The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-09 00:00:00

SOAP.

Clauses from 6 to 62 were then agreed to with some
Verbal amendments.
Clauses from 63 to 93 inclusive were agreed to with-
out any amendment.
(LEFT SITTING.)

METROPOLITAN COUNTIES AND
GENERAL LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY.
Yesterday afternoon the second general annual
meeting of the proprietary of the above company
was held at their offices, No. 27, Regent- street.
Amongst the directors present were Captain the Hon.
G. F. Hotham, R.N., Sir T. N. Reeve, E. V. Neale,
S. Driver, J. P. Griffin, W. Studley, W. A. S.
•Westoby, H. P. Fuller, E. Lomax, E.qs , Sce.
On the motion of Mr. Fuller the chair was taken
by Captain the Hon. G. F. Hotham.
Mr. CAMItOUI (manager) then proceeded to read
the advertisement calling the meeting, and also the
report, of which the following is a copy:—
" At the conclusion of the Hemel year from the for-
mation of the Metropolitan Counties and General Life
Assurance Society, the directors have the satis'action of
again cong,ratulattng the shareholders and members upon
its increasine. prosperity, The hopes which, on the last
occasion when they had to give an account of their
stewardship, they considered themselves justified by
twelve months experience in entertaining—namely,
that notwithstanding the formidable array of rival offices
with which the society had to contend, its peculiar ad-
vantages were such as could not tail to secure for it a
large share of public favour, have been fully realised.
The progress of the society has continued to be as
steady and as rapid as the directors felt justified in anti-
cipating that it would be.
" To establish this pecposition, it is necessary only to
compare the number of proposals made and policies is-
sued, the amount of revenue produced and cf sums as-
sured at the close of April, 1849, with the same items at
ate close of April of this year. On the 30th April, 1849,
the society bad issued 212 policies, assuring sums to the
amount of 67,8011., and producing an annual income of
2,2361. 3s. 11d.
" On the 30th April, 1850, the society had issued 532
I policies, assuring sums to the amount of 176,5571., and
producing au annual income of 5,8081. 12s. sd.
" Thus, it will be observed, that the total amount as-
sured has increased in a greater ratio than the number
of policies, a satisfactory evidence cf the increasing con-
fidence felt by the wealthier classes cf the community
in the stability of the society.
" To guard against the possibility of heavy claims
being made in the infancy of the society, your directors
have re-assured with other societies all lives upon which
policies exceeding 1,5001. have been effected with the so-
ciety, for the excess above that sum. In addition to the
capital invested as loans, the directors have also taken
measures for the formation of a reserved fund in the Go-
vernment Securities, in conformity with the provisions
of the deed of settlement, as an immediate available in-
vestment to meet any claims which may be made upon
the society.
" The directors, in their last report, were enabled to
congratulate the members on the exemption of the
society from loss up to that period by reason of death.
This congratulation they are happy to be able to
reiterate, not one of the assured having died since the
formation of the society. The directors feel justified,
therefore, in referrirg with confidence, from past expe-
rience to the skill of the medical officers employed by
tho society, and the care with which the life assurance
business has been conducted, and in renewing their
former anticipation of the advantages to be reaped by
those who either as proprietors or assured invest their
capital in the society.
The directors have much gratification in being able
to speak of the services of the officers of the society,
especially those of the manager, Mr. Camroux, and Mr.
Addison, the provincial superintendent, in terms of ap-
probation, similar to those employed in their farmer re-
port. The best proof of the zeal and efficiency of ad
the officers employed by this society is, however, to be
found in the result of its operations already noticed.
The' balanceesheet of the accounts of the society up
to the 25th of March last, and the report of the auditors,
which are in the hands of the shareholders, contain am-
ple information of the present position of the finances of
the society, and will, as the directors feel certain, bear
out, on inspection, the favourable statement which they
have made.
" It is natural that, with so pleasing a retrospect of
the past, the directors should look forward with confi-
slence to the future. Everything induces them to be-
lieve that the next year will exhibit an increase upon
the present one, us great in proportion as that of the
last year over its predecessor.
"They have recently found favourable opportunities
for introducing the business of the society into several im-
portentplaces, where hitherto its advantages had not been
made known, and in which they have Teaser) to expect
the formation of a valuable connexion. Experience
shows them that life assurance oilers an inexhaustible
field for well-directed efforts, so small is the proportion
in every part of this couttry of assured lives to the
number of healthy persons possessing the means of
effecting assurances. In conclusion, they will only add
shot the shareholders may rely on the directors leaving
no in alas of extending the business of the office untried.
"Four of the directors, John Palk Griffin, Esq.,
Captain the Hon. G. F. Hotliain, Edward Is, gh, Eiq.,
said Samuel Miller, Esq., go out of office by rotation.,
and John Palk Griffin, Esq., Captain the lion. G. F.
efotham, and Samuel Miller, Ec,q., being eligible for re-
election, of er themselves accordingly.
"Thomas Bates, Esq., and Henry Peach Buckler,
Esq., the auditors of the society, also retire from office;
and Henry Peach Buckler, Esq., being eligible for re-
election), offers himseif accordingly.
`.l3y order of the Board of Directors,
''F. FERGUSON CAMROUX, Manager.
"27, Regent-street, Waterloo-place, London,
had just heard read tthhreoisre'exa
April 30, 1850 "
The CHAIRMAN then *
cued,. saident managert the report
would
o theyul d
give the byshareholders
count which could be
farneisbhest and most accurate ac-
the society for the last twelede of
the
proceedings of
pleasure of telling them on avf months.
He had the
anticipated great success, and
arhmer occasion that he
the second year of their existence,the could
now
say, in
the short time their office had beenat notwithstanding
the number of institutions of ' established, and
which they had to compete, his anaticsrail'ar kind with
more than realised ; and he theconsidered
dations had been
prospect whieh then business presented fully cheering
justified
him in the hopes he had expressed, and the improve
ment in their affairs for the year just past w-
-
only an omen of their greater future prosperity,
Tney would observe, by the report, that there.
was an increase in the sum assured—from 67,8011.
last year, to 176,5571,, an increase which had
snore than doubled their income; and even since
the time which that report had been prepared a still
further increase to the amount of about 10,000/. had
taken place ; so that their income then, instead of
being only about 5,000/, was at present about 6,000/.
rt in increasing these sums assured he
year. 'Now,
that a considerable degree of care
could inform them tl
and cautiousness had been used. they had not ac-
cepted all the assurances which had been offered, nor
'They consi-
dered that in the begina.ni,
had they taken all that carne t
o them. l
; of their existence they
ought to be careful in avoiding an v large risks • and
he was happy to say that since their establishment
riot a single life had fallen, and that was a matter on
which he felt happy to be able to congratulate the so-
ciety. They had u to the present time not undertaken
any assurance beyond 1 500/which was he thought the
,
safer coarse to adept The proprietors would also see
that da they h commenced a fund called the reserve fund, i

