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

United Law Clerks' Society

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 ls. paid
to members unable through illness to follow their
employment. Every member whom old age, loss of
sight, or permanent aflliotloa of any ;dna, whether
bodily or mental, prevents from earning the mean
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 £5O, 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 £5O. 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 suc-
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
£1,700 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. Id.
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 numbers 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.-
eluded 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 £5OO.

LONDON, MONDAY, JUNE 5, 1865.

The arrival of the Asia brings us intelligence up
to May 25. The news from Texas is still stormy,
for KIRBY SMITH refuses to surrender ; and meet-
ings have been held in Lousiana, at which Governor
ALLEN of that State, and some other leaders, ex-
horted the people of the Trans-Mississippi Depart-
ment to continue the struggle, assuring them that
the cause of independence was not hopeless.
Whether any practical response will be made to
these appeals is as yet uncertain, but the Federals
have thought it advisable to send the head of the
Shenandoah to the rescue, and accordingly General
SHERIDAN has been appointed to the command of
all the Federal forces west of the Mississippi. It
is said that he has been instructed to demand
the immediate surrender of KIRBY SMITH and
his troops, and that if the demand be not
complied with he will carry fire and sword
throughout the province after his fashion to the
east. The Northern rulers are determined that
there shall be no doubt of their supremacy, and
wherever there is any manifestation of opposition
or reluctance extreme measures are to be at once
resorted to. President JOHNSON • has issued a pro-
clamation declaring all ports in the United States,
with the exception of Galveston, Brownsville, and a
few others in Texas, to be open to foreign commerce
from the Ist of July, and he adds that the Federal
Government will no longer allow to persons attempt-
ing to traffic with any portion of the States in
violation of the laws thereof any of the rights
or privileges of belligerents, but that all such offen-
ders shall be seized and treated as pirates. This
is somewhat arbitrary conduct. It is too soot to
issue such an order after so prolonged a struggle,
and the violent repression of contraband trade is not
likely to conciliate the people. Meanwhile, the trial
which occupies so much of public attention is pro-
ceeding in a somewhat unsatisfactory manner. Two
important witnesses have been, it is said, examined,
but their testimony has been withheld. The case
for the prosecution is closed without any substantial
evidence being made public which could affect the
Southern leaders. The cipher messages intercepted
between Canada and Richmond make no allusion to
the assassination of Mr. LINCOLN. The letter
addressed to DAVIS, offering to
rid the
South of some of her deadliest enemies,
has been produced in court, but this
would be valueless, unless some particulars were
it possible to style Lnicoui
given, even supposing
and SEWARD " the deadliest enemies of the South,"
while JOIINSON, STANTON, and BUTLER are living.
It DAVIS'S trial is to be bond fide, let it be held by
a-civil tribunal, not before a military commission,
who can have no pretext whatever for jurisdiction
over political offenders. The United States Go-
vernment will do well to remember that they have
given all prudent and moderate men good reason to
doubt their justice, and that, in En ;land at least,
the proceeding of the trial of the Southern krekii-