The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-05 00:00:00

United Law Clerks' Society

-4. -
On Friday the 33d commemoration festival of
this institution (which was established for the bene-
fit of clerks in every department of the law) was
celebrated at the Freemasons' Tavern ; Mr. Justice
Montague Smith in the chair. The usual loyal
toasts having been disposed of, the chairman proposed
" Prosperity to the United Law Clerks' Society,"
and, in so doing, called attention to the report of
the committee of management, which stated that
this society since its foundation in 1832 has ex-
pended in assisting its members in sickness £,6,395
95., of which £339 3s. has been spent during the
past year in affording relief to 45 members. This
relief consists of a weekly allowance of £1 Is. paid
to members unable through illness to follow their
employment. Every member whom old age, loss of
sight, or permanent affliction of any kind, whether
bodily or mental, prevents from earning the means
of livelihood, is entitled to receive out of the super-
annuation fund a pension for life. These pensions,
which are payable weekly, vary according to length
of membership from £26 to £36 Bs. a year. The
total disbursements on this account. have reached
£3,716 195., of which £2BO was expended during
the past year. At the commencement of the year
there were eight members in receipt of these pen-
sions, two were receiving £3l 45., and the remain-
ing six, £36 Bs. per annum each. Besides the allow-
ance to the members in sickness, and pensions to the
aged and infirm, the family of each member is en-
titled at his decease to a payment of £SO, and should
a member survive his wife, he is entitled to £25.
Ten members have died during the past year, and
the family of each will receive the sum of £SO. To
three members whose wives have died during the
same period £75 has been paid. The payments for
the year have been £485, and the total expendi-
ture on this account since 1832, £10,287 10s.
The income of the principal fund from all
sources during the year has amounted to £3,864
ss. 6d., and the expenditure to £1,404 19s. The
difference has been added to the invested capital.
This capital, on the 4th day of April, 1864; amounted
to £31,075 13s. 6d. On the sth day of April, 1865,
it had increased to £33,535. The society has site-
ceeded in one of its objects, the creating a fund to
make provision for its members in sickness, and for
their families on their decease. These claims have
always been met out of the current income, and as
the contributions of the members now exceed
11,700 a year, no difficulty is anticipated in always
being able to satisfy them without touching the
capital. But one principal object remains to be ac-
complished, viz., the making a certain provision for
the decayed and infirm members by accumulating
an ample reserve fund. The casual, or benevolent
fund, is a distinct fund, devoted to the assistance
of the members, their widows, and orphan children
and law clerks, not members, out of employ (any-
where in England), and their widows, who may be
in distressed circumstances, the result of unavoid-
able misfortune. The receipts of the year on this
fund have been £536 4s. 2d., and the disburse-
ments in gifts, loans, and necessary disbursements
£487 17s. The difference, including a balance in
hand, left the amount of this fund at the last audit,
£619 15s. 3d. The claims upon it are so numerous
as to preclude any investment. The society is now
expending in actual relief nearly £2,000 a year.
Since 1832 it has thus disbursed £30,744 13s. ld.
The chairman expressed a most favourable opinion
of the report, and described the condition of the
funds as being most flourishing. Moreover, this
was not the result altogether of charity, but of the
foresight of the members. But although the fund
was prosperous, and the number of recipients not
many, yet numbersi would increase with years, and
whilst the society was comparatively in its youth, it
would be wrong not to be so prudent as to provide
for its coming age. He lamented that the society
had lost through death the services of Mr. Keith
Barnes, one of their trustees, but was glad that the
office would be well filled by his friend, Mr.
Francis Thomas Bircham. The chairman con-
cluded by dilating on the great claims of the
society on the profession at large. It united
every branch, and deserved support from every
branch. Mr. Harry G. Rogers, the 'secretary,
read a list of subscriptions amounting to about £SOO.

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