The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-11 00:00:00

Plain as possible, but before submitting it for the awe pt.
ance or otherwise of the meeting, they were most anxious
to afford the fullest information upon any point with
reference to which any shareholder might be desirous of
being enlightened. (Hear, hear.)
Several queries were then put in regard to various
items in the accounts, which were satisfactorily explained
by Mr. Bennett, and some suggestions were made for im-
provements in the form of the printed balance-sheet dia.
tributed among the proprietors.
Mr. BENNETT observed that, ha-ring the financial de-
partment under his special charge, he could conscien-
tiously state that the success of the past year had been.
most extraordinary. He agreed that the cost of the ma-
nagement was large, but the main question in all great
transactions of this kind was not so much the amount of
expenditure, as the accession of business which that ex-
penditure brought in. He believed that no other insti•
tution was, relatively, in a more satisfactory position than
the National Loan Fund. Last year the income had
been, as shown by the chairman, increased at an ex-
pense of only 2501., and surely no shareholder would object
to the expenses going on augmenting at the same rate
under similar circumstances. (A. laugh.) He brought
against all the shareholders a charge to which every
one, he thought, would plead guilty. It was, that
on 364 days out of the year they did nothing, and yet
on the 365th day they cone there expecting the direc-
tors to have worked miracles. (Hear, hear.) Let every
shareholder bring a single policy a-year to the office, and
he would add 1 per cent. to the bonus he now received :
if he brought one policy each quarter, the society
would be in a position to pay as much as 10 per cent.
The directors had' set a good example by assuring their
lives, and the shareholders should follow it, and not only
assure their own lives, but also those of their wives.
In the management of an association like that, there was
one of two principles to act upon—either to bring their
business up to their expenses, or bring down their ex-
penses to their business. The first was the most sound
principle, and it was that upon which this and other
successful societies had proceeded. (Hear.)
A SHAREHOLDER was agreeably surprised to find that
the agennyin France had prospered so well, because having
lived in that country many years, he knew the difficulty
of making a Frenchman understand the value of life
assurance, as he could only believe that was an advan-
tage which was conferred upon himself, or upon his
wife or children during his lifetime. The agents abroad
were therefore entitled to great credit for the exertions
they had made in overcoming that difficulty.
After some desultory discussion,
Mr. T. C. GRATTA.N said that, having had the arrange•
ment of the continental agencies, he was fully aware that
nothing was more difficult than to convince a Frenchman
of the usefulness of life assurance, which was so well
understood here, in America, and every other country
where our race and institutions were dominant. Great
success bad, however, attended the branch agency in
Paris. There they had a mixed board of Frenchmen
and Englishmen of talent and experience, and of the
greatest respectability, and this was one of the most va•
luable of their branches, and he confidently trusted that
its prosperity would grow every year. In accordance
with a suggestion thrown out at the meeting last year,
an agency had also been established at Brussels. It
was conducted, like that in the Parisian capital, by
an agent and a board of directors. He was entrusted
with the mission to Brussels, and he succeeded in estab-
lishing there, in the month of January last year, one of the
most respectable boards of direction that was to be found
anywhere, and he trusted that, by that time next year,
he would be able to report that thebusiness of this branch
was as flourishing as the one at Paris. It was contem-
plated to extend these continental agencies to Ger.
many and Holland, where there was so much good
feeling towards the English, and English institu-
tions, and where ample opportunities would be found
for doing a large and safe business. (Hear.)
Mr. HARRIET, general agent of the society in the United
States, being present, in reply to ashareholder, stated that
the business there was going on very prosperously. It had
been increasing since the first establishment of the agency,
and there was every prospect of its becoming still larger.
Every care was taken in accepting risk% and in enlarging
the sphere of the general agency in In° United States.
He was glad on the present occasion to hear so good an
account of the institution, and on his return he would
not fail to communicate it to the policy-holders on the
other side of the Atlantic who were very numerous. The
members of the local boards were men of the best stand-
ing in society. In 1852 no less than 500 policies were
sent over to the London office, and last year the number
was something over that. (Hear, heir.)
The report was then adopted unanimously.
The following gentlemen, who retired from the direc-
tion by rotation, were then re-elected :-
1 Archd. Campbell Barclay, Esq.
Charles Bennett, Esq.
Hugh Croft, Esq.
T. C. Grattan. Esq.
John Moss, Esq.
Thomas Nichol, Esq.
J. Leander Starr, Esq.
Professor Wheatstone, F.R.S., and Professor John
Radford Young, were elected auditors for the ensuing
year. _ _ _

- A vote of thanks unanimously passed to the chair•
man and directors terminated the proceedings.

PIRACY IN TIIE MEDITERRANEAN.

