The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-28 00:00:00

MOVEMENT.

The co-operative power which the Unity Fire Insurance Associa-
tion possesses, and the vast territory over which Its appeal can be
made, afford peculiar facilities for establishing a machinery which
may be the means, even in the next session of Parliament, of effect-
ing, if not the repeal, at least, the modification of this obnoxious tax.
The unprecedented number of its proprietary, consisting of upwards
of Five Thousand Shareholders, a number which is being day by day
augmented by the issue of One Million New Shares,—the identity
of interest secured between its Shareholders and Insurers, by the
settled and guaranteed division of its profits, whereby the energies
and sympathies of both are enlisted in its advancement—the num-
ber and energetic character of its Agents--and the extent of country
over which its Shareholders are diffused—enable this Association to
organise a more universal and unsectarian appeal, than could be
made by any office not interested in maintaining the present
duty.

The Unity was established with a view of Introducing a new era
n Fire Insurance. It sought by an heretofore unattempted diffaslon
of the Shares, to enlist the active co-operation of an enormous pro-
prietary. By the defined and guaranteed division of two-thirds of
the gross profits, it enables the insured fairly to participate in the
prosperity they help to secure By preventing the insurance of pro-
perty, where no fire occurs, being all outlay and no return, it gives
the utmost encouragement to the adoption of a system which saves
both rich and poor from rain.

,
In Eighteen months the Unity has secured the Largest Proprie-
tary in the World, consisting of Five Thousand Shareholders. It has
effected 8,254 Policies, insuring 5,005,120/. It has its original capi-
tal One Million Stirling, fully subscribed. It has obtained a paid-up
working Capital of One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Pounds.
It has increased its Capital to Two Millions Sterling, and it is now
issuing One Million New Shares of 1/. each, at cent. per cent. pre-
mium; 40,000 of which have been allocated to 450 Shareholders in
three weeks.

The connections of the Unity feel strongly the injustice of a tax
which fetters the wheels of progression, and leads to such continual
calamity. The machinery which has effected the foregoing results,
can now be put into operation to arouse the whole country to the
importance of seeking a repeal of the obnoxious duty ; or if it must
still be enforced for the purpose of revenue, then such a modification
of it as shall make it merely nominal. It is a question in which every
individual is interested—but to the mass of the people of the king-
dom, is In reality, a question of vital importance.

The following is an extract from the Petition of the Members of
the Unity Fire Insurance Association, and others interested in the
Repeal of the Duty on Fire Insurance :
The Petition of the Policy holders and other Members of the Unity
Fire Insurance Association, and of the undersigned Persons
who are desirous of extending the Benefits of Fire Insurance
to all classes ofher Majesty's subjects.
Humbly Sheweth,—That your petitioners believe it to be an
acknowledged principle of your Honourable House. that it is the
duty of the Legislature to encourage, as far as legislation can do
so, habits of prudence and foresight in every member of the com-
munity, and especially in the middle and industrial classes.
That in conformity with this wise and parental principle, your
Honourable House did, by the 3rd and 4th William IV., cap. 23,
most justly exempt from duty all insurance from loss or damage by
fire on all Agricultural Produce, Farming Stock (live or dead), and
Implements of Husbandry ; as also by other Acts, Hospitals, In-
firmaries, and Asylums.

