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

FOREIGN AND BRITISH BRANCHES AND AGENCIES.

In the United States, the board of management in New
York, consisting of merchants of the highest standing in the
commercial world, and the agents in the leading cities of the
Northern States, continue their valuable and highly ap-
preciated services. In Canada, where the Royal Insurance
buildings are now reported as nearly completed, and likely
to prove a good investment, much esteemed agents in the
Upper and Lower Provinces are increasing the business
rapidly to one of very large magnitude. Australia, again,
is another field of the Company's operations from which
evidence of a future large success may be gathered from the
results and advances of the past. In India and China and
the West Indies equal activity is displayed, by which the
Company has derived large success from a rapidly growing
business; and, without entering into further detail, it may
be stated that in other places in Europe, South America,
and elsewhere, the business of the Company progresses so
favourably that few offices are so well known, or are more
confided in abroad than the Royal.
In fact, no insurance company has ever held a higher
position in the various countries it has entered, and none
could possibly obtain greater encouragement from influen-
tial quarters to continue its exertions among them,
If, to complete their review, the Directors now advert
briefly to the United Kingdom, they have to announce that
in fire business its progress has been undoubtedly more
rapid than that of any other Company established either in
'London or elsewhere, except when amalgamations have
taken place. The returns of duty have proved this. In life,
the amount of new policies already reported make all other
evidence needless and superfluous. It would almost be in-
vidious to single out any individual agent, or any isolated
place, where all have used their heartiest exertions, and every
place almost without exception has witnessed the expansion
of the Royal, either in its fire or life business, if not in
both.
It may, however, be observed, generally, that the com-
pany has attained a very high position in Scotland and in
Ireland. It takes its place among their own national insti-
tutions in each of these kingdoms, and has its full share
with them in the favour of their respective inhabitants. The
old branches of the business established in England, with-
out exception, continue mast satisfactorily to expand and
prosper, and new ones recently formed will hereafter, from
their present promising condition, call for special notice.
The branches at Bristol, Birmingham, and Southampton,
upheld by the respected and influential members of their
respective local boards of management,
give promise of
taking the highest standing among their contemporaries
in their various districts.

The directors look back at the hopeful anticipations with
respect to the future contained in their reports to the share-
holders throughout the various important crises which have
taken place in this country during the last 18 years, and
are unable to recal one which has not been far more th n
realised by the concurrent event which it attempted to
shadow forth.

They, therefore, with much stronger confidence, nownor_
elude their present report with the expression of an opinion
that the prospects of the Royal Insurance ComfolsnYequent
never more encouraging or brighter, and of
the
past,
that
hope, founded on a grateful remembrance!:
eater magni-
the future may unfold for it a sphere of still
greater
to
the
tude, combining distinguished commetrusciefainess and pro-
office with a lengthened career of gills
tection to the public.
Iw:cm
DITIDEND AND
adret,h together 75., freeat a dividend of
The directors beg now to recommend
3s, per share, and a bonus of 40 P
of income-tax, be declared.
The
Directors have the pleasure
The CHAIRMAN said :en,
whiitghhalyreport of the state of your
of meeting you, gentlemen,
satisfactory ; and they
affairs, which theytw consider
do not doubt thathas • be so deemed by you. (Hear, hear.)
I it
eighteen years in existence; and its
The
as compared with what it was nine years ago,
situat"ioltn°nY:w.",
when we had reached half our present age, is so remarkbble
that, although it is alluded to in the report, I hope I may be
excused for again calling your attention to the fact that,
whereas the fire premiums of the Royal, in its ninth year,
were about £112,000, they are now, in its eighteenth year,
above £300,000, or nearly three times the former amount ;
and I believe I may state, without fear of contradiction, that
a yearly income of £300,000, derived from fire business
alone, by a single office, after an existence of eighteen years,
is wholly unexampled. (Hear.) Then, gentlemen, taking
the same period for comparison, the life premiums have in-
creased five-fold ; and the amount paid to the " Royal,"
for the purchase of annuities, is eight times larger
now than it was at the end of the former period. (Hear.)
As further evidence of the rapid growth of your business, I
may mention that, whereas nine years ago, the sum assured
on accepted lives amounted only to £182,423, the amount
proposed to be insured on declined lives, during the year
1862, was £143,281. (Hear, hear.) We have thus before
us the striking fact that the lives declined now are nearly
equal to the numbers which, nine years ago, were accepted.
(Hear, hoar.) I may also remark, as bearing upon this
subject, that whereas the premiums received in the life
branch, in the year 1861, were only £86,751, they amounted,
in the year 1862, to £105,703. There was, therefore, an in-
crease of £18,952 ; and I think you will agree with me, gen-
tlemen, that this is an enormous increase in life business,
especially when you take into account the constant waste
going on, by policies cancelled by death, or purchase,
s i
asies:
lapsing from other contingencies. (Hear, hear.) It