The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-09 00:00:00

DREADFUL FIRE.

Last FIVE LIVES LOST. ,
night about half ten o'
ant in a firo broke
thc, premises of -p
aast as clock
haberdher, Lamb-street,
pitalfields, by which clamity not ls tlian five persons
lost their lives. In a very short timees after the outbreak .
Corsacnorßneral of the brigade engines, under Messrs. Braidwood
go, as also of the West of England, with Messrs.
o and Barrow, arrived. The flames made rapid
!Progress, and but a short ,ime elapsed before the entire
tense, stock, &c., were consumed.
Through the exertions of the firemen, the bodies were recovered from the ruins ; one, a girl seven years of age,
and two others, adults. One of the survivors was com-
Pelled to leave his \vile behind him on the stairs, and he
narrowly
escaped sufft,cation from the density of the
Smoke from the lower part of the house.
„Prom the confusion neither the cause of the fire, nor
'no names of the sufferers, could be ascertained.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
The following are the names of the unfortunate
persons who were burnt last night on the premises of
Mr. Kellar, 34, Lamb-street
ton , Spitalfields:—Henry Sut-
, butcher, in Middle-row, Spitalfields market, who
lodged as above, his wife, Elizabeth Sutton, and
their infant son; CarDline Sears, aged 16, the daughter
of the turncock of the East London Water Works, and
a woman, a lodger up stairs. The fire is now sup-
Posed to have been occasioned by the gas. W. Kellar
and the boy escaped over the roof, and the unfortunate
4-IYI Sears had evidently only just began to undress.
10 bodies lie at the engine-house of Spitalfields Church.

-EPRESENTATION OF READING.—It has been cur-
-1,-"r1,37 reported during the week, that Mr. Sergeant
-41, curd, ' 11-elv to be promoted to a seat on
the • . Is
Judicial bench before many weeks elapse, one of. the
zeoarned judges being on_ th.e. point of retiring. We have
its other confirmation of this report than the belief of
I:correctness in well•intermed quarters, and in its cur-
lacY at the bar. If true, it would of course create. a
Arearn„ersry.ill the. representation of Reading.—Reading
The
instut mercantile advices from Vienna
.of the 2d
and mention that the Five per Cents. remained at 85,
The business generally there was no alteration.
quo --cutinge on London had again slightly risen, the
stilitati°n being 11.18, and the want of confidence that
t
Prevails throughout the country is shown in the. ac that roan
y purchases of foreign bills are made by private
the rindi~' 1141 s• There had been no confirmation of any of
and rumours regarding the partial completion of the loan,
to he contract, therefore, is still impending, and likely
basentered into in March next.
he •
h registership of the Bedford Level Corporation
ec°rue vacant by the lamented death of Mr. Wells.
A 13
aeiPELGIAN FEMALE QuAcK.—At Antwerp, in
utn, one widow Schcefier practises the art end
eef„te? or medicine, and that with a reputation and
eo; rttY that many legitimate practitioners might
as .34-40(1 yet what can be done ? for quackery is
raQ
' and even as much protected and encou
lion in Belgium as in England. The Medical Commis-
b4B 01 the province brought the doctor in petticoats
O4re the proper tribunal, where she was fined 25 ries
aepeal---eciabout 2/. sterling ; but what then ? The woman
to the higher tribuals, and therefore the
en",oculd not be enforced; and, in the meantime, her
lacleinnation has brought "grist to her mill," by add-
ing to her notoriety—better have a bad character than
an.,cand increasing her practice. But this is not all;
sioun the remaining part of the story places the profes-
aft_ in Belgium in a very low position. Immediately
du_v.sr her condemnation, Madame Schaeffer pro-
rt medical man, one Monsieur Graula, 1:ttel:; 1,)73,c
4,2 Lg at Wortel, who assumen the re:ipensibi:ity of her
h,_ And under whose name and auspice's silo eontin.ucs
r,:auttivecation:;; and for 1:: poi t Layb,
~_,gris receives a quid pro quo, in the shape of board and
rd an honorarium of five franca a day.—Medi-

PROVIDENT CLERKS' MUTUAL
BENEFIT ASSOCIATION.
A special meeting of the members of the benefit or
assurance department of this very successful and ex-
cellent institution was held last evening, at six
o'clock, at the London Tavern, in conformity with the
following requisition, signed by ten of the members :
" January 20th, 1849.
" Sir,—We, the undersigned members of the Provi-
dent Clerks' Mutual Benefit Asscciation, hereby request
that you will forthwith convene a special meeting of the
members of the association, in accordance with the pro-
visions of the Acts of Parliament regulating friendly
societies, and the rules of the association, for the purpose
of rescinding Buie 9, by which the power.of appointment
of curtain officers of the association is given to the board
of management, and that the following be substituted in
lieu thereof :

