attention ; and, the contract being one terminable annually,
the profits or loss arising determin an like m
financial position
and its resources.
While the partial remission of the fire insurance duty
now in the contemplation of Government, and applicable
only to the insurance of stock-in-trade, will afford a com-
paratively limited relief from the onerous oppression for , the
Directors have resolved to allow upon payment
policy, and afterwards at each renewal, an immediate draw-
back, which, in many instances, will amount to a total ex.
Unction of the entire duty of three shillings per cent.
To the public at large, and to the greater proportion of the
manufacturing and mercantile community, this arrange-
ment will prove a highly acceptable advantage. The draw-
back allowed by a few of the older offices by way of per
tentage on premiums, at intervals of years, is of im-
portance only to those who are rated at premiums ranging
chicly from one guinea per cent. upwards, and is partici-
pated in only by those who may have premiums to be re-
newed at th© period of the making of these returns ; whereas
by the principle adopted by this Company, the owners of
the classes of risk of the more ordinary occurrence, are
they who will be the more substantially and at the same
time promptly benefited.
The concession to be thus made to the publio will cer-
taint), be the means not only of increasing in their respec-
tive amounts insurances now existing, but of multiplying
to a very large extent the number of insurance contracts in
this country and its colonial connections.
The insurable property in this kingdom alone, including
its enormous and increasing importations arising from the
Wise interchange of tariffs, is believed to approximate to
£5,000,060,000, whereas £1,300,000,000 only is insured ;
thus leaving nearly three fourths of the insurable amount
altogether unprotected from loss.
It would be difficult to find any class of investments which
has yielded such large profits as the shares of well-con-
ducted fire offices. The shares of thin lder officease, s have in-
creased in value immensely, being, one cat a pre
taium of about 1,300, and in another of nearly 2,000 per
cent, on the sums originally paid up. The increased ed value
of the shares of offices established within the lyears
tands at from 80 to 200 per cent.
s
It is under these circumstances, and considering the im-
mense field presented for operations to come, that the dir
tors have taken advantage of so favourable an opportunity
t..° offer to the public the benefits of the principle of business
now adopted by them; and they have every reason to
believe that by its special feature and the public support
Which that must necessarily invite the undertaking will
Speedily be productive of the best monetary results.
The executive will be entrusted to officers of tried experi-
encein the business of fire insurance, and the directors have
already
en matured arrangements for the immediate establish-
ment of five hundred agencies.
The directors desire to give the most unqualified assur-
ance to the public that nothing of the nature of frivolous
_-objections to a prompt and liberal settlement of claims for
irmistrnsation will ever be entertained or countenanced by
Forms cf application for shares may be had at the offices
°f the
In the Company, or of the Brokers, Bankers, or Solicitors.
event of no allotment being made, the deposit will
be returned in full.