The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-21 00:00:00

' an unopposed Gas Bill is not a heavy Bill, and would be very
little lessened in expenses by having the clauses consolidated ;
the cost of printing wauld be somewhat diminished.
Speaking of the expense, can you form any estimate what
proportion of the expense of such Bills is for witnesses, and
what for fees of the House, and what for other expenses ?—I
cannot state the exact proportion, nor am J a competent party
to do that, for I never see the solicitors' bills ; but I should
say that in a contested case, the fees of the House and those
which more properly come within my own department, viz.,
the preparation of the Bill, the clauses, and so forth, form a
very small proportion indeed of the large expense which is in-
curred.
Do witnesses form a large expense ?—The attendance of
witnesses will be a large sum ; the employment of counsel is a
very large sum ; the daily copies of evidence, and the drawing
up and preparing it, involve a very large experditure.
Have you any means of knowing what Fe the ordinary fee
of attorneys attending in London for the sake of Private Bills?
—I would rather they would answer that question themselves;
they know it better than we do ; it doss not come within my
province.
There is a regulated fee for the attendanoe of Parliamentary
agents ?—lt will vary in cases of opposed or unopposed Bills ;
but we do not profess to charge always for attending Com-
mittees, nnless there are clauses under discussion. I should
find it impracticable to attend all the Committees I have,
during the investigation of the preambles; and therefore we
generally consider that to come under the solicitor's province
while the evidence is being taken, and then upon the clauses
we attend ourselves, and we vary our charge. Sometimes we
get two guineas. If I were there the whole day long fighting
clauses, I should charge five.
The object of the question is to see whether it is not im-
possible to form any estimate of what the expenses of a Bill
may be without knowing what the opposition may be, and
what the duration of it may be?—Quite impossible.
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has been effected, and therefore if the Commissioners send
down an Assistant-Commissioner to investigate a case which
eventually ends without enclosure, his expenses would fall upon
the consolidated fund.

How are the;expenses of witnesses provided for ?—The parties
at whose suggestions they are called pay them.
But if the Assistant-Commissioner thinks it right to call IS it-
nesses, in order to satisfy himself, that would form part of the
general expenses ?—Such expenses would be charged to the
general account.

[ADVERTISEMENT.]
PROCEEDINGS of the CLERICAL

--
MEDICAL, AND GENERAL LIFE ASSURANCE
SOCIETY.
(As reported January Bth, 1847.)
An extraordinary general meeting of the proprietors of
this society was held yesterday at the office in Great Russell-
street, for the purpose of declaring a bonus out of the profits
which have accrued from the general business of the society
during the five years ending June 30, 1846. Amongst the
directors present were Dr. Moore, G. G. Babington, Esq,
Rev. A. B. Clough, Thomas Davis, Esq., Oliver Hargreave,
Esq., and Clement Hue, M.D.
Dr. Moore having taken the chair, Mr. Pinckard, the
1.151,e2a4g2u Le 6s .
s
secretary, read the report of the assets and liabilities; the
The484,5(5151A I.
I O
Rsm. 5Nd A., then
aformer of which amount to 639,7971. 6s. 5d., and the latter
to
leavingtt stated that his c
a surplus
of
5 had au-
thorised him to lay before the meeting the following
report :
" In accordance with the provisions of the deed of eonsti-
stitution, the directors have called the present meeting, for the
purpose of laying before the proprietors and the assured the
result of an investigation of the society's affairs for the five
years ending June 30, 1846.
"Oa that day the society had been in existence twenty-
two years. An investigation of its affairs was made first in
1831, being seven years from the commencement ; a second
time in 1836; and a third time in 1841. The fourth inves-
tigation having been just completed, the directors have now
the gratification of communicating the result to the meeting.
" In order to present a clear view of the progress of the
society, the directors will proceed to exhibit the present
amount of its funds, together with their state at the last
quinquennial division.
"I. The society's Income for the year ending with June,
1841, was 97,900/. ; that for the year ending with June,
1846, 116,3004 Thus, notwithstanding the many de-
ductions which are constantly taking place, on account
of policies terminated by death or discontinued from other
causes, there is an increase in the annual income of the
society to the extent of 18,4001.
" 11. The amount of the property of the society, accumulated
from the excess of receipts above payments, was in 1841,
418,903/., and in 1846 has reached 639,7971. Under the
head of payments are included considerable sums paid
for the purchase of policies, and also to annuitants, besides
the amount which has become due from deaths and every
other demand.
" 111. After deducting the sum required to meet the liabilities
of the society, there remains a surplus of 155,2421.; while
in 1841 the corresponding surplus was only 89,4001.
" This sum of 155,242/., has now to be dealt with, being
the amount of profit realised by the society.
In conformity with the provisions of the deed, one half
of the profits is to be divided among the assured for life, and
one sixth part among the proprietors ' • but in order to avoid
inconvenient fractions. the directors have resolved to recom-
mend to this meeting to divide the sum of 154,500. This
will apportion to the assured, for life, 77,250/., and to the pro-
prietors, 25,7501. leaving one third of the said profit, amount-
ing to 51,5001., to be laid by and to accumulate as a reserved
fund.

" This division will give to the proprietors a bonus of 51.31.
per share, and to the assured a sum of 114,0311., being the
equivalent in reversion to the above amount of 77,250/.

"This sum of 114,031/. will be added to the polices, and
be payable at the death of the respective parties, and will
form an addition equal, on an average, to more than 36 per
cent. on the premiums received during the last five years.
" It may be desirable, however, to remind the assured that
they have the option of having any one or more of the
bonuses to which they are entitled applied in reduction of
their future payments of premium.
" For the further information of the proprietors it may be
mentioned that, by the deed of constitution, the Proprietors'
Fund is not to accumulate by the addition of bonuses beyond
50,0001.; all subsequent bonuses being paid over to the Pro-
prietors.

" The effect of that provision on the present occasion will
be, that of the above sum of 25,7501., 17,0001. will have to be
added to the Proprietors' Fund, which will then have
reached its limit, and the remaining 8,750, being 1!. 15i. per
share, will be paid to the proprietors in cash at the end of
March next.

" In estimating the amount of liabilities, it is important to
observe that every Policy, together with all other risks, has
been valued separately, and with great care; and there has
been nn encroachment upon future profits; but that a ino..e
of valuation has been adopted whereby a larger sum is re-
tained to meet such claims as may arise than is usual
with most other offices. This will appear by the following
examples :

Sums set aside as the ♦alue
of a Policy for 1,0001.

:By Offices, I
valuing by the
Northampton '
Three per
Cent. Table.

'By the Mode
adopted by
this Office.

:]:)lfference In
'favour of tide
Office.