",' That the annual general meeting, or a special gene-
ral meeting of members called for that purpose, shall
have power to appoint three or more auditors, two or
more medical referees, one or more solicitors, en ac-
tuary:, and a secretary, and that the said annual general
meeting er special general meeting of members shall
have power to remove or displace any of the above offi-
cers, and to appoint ethers in lieu thereof.
" 'That the board of mansgereent shall have power to
appoint local agents, clerks, or other officers (nut before
named) as the nature and extent of the affairs of the asso•
elation may require.'
" Also that Rule 18 be rescinded, and that the fol-
lowing be substituted in lieu thereof:--
"`That the auditors, medical reerees, actuary end se-
cretary of the association shall severally have and re-
ceive such salaries or remuneration as may be determined
upon at the annual general meeting, or at any special
general meeting of members convened for that purpose.
" ' That the local agents, clerks, and other officers, to
be appointed as provided for by the Rule 9, shall seve-
rally have and receive such salaries or remuneration as
the board of management may decide upon.'
" And to inquire, discuss, and determine whether the
board of management have strictly conformed to the re-
quirements of the several Acts of Parliament regulating
Friendly Societies, relative to the disposal of the funds
belonging to this association ; and whether the interests
of each individual member have not been placed in con-
siderable danger by the acts of the present board of
management, and still remain so, with the possibility of
the enrolment and other privileges being annihilated by
the officers of the Crown.

" And to determine that the board of management,
as well as local agents and clerks, be called upon to give
security, pursuant to the 10th of George IV., :cap. 56,
sec. 11, in such penal sum as the annual general meeting
or a special general meeting of members shall think
expedient.'
"And also to substitute the words 'annual general
meeting or special general meeting' for the words board
of management in Rule 16.
(Here follow the signatures.)
The Treasurer, John Abel Smith, Esq., M.P., and
the Trustees, Thomas Baring, Esq., M.P., W. G.
Prescott, Esq., Thomson Hankey, jun., Esq., and the
Board of Management, on their entrance, were greeted
with loud cheers. We noticed the presence of the
following gentlemen
H. Jones, Chairman; J. W. Welch, EL:puty Chair-
man; R. Price, W. E. Jordan, S. Nottley, J. Clarke, A.
Dawson, S. Jepps, J. Lintott, W. S. Sawt(ll, J. Dan-
kaerts, A. Maitland, J. J. Iselin, Esq.; Geo. Taylor,
Esq.; W. Ratray, Esq.; Geo. Thomas, Esq.; Dr. Jones,
Dr. Gay, Alfred Smee, Esq.; J. Augarde, Esq.; Gay,
Esq., of Stroud; Wright, Esq., Birmingham, &c. &c.
The room was crowded to excess, not less than 500
being present.
Richard Henry Jones, Esq , occupied the chair.
The CHAIRMAN said, in consequence of a requisi-
tion which he had received, signed by ten members,
he had felt it his duty to call that meeting.
Having read the advertisement convening the
requisition, the Chairman called upon the requisi-
tionists to proceed with the business for which they
had been instrumental in calling the meeting.
Mr. HEMPSTEAD submitted the following motion,
which he did not accompany by any remarks
:
"That rule nine, as it now stands, be rescinded, and
the following rule be adopted in lieu thereof :—' That
the annual general meeting, or a special general meet-
ing of the members called for that purpose, shall have
power to appoint three or more auditors, two or more
medical referees, one or more solicitors, an actuary,
and a secretary, and that the said annual general meet-
ing or special general meeting of members shall have
power to remove or displace any of the above officers,
and to appoint others in lieu thereof. That the Board
of Management shell have power to appoint local ageets,
clerks, or other officers (not before named) as the nature
and extent of the affairs of the association may require.'"
Mr. T. CHEW seconded it.

