The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-05 00:00:00

INSTITUTE OF ACTUARIES.

At the ordinary meeting of this society, held on the
2d of January instant, the chairman announced the result
of the annual examinations in London and Edinburgh,
by which it appeared that in London nine candidates
had presented themselves for the second year's examina-
tion, and had passed in the following order of merit,
wiz.:-1, J. B. Haycraft ; 2, George Scott ; 3, E. H.
Cralsworthy ; 4, J. P. Laurence ; 5, John Coles ; 6,
Charles Watkins ; 7, Charles Griffiths ; 8, Thomas
Carr ; 9, Thomas Miller, jun. ; and that out of eleven
candidates who had offered themselves for matriculation
examination eight had passed, their names appearing in
the order of merit indicated W. P. Pattison ' • 2, C.
HattonG. Fothergill ; 3, Samuel Younger ; 4, Robert Hatton ;
5, George Humphreys ; 6, J. B. Allan ; 7, D. R. C.
Robinson ; 8, Edward North.
In Edinburgh two candidates had presented them-
selves for their second year's examination, and had passed
—viz., D. R. W. Huie and James Wilson, and one for
the matriculation examination, who had also passed—
viz., W. F. Birkmyre.
Mr. Jellicoe, V.P., then read a paper " On the rates
of mortality prevailing during forty-four years amongst
the male and female lives assured with the Eagle In-
surance Company." These investigations, it appears,
are of a very laborious character • in the present instance
the number of individuals observed upon was 7,419
(5,493 males and 1,926 females), each of whom was
traced, through the records of the company, for a period
of about eight years and a half on the average. As per-
sons enter and leave such societies at all ages and at all
fractions of ages, certain peculiar corrections are neces-
sary in tabulating results of this nature, which Mr.
Jellicoe explained, but which it is not necessary for us
to describe. What is called the expectation of life,
or what Mr. Farr aptly calls " the probable after-life-
time, came out as follows, that of the well-known
Northampton table being added for the sake of com-
parison :

Males and Northampton
Age. Males. Females. Females. Table.
25
35
45
55
65
75

The table of mortality constructed from these data
exhibited the usual irregularities observable when
the numbers are not very great, and to these it be-
came necessary to apply some rectification. Various
methods had been proposed for this purpose, and
Mr. Jellicoe commented briefly on those given by
Mr. Finlaison, Mr. Davies, Mr. Farren, Mr. Gumpertz,
and others. The last was based upon a theory which
supposed that the human frame lost equal portions of
its vitality in equal infinitely small intervals of time, and
the deductions from that hypothesis appeared to coincide
in many instances with the facts. By means of Mr.
Gompertz's formula or equation, a table of mortality has
been framed, and this, in conjunction with the mean
rate of interest actually realised, afforded the elements
for computing the true premiums, that is to say, the an-
nual payments to provide simply for the sums assured.
The obtaining of these, it seems, was the great object in
view, since without such data the premiums charged
must be either conjectural or based upon the experience
of other associated bodies, which, inasmuch as every so-
ciety is likely to have an experience peculiar to itself,
may be ill adapted to the one in question. In the pre-
sentinstance, it appeared that the results corresponded
very closely with those deducible from the elements ori-
ginally assumed. A good deal of discussion arose, in
which Mr. Hodge, Dr: Curtis, and the chairman joined,
and after the usual vote of thanks to the author the
meeting separated.

VICTORIA BRIDGE, GLASGOW. - This bridge was
opened on Monday the 2d of January. The magistrates,
bridge trustees, and other authorities assembled in the
Council Chambers at 11 o'clock, and proceeded in car-
riages down Hutchinson-street, along Trongate and Ar-
gyle-streets, down Jamaica-street, along the Glasgow-
bridge and Carlton-place, to the south side of Viotoria-
bridge. On arrival there, the barriers were removed,
and the procession moved along the bridge, which, on
reachinerthe north side, the Lord Provost declared it
open and patent to the public, subject to the act of Par-
liament. The cavalcade then proceeded up Stockwell
and Glasford-streets to the City and County Buildings,
where the procession terminated. It was just 18 years
on New Year's-day since the Glasgow-bridge was opened
in a similar manner.