The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-23 00:00:00

SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Olock.

PONTEFRACT RACES.—(This Day.)

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH..)
TRADESMAN'S PLATE.

Sister to Nancy
Walhalla

Four ran.
INNKEEPERS' PLATE.

Yentick...
Victory

Eight ran.
CUP STAKES.

Excitement
Martlett

Five ran.
STAND PLATE.

Excitement..

Bourgeois..

Five ran.

ARRIVALS AT LEICESTER.
TUESDAY, 4 P M.

Gemma de Vergy, Neva, Bright Phoebus, Sork,
Pantomime, Lily, Prince's Mixture, Adam, Caledonian,
Patter, Weathercock, Scharnyl, New Brighton, Breeze,
Bold Buccleuch, Coal Black Rose, Chatterers, Madle.
Clicquot, Vulcan, Leamington, and Lance.

UNITY FIRE INSURANCE ASSOCIA-

TION.

(MEETING THIS DAY.)

This afternoon an extraordinary general meeting of
the proprietors of the Unity Fire Insurance Association
was held at the London Tavern, Bishopgate-street, by
adjournment from the offices in Cannon-street, for the
appointment of Mr. J. Bradshaw, of Nottingham, Mr.
R. Clitherow, of Horncastle, Mr. H. Hawks, of B'r-
mingham, Rev. Edw. Johnstone, of Hampton, Mr. W.
Salmon, of Bury St. Edmunds, Mr. J. Smitherman, of
Benges, Mr. T. Vaughan, of Stoke Newington, a corn-
mittee for the purpose of calling in a professional ass•
countant to enquire and examine into the past and pre-
sent expenditure and management of the association,
and other matters connected with it specifically set forth
in the notice, Dr. Lloyd in the chair.
The notice convening the meeting having been read,
The CHAIRMAN stated that the meeting was called in
'consequence of a correspondence that had taken pla-!e
between Mr.• Bradshaw, chairman of the Nottingham
local board, and the directors relative to the expenditure
and management of the association.
At Vie Chairman's request, a lengthened correspon f-
ence was read, the particulars of which will he foiled in
Mr. Bradshaw's address below. In the course of that
correspondence the directors concurred in the appoint-
ment of a committee, but differed from the mode of its
operation as suggested by Mr. Bradshaw. The di-
rectors, at a board meeting, had passed a reso-
lution stating their willingness to resign unless they
possessed the confidence of the shareholders.

The CHAIRMAN, in addressing the meeting, said the
directors were desirous of having a close investigation
into the affairs of the association, because they declined
to act as such without possessing the fullest confidence
of the shareholders; and on receiving the recommenda-
tion from Mr. Bradshaw for a committee of investio-
tion the directors sent down to him and asked him to
name such a committee, but he declined to do so, and
the directors bad in consequence called this meeting,
because they courted the strictest investigation into the
affairs of the association. He (the chairman) declined
to take the responsibility of the legality or illegality
of the meeting, and threw it entirely on the company's
solicitor. He (the chairman) considered the association
was now on its trial before the bar of public opinion, but
he had no misgivings as to the result of the proposed
inquiry, and be called on the shareholders to support the
chairman, and appoint the committee. He called on the
solicitor to state the object for which the meeting was
called, because Mr. Bradshaw's resolution evidently
was drawn up by a solicitor.
Mr. TAYLOR, the solicitor, said the resolution, by the
terms of the association's bye laws, must be passed or
rejected in its entirety.

A SHIREHOLDER—Cannot I substitute one name f)r
another on the committee 1

Mr. TATLOE—No. You cannot vary the substance
of the res)lution.