The following report, which leads to the impression
that the crew of the Harriet, of Londion, has been mur-
dered by Pirates, may be relied on. It is dated Athena,
the 25th of April :
"Oa the 21st inst. her Majesty's steamship Triton,
hewing that an English merchant vessel was in distress,
sailed from this place and anchored in the harbour of
Gavrios, island of Andros, where she found the English
schooner Harriet, of London, in charge of the Greek autho-
rities. Upon making inquiries it was ascertained that the
peasants on the heights of Andros discovered a vessel with
sails set on the 12th and 13th of April. Her movements
were so peculiar, as she kept going round and round the
compass, the sails at times full and at others aback, that on
the second day the peasants sent to Gavrois and reported
the circumstance to the head man of the place, who de-
spatched boats, and found the vessel on a rock near Thelo,
island of Andros, totally abandoned, a dog being the only
living creature on board. On the 15th she was navigated
to Gavrios. On the examination of her papers, &c., it be-
came known that she had discharged a cargo of coke at Va-
lentia, and was bound to Constantinople for cargo. Her
log at noon of the 11th of April placed the ship with Cape
Doro bearing, by compass, north-east by north 12 miles,
and here that document ceases, stating the weather to be
calm and sultry. Large pools of blood appeared on the
deck and bulwarks ; the captain's cabin was ransacked and
in great confusion, also that part of the ship appropriated
to the ship's company.
"Her books state her complement to be seven soule.(all
told). Two boats were on board. And now comes the
question, whore are the crew? Some people suggest mu-
tiny, but, if so, how did the perpetrators leave the ship t
Two boats were surely sufficient for so small a crew, and
the boats are on board. The position of the Harriet at
noon of the 11th was about equi-distant from the Negro-
pont and the islands Zea and Andros, and she was an easy
victim for the lawless gangs who are well known to infest
the former place ; they use the large row boat, and a calm
is well suited for a dash alongside small vessels of com-
inerce. The Harriet was towed into this port on the 23rd
inst. by the Triton, and given in charge of Mr. Neale, her
Britannic Majesty's Consul."
Another act of piracy is also reported.
The English schooner Sarah, Cole master, which arrived
at Alatzatta on the 25th ult., from Trieste, had scarcely
been at anchor two hours when she was assailed and
clothes of
boarded by 40 Greeks in two boats, who stripped her of
valuable.t
give lie
her chronometer; watches, prionvisfisocnts,,esvpoyrygltais4g
the master and crew, and,
The master was then menaced if he d
give,
cargo escapedfruity
for
money, but, having none to
further annoyance. She was to load a
London. beidluncokil

Exeter-hall,
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—rd aT;ein annual
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thisP rtassociation
v rAassehoeclrdATyreosNt.e
the Presidency of V iscount Bernard, M.P., who, in
opening the proceedings, expressed his firm attachment
to the cause of Protestantism, and his regret that cir-
cumstances had lately prevented his being present at the
annual meetings of the society. He could not forget,
however, that about 20 years ago he formed one of a
committee who were the means of originating it, and if
the feeling that was then expressed had been properly
sustained he believed that the various Papal aggressions
on this country would have been prevented, and the
Duke of Tuscany would not have ventured to imprison
one of our fellow-subjects for the profession of religion.
The association had obtained various successes, among
which might be mentioned the fact of a commission
sitting in Dublin at the present time to report upon
the condition of Maynooth College. The noble lord
concluded his address by calling upon the meeting to in-
culcate Protestant principles in their own private circles,
and to persevere in a course of determined and united
action, that could not fail to be felt in the Senate. Mr.
Lord, the chairman of the association, then read the
annual report, which gave a detailed account of the la-
bours of the society, by means of lectures, petitions, de-
putations, the circulation of tracts, and other agencies.
The receipts during the year amounted to 8421. 2s. 11d.,
and the expenditure to 8261. 12s. 10d. The meeting was
then addressed by Mr. W. H. Peters, the Rev. J. C.
Miller of Birmingham, the Rev. H. Stowell, the Rev.
C. Prest, the Rev. S. Minton, Mr. J. J. Cummins, and
other gentlemen ; and resolutions were passed declaring
the incompatibility of Popery with conscience, freedom
and constitutional government, and approving the pro-
posed inspection of nunneries by Government officers.
The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to ell
chairman.
THE ARMY IN IRELAND.—The reduction that has
taken place in the Irish military establishment in conse-
quence of the war amounts to about 9,000 men ; of these,
the 9th, 14th, 17th, 39th, and 89th infantry regiments,
have gone to Gibraltar and Malta to supply the place of
the 33J, 41st, 44th, 47th, 49th, and 55th Regiments,
ordered to join the Eastern expedition. Two regiments,
the 33d and 50th, have gone direct to the seat of war,
and depots of 200 men each have gone to strengthen
their respective corps to the war establishment. One
infantry regiment, the 46th, has come over to England,
and three cavalry regiments, the 4th and sth Dragoon
Guards, and the 11th Hussars, are about proceeding to
the East. The present force consists of five regiments
of cavalry,lst,
Ithe 2O, 3d, and 7th Dragoon Guards, and
the 16th Lancers ; six regiments of infantry, the 21st
and 63d, ordered on "special service ;" the 27th and
90th, under orders for India, the 12th about to embark
for Van Diemen's Land, and the 91st, which is the only
battalion not under orders for foreign service. There
are, besides, 27 regimental depots, snaking altogether,
exclusive of artillery, a force of 14,700 men.
AWFUL INSTANCE OF SUDDEN DEATlL—Yesterday,
information was forwarded to the different police sta-
tions that a man, about 35 years of age, clad in a blue
dress-coat with gilt buttons, and tweed trousers, had
dropped dead in Rosamon-street, Clerkenwell. No-
thing being found on the body to lead to identity, it
was removed to the Clerkenwell dead-house to be owned,
and for An