The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-19 00:00:00

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[ PRICE 5D .

1
their successors to continue such payments in future years,
they feel confident that the members will cheerfully con-
firm their desire to continue these payments for the future.
" The balance-sheet of the past year has been duly
audited, and shows that the addition to the funds is 610/.
16s. 4d., making the total amount of funds of this depart-
ment 13,5491. 11s. Bd.
" The trustees met the board at the offices of the associa-
tion, and inspected the balance-sheet ; they expressed their
satisfaction at the state of the accounts, and the favour-
able position of the association.
"John Abel Smith, Esq., M.P. the treasurer, being on
the continent, was unable to attend on this occasion.
" The local committee at Birmingham suggested to the
board that it would be advantageous to have a public
meeting of the members there ; and Charles Geach, Esq.,
M.P., having signified his willingness to preside, a deputa-
tion from the board were present at this meeting, which
took place on the 14th April last. There was a numerous
attendance of members, and the meeting was supported by
some of the leading firms of that town. Amongst many
laudatory remarks upon the object and advantages of the
association, Mr. Charles Geach observed that he could
state advisedly, that he did not know any society whose
arrangements were better calculated to ensure to clerks
and those dependent upon thorn a certain amount of pro-
vision against misfortunes to which all were liable.
" The board of management have the pleasure to recom-
mend that on 18th May next, or such other day as the
board may approve, an amount not exceeding 1251. be
granted in annuities, being equivalent to annuities to
five widows and two clerks. The number of annuitants of
each class to be fixed by the managers, according to the
applications which may be made. '
A resolution to carry the same into effect will be sub-
mitted to the meeting. The board have the pleasure to
announce that the business of the assurance department is
progressing in a satisfactory manner.
" 429 policies, for 81,9501., were issued last year, and
7 annuities for 1491. 16s. Bd., being an increase of 41 po-
licies, for 9,0751., on the transactions of the past year.
The investments of that department have been augmented
by an amount of upwards of 10,0001., and the annual in-
come is 17,1501.
Signed) " THOMSON HANKEY, jun., Chairman."
The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report, with
the view of enabling members to make any observations
or any questions they might think proper.
Mr. R. H. JONES, the chairman of the board, thought
it was desirable at that moment to refer briefly to what
had been done by the committee on behalf of the mem-
bers during the year just ended. All he should state
would be facts ; and it could not but be gratifying to
every one present to hear something of the cases which
had required the assistance of the society. A short out-
line of these cases would be sufficient to show that the
money subscribed had been well appropriated. He
would begin with the gratuities, premising that it was a
rule on these occasions not to mention names. (Hear.)
The first was a second application from the wife of a
subscriber, in which she said that the state of her hus-
band in regard to his mental faculties, which were af-
fected, differed in no respect from that given in the
account she last sent, and that her afflictions and trials
incapacitated her from earning enough for their joint
support. In this case 101. was granted, and the sum
was acknowledged by the applicant in the most grateful
terms. (Hear.) The next was that of a common law
clerk, with a family of seven persons, one of whom was
an aged female and a confirmed invalid. He said,
though his income was small, he had managed to keep
out of debt, but that recently there had been a good deal
of illness in his family, and that his son, aged 17,
had been seized with a low fever, and still
continued in a weak state. He received 101., which he
said would relieve him from all pecuniary difficulties,
and enable him to still keep clear of debt. He especi-
cially thanked the committee for the kind and delicate
way in which they had dealt with his application. (Hear.)
A sum of 51. was given to a clerk in difficulty, who had
a wife and seven children, five of whom were dependent
on him for support. Though the amount might seem
small, every case was strictly inquired into, and the gra-
tuity awarded was limited according to the necessity.
(Hear.) This was a country case, and it would be well
to observe here that country members had equal advan-
tages to members in London. The next was an appli-
cation by the brother of a deceased member, who had
left two little infants entirely dependent on some young
people, whose only support was their needle. Five
shillings a-week was allowed for six months, and being
in the same position at the end of that time, the gratuity
was extended for another six months. A member who
was sick in bed and unemployed, with a large family,
received two sums of 51. ; and a widow of a clerk, left
penniless, obtained 51.; a widow, having twelve children,
five of tender years, 101. ; the wife of a member, suffer-
ing from paralysis of the brain, and an inmate of St.
Luke's, Si.; a clerk in St. Katharine's Docks, who had
a painful and protracted illness, having undergone am-
putation of a limb to save his life, 101. No one could
say that these sums had not been well bestowed. (Cheers.)
Then he had a list of seven parties who had obtained
rumentality of the society—
er for 130/., another_for S()L,
who had received 800/. for
;fitly got a clerkship at 1501.
Id lastly, one fur 301. (Cheers.)