Mr. H. SMITH proceeded to offer a few remarks in
support of the proposition. It must, he said, be a
matter of great satisfaction not only to those inte-
rested in the adoption of the propositions contained in
the requisition, but to those interested in maintaining
the rules as they stood, at the large numbers they
had, the pleasure of beholding on that occa-
sion. He was glad also that they were
honoured with the presonce of several influential
gentlemen connected with the management--(Hear)—
honoured by the presence of many who, by allowing
their names to be connected with the institution, had,
by thus patronizing it, conferred upon it inestimable
good.—(Hear.) 'lhe institution was much indebted
to them for their kind assistance. Nothing, he as-
sured them and the directors, but a strong sense of
duty had induced the ten gentlemen who had signed
the requisition to bring the matters contained in it be-
fore the whole of the members. It was indeed sur-
prising that there should have been any occa-
sion for such a meeting, when the re-
markable, but now, it appeared, seeming
unanimity that characterised the last annual
meeting was taken into consideration. He believed
he was correct in saying that that unanimity was but
seeming.—(Hear.) The facts alluded to in the re-
quisition were unknown to the requisitionists at that
meeting ; otherwise allusion would have been made
to them. In most, if not in all, institutions it was
often politic to let abuses remain rather than inter-
fere with or publish them, as such a course might
irreparably injure the institution; but he was in a
condition to show that in this institution there were
abuses which, being most detrimental to its welfare,
should be exposed and abrogated at once.—(Hear.)
No one present, he was satisfied, would contend that
the propositions contained in the requisition
were novel, since the Act of Parliament
under which the institution was enrolled conferred
all powers and privileges connected with friendly so-
cieties upon the members at large, and not upon any
individual or body of individuals.—(Hear.) The Act
gave the members of an institution like this the power
in their. collective capacity of making such rules for
its better government and guidance as the major part
of the members might think fit, provided they were
not opposed to the spirit of the Act of Parliament.
The speaker then cited two clauses from the " Law re-
lating to Friendly Societies and Benefit Building So-
cieties." The second, from Geo. 4, c. 56, sec. 11, was
as follows :—" And be it further enacted, that any
such society shall and may from time to
time, at any of their usual meetings, or by their com-
mittee, if any such shall be appointed for that society,
elect and appoint such persons into the office of
steward, president, warden, treasurer, or trustee of
such society as they shall think proper, and also shall
and may from time to time elect and appoint such
clerks end other officers as shall be deemed necessary
1 to carry into execution the purposes of such society,
for such space of time and for such purposes as shall
be fixed and established by the rules of such society,
and from time to time elect and appoint others in the
room of those who shall vacate or die." No
one present would deny that the directors
according to the rules had the power of electing all
the officers ; but the requisitionists fell back upon the
right of the members to perform that office. They
desired to resume that right which had been abused,
and to elect the officers directly, and not by delega-
tion. The parentage of the rules could not be mis-
taken—every power was vested in the board of
management, and the members were bound hand and
foot. The managers deserved much credit that their
law expenses had been so trifling.—(Hear.) But,
without wishing to displace any of the officers, for
they had transacted their duties in an honourable and
satisfactory manner, he might be permitted to say
that a number of difficulties might not unlikely arise
with respect to the question of nomination, which they
possessed in common with other institutions formed
upon a similar basis. It made no difference to the
directors to whom they paid the policies, but it was
an all-important matter that the holder of a policy
who, perhaps out of small means had found much
difficulty in keeping up the payments, should be
satisfied, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that it would
be paid at his decease, and that his family would not be
left to perish.—(Cries of " Question," and " Come to
the point.") He was not departing from the ques-
tion. They had an income of from 9,0001. to 10,0001.,
and it was most important that the members should
have the control of its expenditure, since the directors
might, if they thought proper, create business for the
solicitors.—(Cries of " Shame," hissing, and much
noise, and a disinclination to hear the speaker further.)
The CHAIRMAN appealed to the meeting to hear the
gentleman to the end. The directors wished all said
on the matter that could be said.—(Cheers.)
Mr. SMITH proceeded—He said he had no charge
to make—he entirely exonerated the directors from hav-
ing done anything of the kind ; but what guarantee had
they that it might not be dene in the future? He
repeated that the members should take the privileges
he had named into their own hands, as it was possible
they might appoint parties as solicitors, and create
business for them.—(Hisses, cries of " Shame," and
uproar).
The CHAIRMAN again appealed to the members to
hear Mr. Smith cut. The directors were prepared
to reply to any charge he had made or might make.
Mr. Ssauret—l say it is possible.—(Laughter.) If
Luis were Equandtrod,the nr, raters would mourn
1 tii);setead of laughing. Then vith =, ~,,,,t 40 11, s an'oilA.
I meat of an actuary, did thqb-,,,, io‘t.:l.--i'io-wr‘ that'- rallli t: ;-,r
Uividencb; were often paid'out of capital, and that
assurance companies did the same ?—(Cries of " No,
no: it l false:') Appointed by the directors, and