The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-31 00:00:00

The Petitian,q4lo4l(cy holders, dad other diem -fors tor tht,-Ilitit
'Fire 1,1131141,A.5i0C1R1101, it'd of Vtieti aalcis' igni3d`
WIZ: VC: cle*ous of ext in ling th I , tfl!s of Fire Ii nranee
to ati class§-I"diher:Majesty'a subj.,
Humbly Sti6itatll'XThat your petitiOyl ',believe Ait to be an
acknowielt,d principle of your flonouratai-Hattsaothat -it is the
ditty of the ,•Leglisliitti,e to cae,oaragz, at,le.gisliitiol..can do
so, habits of p!milace and' foresight in eVaiy-m-3mber of tho
inanity, and esp,cially in the middle and industrial ci issue.
That in conformity with this wise .axil parental principle, your
Honourable, House dld, by the 3rd and4th-WillinmelV., cap.. 23,
most justly exempt from ditty all insuraticharen loss or damage
,fire on all Agritultural Pro lace, Farming Stock (live or deal), and
Implements of Husbandry ;- as also bjr:btlrer Acts, Hospitals, In-
firmaries; and Asylums.
r- Tit cotiliormity wills the-same• great psineiple, your Honourable
by 7th Victoria, cap. 24„,,iimtorially reduce thetlatyi
ititionoilitrine Insurance ; and' in the las&s6asioa of Piiitanient did
granetelarge reduction in the stamp ittitisiipon Polidies of Life'
48-aurghee;•as well as an exemption fratiAcoine tai'hf•the. moneys
rtileyetedloY individuals to Life AsiiirancerirPases.
That :while these exemotionv at-a atoceroted as a-igrati• aa Wise
boon, they_bring.into_stillstr,mZer•Ontriast the far he ‘,Vier bunion of,
';ma duty on Insurance of the rernAlnix.praaerti of tlieo,;alltryWoni
' Fire.
That besides an uniform' stamp datyof oliNshiliiapionEa.cycry '
tFire Policy, however small the 4Mapiit lnsured.tmaVi• bp„ tern-Nis,
also a -4p crate and clastant anaual three saillinsa-ilaer•ceift._!
',upon the:stun insured.
That all comma:fly Hazardous Minya' !ices,. the.Pronilikiicßarspd„,
,by the. offices amoults to on'y Is. Gl.'per gin% per Mat
the thr63 shillings annual duty is daablc,'or2.lo per teat p •utAnt •
premium.
That to Artisans, and others of the gi4FtiMitstl I 1 s, etl r Chases,
whole of whos , property consists of their fifroithre and faro' impala of
their trade; toe fiscal charges (amountiar to 256 per -cent.' per
num upon•rimr• Tremlumoi a policy for 1000 'operate as a complete.
• bar alafiOstrffisurance. ' -
That iso siiiare is this tax up on prudence and fbresight felt, to be.
by the community at large. th it the proportion of property Insured-
from Fire la the Unite' Kingdom, scarcely. if at all, exceeds one-
third or the ascertained amount of property insurable.
That in Marine Insurance, by the salutary act passel 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 0' premlun doe,
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 or premium be-but eighteenpenee per cent. Thus our, Marine
Insurance the duty Is bat threepence per cent. noon the premium,
while in Fire Insurance, the duty alone is 20) 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 noon all Fire Policies may be re-
duced from One Shilling to One Penny.
That the amount ni.„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 Counties-79, S-. Giles'-street, Norwich.
Halifax, Yorkshire-25, Waterhouse-street.
Leeds-5, South Parade.
Liverpool-11, Lord-street.
Manchester—Adelphi Buildings, Piccadilly.
Northampton— Drapery.
Nottingham—Wheeler Gate.
Sheffield-67, Market-place.
Southampton-2, High-street.
Birmingham-42, Temple-street.
THOMAS H. BAYLIS,
General Manager and Secretary.

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