The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-27 00:00:00

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BANKERS' CHEQUES. t-4 •
The following -note from do: Alerclntile Law,
Amendnier4 Society c-aitains an -eipression of-
thanks to. Sir- Fitzroy KPlly for liiS hill to legaliza
the crossing (.f cheques. Sir Fitzroy Kt Hy,
who framed the-bill in the original and simple form`;
in which it drew forth an exprsion of concurrence-
from nearly 1,500 fitms, including nearly all the
leading establishments of London, may possibly not
be answerable for the clause by which it has sincit,
been disfigured; but if the introduction of: that.•..
clause was permitted through the timidity of
colleagues, the bill as it stands, instead of being
credit to the Government is-merely another ro fr
of the way in which, to avoid risks, they are ready - ,
to d,fer to narrow-class interests whenever any
pressure can be put upon them for the purpose :
"The Mercantile Law Amendment Society, 35, •-r,t
Parliament-street, July 24
"Sir,—No notice having been taken in the reports of
the public journals of a petition presented through this. -t?
society by the Attorney-General in the House of Com-
more on Thursday evening in favour of the Draughts on-,
Bankers Law Amer,drnent Bill, will you porroit me to"
state that such a•pe lion, signed by 1,460 tn-st influ,n-
tial merchants, was presented by Sr F. Kelly ? I. am
the more anxious that the presentation of this petition
should be known as I have reason to btl,eve that it was
in deference to the wishes of the petitioners that the bill
was proceeded with.

S PAPER

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11,

"As this bill was in:rodnced and carrel through
the exertions of this society, who felt great interest in
its success, will you allow me on behalf of the committee '
to thank yon for the able advocacy of the principle on '
which it was founded, and to express a hope that the
measure, kill be found to affird all the protectiots desired -
by the mercantile community, without imposing on
tankers any unfair responsibility ? .
The thanks of all
rEous i ‘.l s arf. ert
degree due to the Attorney-General for the promptitude
with which he introduced the bill, and the perseverance
with which he carried it through the House of Coal.
MODS.

"I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
"J. RUSSELL, Secretary." _ _
A petition to !he House of Lords is in course of signs-
ture among the most influential London bankers against
the clause introduced by Mr. Bovill into the new met•

seed cheques fr..,eing bankers from all re-
sponiibiht,sin cases where tbe checittas -ail? WM: been
erased so as to escape detection. , _

rAcrlcs OF THE OPPOSITION PRESS. •

Tlie straits to which the Palmerston organs are
reduced. may be gleaned from the following facts.! In our impression of yesterday we endeavoured

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arouse the Conservative electors of.tbe kingdom t;
action. We showed that their apathy often inf.— . -
periled the success of the cause. This is construcct.,
by the Globe into an admission that the Ministry' _
is endangered by desertion.• Nothing was further
from our thou.:las, as any person who peruses tho:2-:"
article in question will perceive. the Conserva- 2„iji
tive party in- Parliaalent have been and are united.ka
The Government have not stifferel a single defeat
during the session, an 1 even Mr. Bernal Osborne
admiis their succe,s. We com‘uend the followin___cr•-'
extract from a speed.' of that hon. gentleman
night to the impartial wri'ers 'of the Globe : • •
"At an earlier period of the session, he (Mr. Bernarr-"
Osborne) had inaugurat:d an opposition to her Majesty:tit
Gov.rnment, but eines then that Government had done
very great things. He was serious.. He wi-bed to give,-,
honour to those to whom honour was du-!. The rigiktsi...ir
bon. gentleman the leader of that house deserved thd

highest credit fur the temperate, alYe, and judiciouitiii
course he had pursued in office, and for the reforms

which be bad instituted since he had taken his seat onA A
the Ministerial bench. I.lp ( \fr. B. Osborne) did not‘,".
i)elieve that the leader of the house would have allowed
this conveyance clause to be inserted in the bill if his al-
tention bad been called to it ; because he did not think

the right hon. gentleman wished to 1-galise refreshments.
He bad ob-erve I the high spirit displayed by her Ma-
jesty's Government on several occasions. They had _
passed many good measures ; and he could not but have,
good feeling towards a Government which not only at':
vocated, but what was much better, passed into law
measures which he himself supported."
The late Sir Robert Pe 1. exhorted the Conserva- •
tives to attend to the rt gietry, and such wal the

advice given in our article of yesterday.—Morning
Herald.

THE UNITED KINGDOM I ZFE ASSUR-
ANCE COMPANY.

The United Kingdom Life Assurance Company
held their twenty-fifth annual meeting on Friday,
at their offices in Waterloo•place, London, when- •
the chair was taken by the Hi-n. F. Scott, M.P.
Statements of accounts, from the formation of the
company down to the eud of last year, were laid
before the meeting and unanimously adopted, from
which it appeared that their annual income from -
premiums alone reached the largo sum of 111,000/ ,
irrespective of interest upon their accumulated
funds, which are all invested in Government and
other approved securities, and increased from
593,9301. to 617,8011. during the year, after paying
every claim. These were 65,8701., being less by-
8,830/. thin those of the preceding year, owing to
fewer policies by 31 having fallen in. The number
of new policies issued was 357, assuring an aggre-
gate sum of 218,550'., and producing an addiii ,n
of 8,2471. to the company's annual income. During
the last ten years the new bus ness carried out by
the company amounted to upwards of three millions
and a qualtLr, represented by 4,737 policies, and
producing in new premiums no less a sum than
120,6551. 16s. 3d. The sum assured by eac'a policy
from the commencement averages 7171.—.-' a fact
which testifies strongly to the eligibility of the class
with whom the company transact buiness, statistics
showing that the average duration of human life
is, as a general rule, measured by the greater or
less ailvantag,s enjoyed in respect to social position
and commaud of pecuniary means. Some time age,
when public attention was directed to the auhject
of the days of grace allowed for payment of life
assurance premiums, the direcrors, who have always
held payments within the 21 days to be valid, re-
solved that, iu cases of death within that period,
thef premium may be deducted from the suns
assured when the claim is p,id. This arrangement
has given general saisfa,ctioo, for in many cases
great distress of mind has a isen to wid ws arid
others dependent en the proceeds of a poire.Y, to.
say nothing of the inconvenience to relatives and
friends in providing means to pay the over-due
premium before there is a legally appointed repre-
sentative of the deceased's estate.