In conformity with the same great principle, your Honourable
House did, by 7th Victoria, cap. 21, materially reduce the duty
upon Marine Insurance; and in the last session of Parliament did
grant a large reduction in the stamp duty upon Policies of Life
Assurance, as well as an exemption from income tax of the moneys
devoted by individuals to Life Assurance purposes.
That while these exemptions are accepted as a great and wise
boon, they bring into still stranger contrast the far heavier burden of
a duty ou Insurance of the remaining property of the country from
Fire.
That besides an uniform stamp duty of one shilling upon every
Fire Policy, however small the amount insured may be, there is
also a separate and constant annual duty of three shillings per cent.
upon the sum insured.
That in all commonly Hazardous Insurances, the premium charged
by the offices amounts to only Is. 6d. per cent, per annum, so that
the three shillings annual duty is double, or 2,g) per cent. upon tue
premium.
That so Artisans, and others of the great Industrial Classes, the
whole of whose property consists of their furniture and the tools of
their trade, tee fiscal charges (amounting to 266 per cent. per tta-
ntun upon the premium of a policy for 100!.) operate as a complete
bar against insurance.
That so severe is this tax upon prudence and foresight felt to be
by the community at large. that the proportion of property insured
from Fire in the United Kingdom, scarcely, if at all, exceeds one-
third of the ascertained amount of property insurable.
That in Marine Insurance, by the salutary act passed in her pre-
sent Majesty's reign (7 Victoria, cap. 21) the rate of duty was re-
duced to threepence per cent. so long as the rate or premium does
not exceed ten shillings per cent., while in Fire Insurance, on the
contrary, it is still kept up at three shillings per cent. although the
rate of premium be but eighteenpence per cent. Thus on Marine
Insurance the duty is but threepence per cent, upon the premium,
while in Fire Insurance, the duty alone is 200 per cent. upon the
premium, besides the shilling tax upon the policy.
That your Petitioners, while they hail, with gratitude the justice
and the wisdom of those boons to the Agricultural and Shipping inte-
rests, further pray your Honourable House to take into your favour-
able consideration the justice and expediency of affording a similar
exemption to all other property, and implements of industry, whe-
ther tools of handicraft or any other machinery.
Your Petitioners, therefore, humbly pray of your Honourable
House,

That the uniform Stamp Duty upon all Fire Policies may be re-
duced from One Shilling to One Penny.
That the amount of duty now chargeable upon all Fire Policies
may be repealed. Or that it may be reduced to 6d. per cent. Or
that such other modification may be made In the duty now levied on
Fire Insurance risks, as your Honourable House may in its wisdom
see fit.

Signatures may be affixed at the C hief Offices of the Unity Fire
Insurance Association, 40, Pall Mall ; at the Offices of all the Agents
of the Unity throughout the Country; and at the

LOCAL BRANCH OFFICES.
Bradford, Yorkshire-12, Darley-street.
Bristol—Albion Chambers.
Eastern Counttes-79, Sr. Giles'-street, Norwich.
Halifax, Yorkshire-25. Waterhouse-street.
Leeds-5, South Parade.
Liverpool-11, Lord-street.
Manchester—Adelphi Buildings, Piccadilly.
Northampton— Drapery.
Not.ingham—Wheeler Gate.
Sheffield-67, Market-place.
►.outhampton-2. High-street.
Birmingham-42, Temple.street.
THOMAS H. BAYLIS,
General Manager and Secretary.

Unity Fire Insurance Association,
Chief Office.., 40, Pall Mall, London.
January, 1854.

ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.
PATRON—H.R.H. PRINCE ALBERT.
FIRST EXHIBITION of SPECIMENS of COLOURED PHOTO-
GRAPHIC PICTURES, giving all the accuracy of outline and
tints of nature, in addition to the MAGNIFICENT PHOTO-
GRAPHIC PICTURES, prepared expressly for this Institution by
Monsieur Ferriere of Paris, exhibited en a surface of about a thou-
sand square feet, with an ENTIRELY NEW SERIES of DIS-
SOLVING VIEWS, daily at a Quarter past Four, and in the even-
ings at a Quarter-past Nine.
LECTURES by Dr. BACROFFNER on WILKINS'S NEW PATENT
UNIVERSAL ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
LECTURE by J. H. PZPPER, Esq., on SPONTANEOUS COMBUS-
TION, with Brilliant Experiments.
Open Mornings and Evenings. Admission, Is.; Schools and
Children under Ten years of age, Half-price.
Annual Subscribers to the Institution are eligible to be elected
Members of the Reading and Chess-Rooms, on paying an additional
Guinea per Annum.

