The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-29 00:00:00

.EUIZOPEAN ASSURANCE SOCIE2Y.

ANNUAL MEETING.
The annual general meeting of the share and policy
holders in this .ccie.ty was held yesterday at the offices,
No. 2, Watei 100-place, Pall-Mall, for the purpose of re-
ceiving the. directors' report of the past year, and for the
re-election of the directors who retire according to the deed
of settlement.

Esq., P., occupied the chair.
11TheW.
Wickham,usualroutineM.
business having been transacted, the
chairman called upon the secretary to read the report,
which was as follows :
Your directors, in presenting their report foiNthe year
1860, beg to lay before the shareholders and members the
following statements relative to the society's progress and
position—
During the year 1860, the society have
issued 814 new life policies, the annual •
premiums upon which amount to
And 824 new guarantee policies, yielding
in annual premiums 3,581 2 9

13,669 10 5

The revenue acquired through amalgama-
tions during the year amounts to

Making the total new premium revenue ac-
quired during the year 1860 £21,100 2 10
The gross revenue from premiums within
the year was
The premium revenue of the society from premiums re-
ceived during the past five years has teen-1856, £16,142
2s. 2d. ; 1857, £55,095 12s. 9d. ; 1858, £67,207 4s, Ild. ;
1859, £103,451 Os. Id. ; 1860, £119,526 Bs. 6d. ,
The diminution of revenue arising from lapsed or sur-
rendered policies, or policies under which claims have
arisen within the year, amounted to £8,765 Os. 11d.
The life and guarantee claims paid during the year
amounted to £72,382 10s. Ild., which is not in excess of
your actuary's expectations.
The working expenditure (exclusive of commission and
medical fees)'lor the past year amounted to £9,753, and
the balance at the credit of the guarantee branch, after
payment of losses, was £8,275.
The balance of the year of income over expenditure was
£30,200 18s. 4d.

The sum at the credit of the guarantee, branch, after the-
tlayment 'of "liiaigae, dining each of the undermentioned
years, has been as follows-1856, £4,314 83. lld ' • 1857,
4658 18s. 3d. ; 1858, £5,536 19s. Ild. ; 1859, £6,212
Is. 5d.; 1860, £8,275 10s. 3d.
Your directors have the satisfaction to announce that
during the past year policies of guarantee have been issued
to the Treasury (County Courts), Admiralty, Board of
Trade, Goneral Pock--.lEns. Plaw
Boardsi The Customs,Home, C oor-olonial, India, andd-001er
Departments of State have approved the society's guarantee
policies, and your directors therefore feel confident that the
steady increase which has been observable in this branch
of business since the beginning of the current year will be
maintained.

A more satisfactory class of guarantee business has
lately been obtained from the agencies in Edinburgh and
Glasgow, in consequence of the banks and other public
bodies availing themselves of the society's guarantee poli-
cies, and an increase of this class of business may therefore
be looked for; and your directors have made such arrange-
ments in connection with the Scottish bi anch as may be
expected still further to extend the society's business in
Scotland.

In conformity with the deed of settlement of this society,
Charles Forster, M.P., Richard Francis George, James
Edward McConnell, and Charles William Reynolds, Esqs.,
directors, and John Parker, Esq., auditor, will retire
from office, but, being eligible., offer themselves for re-
election.

In conformity also with the deed of settlement, which
provides for a valuation of the assets and liabilities of the
society as existing on the 31st December, 1860, your
actuary has been and still is engaged in that investigation,
the result of which he expects to be able to report early in
the month of August. A special meeting of the share-
holders will then be called to receive his report.
By order of the board.
W. CLELAND, Secretary.
2, Waterloo-place, Pall-mall, London, May 27.

The CHAIRMAN said he had very great pleasure in meet•
ing the share and policy holders on that occasion, because
he had the satisfactory duty of informing them that the
society was in a prosperous and sound state. (Hear, hear.)
The diirectors, he could assure them, looked very carefully
at every assurance before it was fully completed ; and
although they might have done more than they had in the
way of extending the business, had such not been the case,
the great object of the board was to do a business that would
yield a profit to the shaieholders and secure them from loss.
The revenue of the society had for the last five years been
increasing, and that fact was an unerring test that all things
were going on prosperously. The persons interested
in the society amounted to the large number of 16,000,
and the success of their operations would be almost
unlimited if each of those would only do a little to enlarge
the business of the society. (Hear.) While their in-
come had been increasing the directors had made the
greatest efforts to reduce their expenditure—(hear)—and
the manner in which they had succeeded would be satis•
factory to every one present. Their expenses in the year
1856 had been 13 1-3 d per cent. of their income ; in 1857 it
fell to 8 3.4ths per cent, ; in 1858 it was 9 1-sth per cent. ;
in 1859 it stood at 4 2-sths ; and in 1860 it was only 14 per
sent. (Cheers.) Another very satisfactory announcement
he had to make was, that in a year or two it was fully ex-
pected that the profits of the guarantee branch would en-
tirely pay the expenses of the life assurance department,
so that their prospects were as good as their best friends
ea culating thleff3ont7but TinratilVel;"o"nlits completion
the policyholders would have it laid before them, and
the directors anticipated that it would be highly satisfac-
tory. (Hear, hear.) He would not detain them further,
but, if he had omitted to mention anything on which any
gentleman required information, he should be most happy
to give an answer to any question that might be put to him.
He begged to move that the report just read be received and
adopted. (Cheers.)

