The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-18 00:00:00

THE BENEVOLENT DHPARTMENT.

The business of the benevolent department came
next, and Mr. Welch vacated the chair in favour of J.
A. Smith, Esq., M.P., who was warmly welcomed by
the meeting. Mr. Thomas Baring, M.P., and Mr. J. P.
Murrough, M.P., supported Mr. Smith in the chair, in
addition to the managers.
The SECRETARY read the following report
The board of management have the pleasure to pre-
sent their thirteenth annual report to the donors, sub-
scribers, and members of this department, and refer them'
with satisfaction, to the following details, which show a
continuance of its prosperous condition :-
381 old subscribers £499 5 6
31 new do
1 life do

X 543 18 0

Subscriptions from insurers--
1,795 at 5s £44B 15 0
2at 10s. 6d 1 1 0
37 at lOs lB 10 0
7at 20s.
£475 6 0 £1,019 4 0
49 19 9

8 donations ...............

£1,069 3 9
"Gratuities amounting to 170/. 15s. have been given to
members, and to the widows and orphan
ochildren of
members.
" Loans to the extent of 1,8871. have been granted to
86 members, making a total of 15,0771. since the commence-
ment.
" On the 18th of May last, in accordance with a resolu-
tion of the last annual, general meeting, one clerk was
elected to an annuity of 301.; one to an annuity of 251,;
three widows were elected to annuities of 201. each, and
two to annuities of 151. each ; making together a further
annual charge of 1451. The total number of annuitants is
now 7 clerks, and 27 widows of clerks, at an annual charge
of 6001.
" The board of management, looking to the present pros-
perous state of the funds of this department, have much
pleasure in recommending that, on the 17th of May next,
or upon such other da as they may appoint, a further
sum, not exceeding 1601. y. , be granted in annuities to two
clerks and the widows of five clerks, according to the ap-
plications whi,l may be received.
" A resolution to carry this recommendation into effect
will be submitted to the meeting.
" At the second division of profits of the insurance de-
partment, to the 31st December, 1852, a sum of 7121.,
being one-tenth of the said profits, has been paid over to
this department, in accordance with the rules.
he board have unqualified satisfaction in referring to
the past, as regards the peculiar benefits of this depart-
inent, as they have been enabled to comply with all the
claims for assistance which have been made upon them up
to the present time ; but they nevertheless call upon the
clerks, whose interests are so involved in supporting the
association, to assist them in their exertions to increase its
means, and thus continue to render certain that assistance
they have hitherto conferred."
The balance-sheet was then read ; and from its state-
ment there appeared a balance of 14,562/. 17s. 3d. in
favour of this department, being the amount by which
the receipts exceed the expenditure to the present date.
A MEMBER suggested that the pensions should be dis-
tributed upon the principle of seniority of membership
instead of by election—a plan which was recommended
by a great number of clerks, as well as others, in the
City. It was well known that great uncertainty attended
the result of an election, and that the most deserving
candidate might be unsuccessful. This was the objection
made to the benevolent department by those of his friends
whom he had urged to join the association ; they might
be members ten, twenty, or thirty years, they said, and
yet have no certainty as to whether themselves or their
widows would obtain a pension, in the event of being
overtaken by misfortune. Now, as there were 2,200
policy-holders, the period would arrive, and it might not
be far distant, when there would be a great struggle to
get these pensions, and unless seniority of membership
gave a priority of claim, great injustice might be done.
He believed that if his proposition was adopted the funds
would materially increase, as the public would know that
the individual who, had been longest a member, and paid
the largest sum, would have the greatest right to enjoy
the benefits of the association. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. REYNOLDS thought the hon. member misunder-
stood the title and object of the society. The fund at
their disposal was entirely a " benevolent fund ;" in that
sense the public viewed it, and if a certainty of claim
upon it was allowed, the society would change its charac-
ter, and would be no longer a benevolent but a friendly
society. (Hear, hear,) When the hon member spoke
about the uncertainty of the ballot, he answered that if
the hundreds of clerks in the receipt of large salaries who
now hung back would come forward and subscribe,
the necessity for the ballot would cease, because there
would be ample funds to meet every reasonable applica-
tion for annuities. (Hoar, hear.) It was the higher
class of clerks who ought to be the main support of the
institution.
Mr. LLOYD said the hon. member who first spoke was
in error in supposing that a yearly subscription of a
guinea, even for a long life, could lead any individual to
suppose it would purchase the guarantee of an annuity
for his widow. (Hear, hear.) Such nan expectation was
preposterous. As well might they imagine that a sub-
scription of a guinea a year to an orphan society would
entitle the giver to nominate a child with the certainty
of its becoming an inmate of the establishment. (Hear.)
All that subscribers to the benevolent fund could hope
for was the chance with others, if their case was very
bad, of obtaining an annuity. The
principle of seniority
of membership was extremely objectionable, because a
clerk who had been a member 30 years might leave his
widow in tolerably comfortable circumstances, while as
regards a five years' member, there might be a case of
the most urgent distress that it Was possible to conceive.
(Hear, hear.) Mr. Lloyd then
exprossed his dissatisfac-
tion at so small a sum as 1701. 15s, being distributed in
c
gratuities during the year, considering the annual sub-
scriptions amounted to 5331. Bs., and suggested that the
whole annual subscriptions and donations should be given
away in gratuities to clerks, or applied in some other
way for the purpose of
relieving H.,
-ern, and that the re-
mainder of their income, viz., the share of profits from
the assurance department, and the life subscriptions,
should be invested and made applicable to annuities. He
was glad to find that the expenses were only two thirds
more than the interest the society received on its funded
stock, and as this stock was going on increasing, he hoped
in a very few years to see the department entirely paid
for by means of the interest. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. PIKE observed that the selection of annuitants by
election was not only attended by uncertainty, but en
tailed a large outlay on the different candidates, and
both circumstances operated prejudicially tothe interests
of this society. He believed he could submit a plan to
the board whereby, without any increase in the expendi-
ture, they might secure an annuity to every deserving
applicant .
Mr. \Yuen stated that all the applications far annui-
ties had been responded to. (Hear.) With regard to
the small amount of gratuities, he might mention that
every claim made in cases of distress had been met and
treated in a most liberal manner by the board.
Mr. TOOLE considered that if two equally deserving
cases for annuities were brought under the notice of the
members, that should have priority in which the period
of membership was greatest, but, at the same time, he
was not insensible to the difficulties which beset the
question. He thought it very desirable that the advan-
tages of the institution should be made more known, and
with that view he recommended that large meetings
should be held at the West End, and in other parts of
the metropolis, believing, if that was done, they would
obtain a great accession of members. In order to show
the usefulness of the society, and the Way in which it
was appreciated, he would read a letter which he had
received from a widow who was now an annuitant on
their funds. At the death of her husband she had eight
children under the age of 15, and his life was only as-
sured for 1001. This sum w Ilufacient to place)isr in