THIRD EDITION.—WITH ADDITIONS.
Just publishedII .11 Bvo in cloth, price 55., by post free, ss. 6d.

ON TRUE & FALSE SPERMATORREKEA,
with the View to the Correction of wide-spread Errors
n relation to the Treatmeat and Cure of the Impuissant and Sexual
Hypochondriacs,
Translated from the German of Dr. PICKFORD.

T) which is added, an ESSAY on SEXUAL DEBILITY, by the

Editor.

"Dr. Pickford known to English readers by his frequent practi-
cal contributions to German medical literature. This is the first
time, he informs us, that he has addressed himself to the non-medi-
cal reader. We trust this may not be the last, if he shall detect any
other equally flagrant evil which It may be in his .ower to correct."
—London Medical Gazette, May3o, 1851. The tribeof 'Quiet Sympa-
thisers:and ' Medical Friends,' are mercilessly exposed ; and if this book
could find its way into the hands of those who suffer from the com-
plaint of which it treats, we are satisfied that many hundreds would
be saved much needless suffering of body and mind, and what is of
less importance, though it is that which the quacks most prize—
much money ......This volume is well qualified to put an end to the
empirical system of treating Spermatorrhcea, and to placs the treat-
ment upon a more rational and physiological basis. It is, therefore,
likely to do much good."—Medical Circular, June 16, 1852.
London: H. Dallier°. 219, Regent-street.

WRECK OF THE BRIG CANADIAN. ALDBOROUGH,
SUFFOLK, JAN. 24. —The brig Canadian, of South
Shields, was stranded this morning, during a gale of
wind from S.W., near this place. The new lifeboat (on
Peake's design), recently placed here by the National
Institution for the Preservation of Life from Ship-
wreck, was immediately manned by fourteen gallant
fellows, and put off to the rescue of the brig's crew,
and nobly suc:.ieeded in taking them off and in land-
ing them in safety. This was the first time the services
of the lifeboat, since she has been placed here, were
called into requisition, and now most effectually used
in rescuing nine men and boys from a watery grave.
Hitherto the boatmen of Aldborough have had an objec-
tion to enrol themselves as a crew of the lifeboat, which
the regulations of the institution require them to do ;
but now that every one who went off in her has given a
most favourable opinions of her qualities as a sea boat,
it is to be hoped that the objection will no longer pre-
vail, for much of the success in saving life from wrecks '
depends on the skill with which the boat is handled,
and this can only be accomplished by practice.
Except being of longer dimensions, this is a sister boat
to that stationed by the above institution at Lyme
Regis, and other places on the coast, where their ser-
vices during the late awful gale have been eminently
successful in saving scores of poor souls from perishing.
STRIKE OF SHIP CARPENTERS AT HAMBURG.— A. letter
from Hamburg, of the 20th, says :—" The strike
of the ship carpenters here causes considerable un-
easiness, because it paralyses an important branch
of business. The Senate caused the head of the cor-
poration of ship-carpenters to be arrested, and imme-
diately the men signed a petition praying for his re-
lease. No disturbance whatever has occurred. The
men have held a public meeting, and discussed their
interests at it calmly and moderately. The Senate has
had the sign removed from the house of the ship., car-
penters' corporation, and given leave to the ship-buhders
to employ whom they please. The only consequence
which these measures have had up to the present time
is that a number of these workmen have quitted Ham-
burg."
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY.—At the annual meeting of
the Birmingham Reformatory Institution, held on Tues-
day in the school-room of the establishment at Saitley, it
was stated that Mr. Jonas Mason, of the firm of Elking-
ton and Mason, had made an offer of a munificent dona-
tion of 1,0001., and a subscription of 1001. per annum,
for the erection and support of a girls' reformatory esta-
blishment. Miss Burdett Coutts and Mr. W. Chance
had also each offered the sum of 100 guineas towards
the same specific object. A girls reformatory school,
is therefore, to be built as soon as possible.