The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-18 00:00:00

QUESTIONS.

Your opinion is requested-Ist. Whether any of the
funds raised under the authority of the 9th or 25th sections
of the act can be legally applied to any of the items of ex-
penses above mentioned, or to any similar items ?
2d. Whether any of the funds raised under the autho-
rity of a rule for incidental expenses can be legally applied
to any of the items of expense above mentioned, or to any
similar items, and whether incidental expenses must not be
such as are necessary to, or connected with, the purposes
for which the society is established P
3d. Should the opinion be that neither of the funds can
be legally applied to the expenses referred to, can proceed-
ings be taken under section 24 against the member, or
officer, paying away the funds for such purposes, for wilfully
applying " the funds to purposes other than those expressed
or directed in the rules 2"

4th. Can any member aggrieved at such expenditure
being incurred commence proceedings under section 24, as
being " a person on behalf of such society," or must the
consent of the society be first obtained ; and if that cannot
be obtained, can proceedings be taken except by the regis-
trar, wider the 23d and 24th Vic., chap. 58, sec. 9 ?

ANSWERS.

Ist. I am of opinion that no part of the funds raised
under the authority of the 9th or 25th sections of the aet
can be legally applied to any of the items of expenses above
mentioned, or to any similar items. They are entirely un-
connected either with:the insurance and relief, &c., men-
tioned in the 9th section, or with the expenses of manage-
ment referred to in the 25th.

2d. I think that no part of any funds raised under the
authority of a rule for incidental expenses can be legally
applied to any of the items of expenses above mentioned,
or to any similar items. The expression "incidental ex-
penses" must be reasonably understood; and, within those
limits, may receive a liberal interpretation ; but it is clear
that the meaning cannot be stretched beyond matters ne-
cessary to, or directly connected with, the main purposes
for which the society is established.
3d. Proceedings may be taken against the member or
officer paying away the funds for any of these purposes, pro-
vided in doing so he is guilty of a " wilful " misapplication
of the funds. In order to put the wilfulness beyond a
reasonable doubt, I would advise that the attention of the
various officers, &c., charged with the custody and disburse-
ment of the funds, should be pointedly called to the state of
the law on the subject, and that they should be apprised that
future misapplications will be treated as wilful, and punished
accordingly.

4th. I am of opinion that no person, other than the
registrar, can commence proceedings under section 24,with-
out the consent of the society to his so doing being first ob-
tained; but that, independent of any such consent, proceed-
ings may be taken by the registrar under 23 and 24 Vic.,
c. 68, a. 9. WM, ATHERTON.
Temple, July 24, 1863.
Under the advice of the Attorney-General, as above men-
tioned, it is the intention of the Registrar of Friendly So-
cielies in England to take proceedings pursuant to 23 and
24 Vic., c. 58, a. 9, against any officer, &0., of a friendly
society, who shall offend against the provisions of the 18th
and 19th Vic., c. 63. s. 24.

THE FORESTRRS AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE
(Tins DAY).—During this morning and forenoon the rail-
way stations at London-bridge and Pimlico presented scenes
of much excitement from the immense crowds which assem-
bled at them in order to get to this fete. Every road lead.
ing in the direction of the Palace was also much crowded,
and although the weather was somewhat threatening, there
was an immense muster at Sydenham. A grand procession
took place at half-past I, and at half-past 3 Mr. Coxwell
ascended in the Mammoth Balloon, during a display of the
Great Fountains. The Palace is to be illuminated in the
evening, and everything indicates a successful conclusion
to the "great day of the season."

EXTRAGRDINARY REVENGE.—Last week some
labourers were engaged in cutting a new drain in
the bog of Ballyegan, on the bank of the river Brosna,
within two miles of this town, and about four o'clock in
the afternoon they discovered a coffin about two feet from
the surface. The police from the Sharavogue station were
sent for, and, on removing the lid, found a body in the
coffin. Information was given to Mr. Heenan, the coroner,
and on the following day an inquest was held on the
werespo
where the remains were discovered. Many rutiu.Attrtshe
quickly afloat, and the inquest was adjourned. A
,w, a (.I,'
journed inquest a careful examination of the bodyr 1(1Z:
was partly preserved in the beg) was made D
The mystery was, however, unravelled odn theo
Mr. John Hackett and a policeman,
anrstown. 1 t appears
of the constabulary diary at
RivFereless body of a poor
btehyxoaZatzoorfi
that in the severe year of 1849 the
shay-rick,
posed he sought shelter, and. died
boy was found by the side of ahay-from
g,e of Rivers-
twhheeerffeeCtswaosf sup-
posed
locked up in
town, and, pending the
and starvation. it was carried
the Police-barrack. During the
doftothethceorvoilla
• d open, and the body
the door was force
night the lock of
known that the sub-constable
It was well
an out-house adjoining P
taken away.
(IWAlwaine), who bad solo charge of the barracks, had
shortly
rendered himself,before, obnoxious to some bad
i
characters in the neighbourhood, and at the time it was
affirmed that four young men adopted this very curious
way of getting the policeman dismissed for remissness. 1
They took the body quietly away at night, rowed it up along
the Brosna about a mile and a halt, and there hastily buried
it. The jury, after a very lengthened deliberation, found in
accord.ahce with the facts,--bub(in Expi VSS,