After some discussion on the procae,ling4,

Mr. BRA.D3RAW, the chairman of the Nottingham
Local Board, said as impression froth the first had pre-
vailed amongst the Nottingham Board that the expenses
of the association ,were too much, and condemned the
payment of 101. to the agents and managers of the asso-
ciation for the original disposal of the shares. The Not-
tingham people were also much displeased at so much
money being spent in bringing directors and eharehold,r3
to Birmingham to lay the foundation-stone of the society's
offices, and many of them left the association in conse-
quence. On the part of the Nottingham Board, he took
exception to the inadequate amount of business done in
London, in comparison with the central expenditure,
and generally as to the expenditure, and the want of
prompt and undivided attention of the management at
the central office so early as 1354 ; and he read resolu-
tions passed by the Nottingham Board in reference to
it, and referred to the correspondence that ensued in
. conseqnence, and‘ to an interview that took place be-
tween Dr. Lloyd and another director, a deputation to
the Nottingham Board, wheu the deputation pledged
themselves to use greater economy for the future. Ile
next alluded to the directors neglecting to publish their
accounts the following year, but they sent to the NA-
tinghatin Board a statement of the accounts for their
perusal, who was so rnuc'e astonished at the expenditure
' that on the 12th December, 1855, the Nottingham
Board passed a resolution, and forwarded it to the Direc-
, tors, to the effect that they saw with dismay and regret
an expenditure of 29,0001. for 23,0001. worth of busi-
ness, and called for the appointment of an independent
• commissioner to investigate the affairs of the aesecla-
tion. They also condemned the mode of producing the
accounts by the directors at sO lieg a period after they
were made up. He regretted the directors had gene to
the expense of convening thia m-eting, because it could
have been otherwise by the deed. In 1854 the assoe.a-
tion did business to the amount of 13 millions, and in
1855, to 19 millions, .which was satisfactory, so far ao it
went, but he was at a foes to know how it was that
when the association did but fotir millions of busineee
the se. shares were at is and 2s 04 premium at Notti g-
ham, they had now fallen tip 2s 'discount, except it Was
that the expenditure. was beyond the society's means,
and that public confidence was wavering. He jueticied
the conduct cif himself and friends at Nottingham for the
course they had taken with reference to this meeting,
and expressed surprise at the conduct of the hoard in not
calling this meeting withoutarequisition:and their inc in-
sistency in requesting their names to hendded to therequei-
tion calling on the directors to convene a meeting for the
appointment of a committee of inquiry. Seven-eiglith4 of
the capital bad been raised, and seven-eighths of the bud
ness done had been in the provinces, and with provn-
dale, and as at least seven-eighths of the'dissatisfactien
existed in the country he had thought it right to take
the majority of the committee from the provinces, and
to get rid of the insinuation that a London cenonitlee
had been appointed to exonerate the London board.
He concluded by moving the appointment of the folio s-
ing gentlemen as a committee of inquiry, viz :
Job Bradshaw, of Nottingham, gentleman, Richard
Clitherow, of HorncaAle, in county of Lincoln, gen-
tleman, Henry Hawker, of Birmingham, in the county
of Warwick, Eiq., the Rev. Edward Johnston, of
Hampton, in the county of Middlesex, clerk, William
Salmon, of Bury Saint Edmunds, in the county of Sat-
folk, Fsq., John Smitherman, of Benaes, in the county
of Hertford, gentleman, and Thomas Vaughan, of Stoke
Newington, in the county of Middlesex, Esq.
The Rev. Mr. HIND seconded the resolution, though he
disapproved of the persons named fr min their beine un-
known to most of the shareholders. He wished the
resolution had been drawn by a non professional man,
because then they would, not be in such a fix as now,
and compelled to take it or-not. He thought with teo
evils it was better to take the least, and with tint feel-
ing he seconded the resolution. If it had been compe-
tent for him to have done so he should have moved an
amendment to it.
Mr. T. Vaughan (director) said he had no knowledge
of his name being on the committee until the resolution
was sent to the directors.
Mr. LANCASTER (Southampton) condemned the con•
duct of Mr. Bradshaw in sending circulars all over the
country in reference to the association, which bad bad
the effect of depreciating it in the opinion of the puielic.
He was anxious for the appointment of a committee of
inquiry, and came to the meeting prepared to support
such a committee as they might select, but not a self-
nominated or constituted one, such as thew were till
they must appoint or reject. He mitered. into a fall
• statement of the business done at Southampton, and the
expenses thereon, which amounted to is Per cent.,
whilst that of Nottingham amounted to 2.P1,
he asked Mr. Bradshaw why he did not c our
mence reform and retrenchment in management at
home instead of beginning with the London board. In
• Birmingham the expenses amounted to 2,5281.
2s. 11d., for the receipt of 3,2131. 3R, 81. of premium,,.
With these facts, he was astonished that any man eeeld
select a committee comprising members taken from kcal
boards, to praise, in effect, each other's management.
The business at Norwich amounted to 5,3131: 63."
and- the expenditure 1,1891. 4e. 6d., or 221 per cent.
At Hertford the receipts were 1,982 i. le. .7d., and the
expenditure on 2s. 10d, ; and at Leeds the receipts