Mr. HILL said he had very great pleasure in seconding
the motion of the Chairman for the reception of the report,
The fact of a decreasing expenditure and an increasing
business showed most clearly that they possessed a wise
and prudent board of directors.

Tho resolution was put to the meeting and carried una-
nimously.

-The CHAIRMAN informed the meeting that the next duty
was to elect directors for the ensuing year. According to
the deed of settlement, the gentlemen retiring from office,
viz., Charles Forster, M,P. , Richard Francis George, James
Edward M'Connell, and Charles William Reynolds, Esqrs.,
were eligible for re-election, and offered themselves
accordingly.

Resolutions re-electing the whole of the retiring direc-
tors were carried unanimously.

The retiring auditor, Charles Parker, Esq., was also
unanimously re-elected.

Mr. REYNOLDS said, alter the very satisfactory report
which had been submitted to them, he felt it a privilege to
move the following resolution :—" That the cordial and
unanimous thanks of this meeting be and are hereby given
to the directors for their able and judicious management of
the society's business during the past year."
The resolution having been seconded was carried unani-
mously.

Mr. WESTHEAD, M.P., acknowledged the compliment on
the part of the Board of Directors.
Mr. FORSTER, M.P., said, as his name stood foremost
amongst those gentlemen who had been re-elected direc-
tors, he rose to thank the meeting for the confidence ro •
posed in them. He assured them they would grudge
neither time nor trouble to promote the interests of the so-
ciety. (Cheers.)
Mr. HILL moved a resolution to the effect that the divi-
dend on shares hitherto paid annually should for the future
be paid half-yearly.
Mr. GROSVENOR thought it would be advisable to adopt
the resolution, and that being his opinion, he begged to
second it.

Thero being no opposition on the part of the directors,
the resolution was agreed to unanimously.

Mr. FIELD said before the meeting terminated he thought
the best thanks were duo to their energetic and untiring
manager and secretary, Mr. Cleland. (Cheers.) To his
exertions much of their prosperity was due, and that be-
ing the case, he had very great pleasure in moving that
the cordial thanks of the meeting be presented to him for
his exertions.

Mr. SPOONER, 1‘.1.P., said ho was delighted to second
such a resolution. (Cheers.) Everything depended on
management, and their present sucoess showed that they
had got the management in good hands.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Mr. CLELAND said ho felt grateful for the mark of con-
fidence and respect passed upon him. It was his pride and
pleasure to see the society progressing so successfully, and
no exertion of his should be wanting to further extend its
popularity. (Cheers.)

A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the pro-
ceedings.

SHANGHAE.—The report of the inspector of cus-
toms for the half-year ending Dec. 31, 1860, has beenissued,
from which it appears that the foreign imports from all
parts have been of the value of £5,063,250 for general carg
of
£2,866,580 for treasure, and £2,722,250 for opium;9 and
:4,62 000,
exports, £6,040,120 for general cargo, andito3 300, for
treasure. The duties paid on imports amount.a
Telegraph.
and on exports to £lso,ooo.—London andhCalmon
SINGULAR MARRIAGE.—At Henxei
Harriet
ariemt marriage
recently took place between Missj. Ppa.n
Waddilove, Beacon
love, daughter of the late I.V.ercivai
Fenwick Clennell,
Grange, Hexham, and Mr.
try.
Mr. Clennell is deaf and
Harbottle Castle, in this eioeurgny
man cut short the opening
dumb. The officiating
gconceluding thus :—" The causes for
portion of the service,
pointed
nt wased
to
th.establishedepassages ar e
htocoviroabsviroeuasditnogn,
Portions addressed to the bridegroom
enumeration.
which matrimony
need
the clergyman .
him, and bowing
oom following his assent at the
conclusion.
have this woman," &c. ; "1, M,, take thee,
The three portions commencing respectively,
In the por
N.,,, sce.; ~ With this ring I thee wed," &c., were written
by the bridegroom on separate slips of paper, and numbered
" Wilt thou
1,2, 3, respectively, and delivered to the clergyman seria-
tim, duly signed " Percival Fenwick Clennell." After
reading No. 1, as described above, the rev, gentleman said
"I declare to this congregation that he (the bridegroom)
has notified to my comprehension that 4 he will,' having
followed me in the reading, and having written, signed)
and delivered the same with his own hand." The same
form of announcement (with the necessary variation) was
ug'fiB gtct nadixig 1195, 2 40 3,—.4407.imi 01.9"fC(6

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. -

HOUSE OF LORDS—YESTERDAY.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack'
at 5 o'clOck.

Lord LYI TELTON presented a petition in favour of the
Bankruptcy and Insolvency Bill.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition praying that
the sale of spirituous liquors might be prohibited on Sun-
days. . _