The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-20 00:00:00

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

DIRECTORS.
John Downes, Esq. (Messrs. Downes and Scott), Upper
Thames-street, 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, Lombard-street. 4
Henry Lsdgard, 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.),
2 1, High-street, Borough.
Jabiz Voss, Esq. (Messrs. Voss, Meek, and Co ), Billiter -
square.
Walter Brodie, Esq., 13. Delamere terrace, Hyde-park,
Late Member of the House, of Representatives, New
Zealand.
(Influential names in Manchester and Liverpool will be
immediately added to the Direction.)
BANKERS—The Metropolitan and Provincial Bank, 79,
Cornhill, E.C.
SOLICITORS—Messrs. Bennett and Stark, 4, Furnival's
Inn, Holborn.
BROKERS—Messrs. Scrutton and Son, 81, 0:d Broad-street,
AUDITORS—Messrs. Cash and Edwards. Public
Accountants, 13, Toke3house-yard, E.C.
GENERAL AND RESIDENT MANAGER—Mr. Robert Steers.
SECRETARY—Mr. George Drew Hodges.
Opricsa-23, Nicholas-lane, Lombard -street, E.C.
Thi4 Company has for its purpose the transaction of the
important and remunerative business of Fire Insur ince,
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 dependencies,
is, as a commercial speculation, deserving of paramount
attention ; and, the contract being one terminable annually,
the profits or loss arising determine in like manner, year by
year, and exhibit at once a company's 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, the
Directors have resolved to allow upon payment for every
policy, and afterwards at each renewal, an immediate draw-
bock, which, in many instances, will amount to a total ex •
tinction 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 elder offices by way of per
centage 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 the 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-
tainly 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
The insurable property in this kingdom alone, including
its enormous and increasing importations arising from the
this country and its colonial connections.
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 fißd any class of investments which
has yielded such large Profits as the shares of well-con-
ducted fire offices. The shares of the older offices have in-
creased in value immensely, being, in one case, at a pre-
minus of about 1,300, and in another of nearly 2,000 per
cent. on the sums originally
paid up. The increased value
of the shares of offices established within the last 20 years
stands at from SO to 200 per cent.
It is under these circumstances, and considering the im.•
mense field presented for operations to come, that the direc-
tors have taken advantage
of so favourable an opportunity
to 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-
ence in the business of fire insurance, and the directors have
already matured arrangements for the immediate establish-
ment of five hundred agencies,
prae to give the most unqualified assur-
t nothing of the nature of frivolous
t and liberal settlement of claims for
objections to a
a n Theoce t
compensation will ever be entertained or countenanced by
them. dtihr ee opt ourbspliredoeultshi
Forms cf application for shares may be had at the offices
of the Company, or of the Brokers, Bankers, or Solicitors.
In the event of no allotment being made, the deposit will
be returned in full.

FORM OF APPLICATION FOR SHARES.
To the Directors of the Independent Fire Insurance
Company, Limited.

Gentlemen,—having paid to your * the sum of
, being a deposit of LI per share on shares in
the above Company, I hereby request that you will allot me
that number ; and I agree (according to the form prescribed
by the Articles of Assoiation) to accept such shares, or any
loss number you may allot me, to pay .E 1 its. p r share on
allotment, and to execute the Articles of Association when
required ; ant I request that my name may be placed on the
Register of Shareholder for the shares so allotted.
Name in full
Residence
Profession or business
Date

Post office orders and bankers' cheques (crossed to the Com-
pany's bankers, to be made payable to the secretary of the
Company.
• " Secretary," or " BaT ker," as the case may be.