. facts to be made known,
as they provel that the society really did what it
proposed. (Hear, hear.) An additional subscription
of ten guineas had been received from seven or
.eight
banks to the benevolent fund, and also three donations
of the same amount. The subscriptions were promised
to be continued, and the donations would probably be
continued likewise. He had to state in conclusion that
several other banks would readily grant further assistance
if representations were made to them that the society had
any need of it. (Cheers.)
Mr. LLOYD considered that having a clear profit of
6101. on the year, for this fund, the committee might be
more liberal. There was a large annual income from
subscriptions and interest on stock, and he thought that
the charity of the association ought at least to be equal
to its annual income in this department. (Hear.)
Mr. WARWICK was of opinion that the board had ex-
ercised a wise discretion in limiting the assistance given
in the way they had done, and recommended persistence
in the same course. He thought that, however prosper.
ous this society might be, it was immeasurably less so
than it ought to be.
The CHAIRMAN said he was requested to apologise for
the absence of Mr. Baring, who since his return from
America, had been confined to his bed, and therefore
could not attend, but he was now happily recovering.
Mr. Gilbert, .who was generally present at their meet-
ings, was also unable to attend, having another engage.
ment. In reference to the observations of Mr. Jones,
he thought it right to mention, by way of addenda, that
a letter had been received from the representative of a
deceased person who had obtained a gratuity from the
society, in which the money advanced was returned,
with the sincere thanks of the surviving relatives.
As to the remark of Mr. Lloyd, as to the
good done being disproportionate to the funds in hand,
he gave him every credit for the spirit by which he was
actuated, but he thought that the board had acted in a
prudent and praiseworthy manner in their management
of the fund. Instead of censuring them, he thought they
ought to be highly commended. If once the doors were
too widely opened for eleemosynary aid, it was impos-
sible either to foresee the mischief that might ensue, or
to arrest it when once commenced. Though it was but
a few years since the institution was founded, it had
taken a firm root, but yet it remained still supported
only by a very few of those who ought to become either
members or donors. (Hear.) He concluded by putting
the resolution, which was unanimously agreed to.
Mr. JEPPS moved a resolution to the effect that on the
18th of May, or at such other time as the board might
direct, the sum of 1251. be granted in annuities, being
equivalent to five widows and two clerks, the proportion
to be fixed according to the number of applications from
each class. The gross sum received by the society in
dividends, subscriptions, and interest, was 1,4391.125. 7d.,
and they had expended in annuities and gratuities
4621. 55., which was increased by necessary expenses
and charges to 8281. 16s. 3d., leaving a balance as
already observed of 6101. 16s. 4d. in their favour in the
past year. With every disposition to extend as far as
possible the advantages of the society, the management
did not think it prudent to deal with more of this sur-
plus than was proposed by his resolution, for it was im-
possible to tell how many out of the 2,000 members
might not require some pecuniary assistance in the
course of the next or following years. It was considered
more prudent to transfer the greater portion of it to the
permanent income of the association. Although the
rules provided that one-tenth of the profits of the bene-
fit department should be handed over to the benevolent
fund, yet that would yield but a small sum to the an-
nual income, as these profits had to be permanently in-
vested, and the only addition to their income would be
interest derived from that sum so invested.
Mr. CLARKE seconded the motion.
Mr. LLOYD objected that the sum was too small.
They only granted 460/. a-year out of an income of up-
wards of 1,400/.
Mr. JONES said that all the applications made to the
board had been attended to and relieved—(cheers)—and
in proposing 1251., the board had taken the extreme
amount likely to be called for next year. (Cheers.)
The resolution, after some further conversation, was
unanimously carried.
Thanks were then voted to the trustees—Messrs.
Baring, Hankey, Prescott, and Baron Rothschild,
M.P. ; to the Treasurer, J. A. Smith M.P.: to the
press 'Gilbert,
and Smee.
The CHAIRMAN, in allusion to the auditors, said, their
respectabillity and high standing were alone sufficient to
ligive confidence to those who were interested in a society
ke this, whose accounts necessarily involved some de-
gree of intricacy. Two of them were managers of the
largest banks in the metropolis, and the third was inti-
mately known to himself, Mr. Smee, than for whom
there was no man in London he entertained greater re-
spect. (Hear.)
Mr. WELCH made an earnest appeal to clerks to come
forward and support the fund. They considered them-
selves a superior class of men to those engaged in retail
establishments, yet the benevolent fund of the drapers
was much more prosperous than their own. He main-
tained that it was a reflection on clerks generally not to
come forward and enrol themselves members of so ex-
cellent an institution, which would render assistance to
themselves, their wives, and families in time of need.
They had been particularly fortunate as regarded the
distinguished individuals who had presided over their
meetings ; they had had the representative of their