The HON. ArENBER also moved for a return of the
quantities or soap, or of the substitute for soap, made
and used on the premises in the manufacturing
districts, free of excise duty; and of the quantities of
soap used by manufacturers on which the excise duty
has been retuned, during each of tha last three years.
Agri ed to.
DRAINAGE ADVANCES FOR IRELAND.
Major • BLACKALL asked the Chancellor of the
Exchequer whether it was the intention of the Govern-
ment to proceed with the Drainage Advances for Ire-
land Bill? Also, whether, in the meantime, orders had
been issued to the Board of Works to proceed with the
drakage works already commenced? Also, whether it
was tho intention or the Government to propose any ex-
tension of the purposts to which money borrowed for
the improvement of landed property in Ireland may be
applied ?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied,
as to the first question, that the Bt!l was perfectly ready.
and would Lave lien introduced • before now, if
there had been any proxpuct of going on with
it ; but it was his intcution to proceed with the
Bill at the- earliest possible period. With reference to
the other question, he 'stated he would not authorise any
further loans of money until the Bill was passed, but
that tha works would be proceeded with as far a 3 the
present faiarice in hand would allow. The subject to
the lgst question referred ho thought was on,-,
rather fur consideration of the House than the Govern-
.
Iten%

TILE EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.

Mr. lIUME wished to put a question to the Right
Hoe. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home De-
partment relative to 0 recent case which had been tried
in the -Court of Exchequer. After detailing the
circitenseinces of the case, which have already beta
published
_Li The Sun, . the Honourable Gentleman
proceeded to ask the Right Lion. Baronet whether the
attention of the Government had been drawn to the
charge of
.Baran Alderson to the jury in the case; ann
whether 'tyres the intention of the Government to intro-
duce-Any_.e measen,4 tor the protection of the public against
In EaLscoeduct e'f those acting in the employ of railway
companies ?
Sir GEORGE GREY said his attention had been
esll:d t , il. &es hese
scnouancitiioesn
natipc4sn't eared that Mr. Gray brought
:nondeit:tPftho servants of the Eastern
Mr. 111•JME—IN::ie.lve,,euinst the company.
Sir GEORGE
the correction. 'the -.1." thanked his llon Friend for
a serean
c aetiUll arose .of •
imprisonne:nt by out an alleged illegal
believed be was right in t 1 the company. Now, he
his iez,.,l saying,friends, and he spoke under the
correction of
where
was
serneant commits a wilful
of law that that it was a settled rule
act then -employer
was done with his
evidenco:. was' adduced that th') liablQ unless some
cesi e hiJG:s: informedt that not
sanction: NOW, in the-,
direct
only wai . "such- evidence wanting, but
evidence to show that the act eornelainedr" ;N"
mitted contrary to the express orders of theoc 7: 71'1;
that the inatter resolved itself into thisomih. an- 'th-A-
question,
plaintiff had brought his action against the wrong party,
With With re, arl: to the other part of the
whether it wtl9 the incentiou of Government to alter
the long settlrd rife tf* law relative to liability of
m At: 1-s in' such cases as this, he begged to tell his Hoe.
Friend that Government entertained. no such intention.
MR. COlf BE, TILE MAGISTRATE.
Mr. RICHARD FOX wished to ask a question of the
Right Hon: Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home
Del artmeut on, a subj, ct which had exeited a good deal
of interest, within the lest few days. It related to an
oceurreLco which took prate at the Clerkenwell Police-
court on :Tuesday last. It appeared that a person
named Reerdon was p!accd in the witness-box of
that court, and the New Testament ,was handed
" biro 1-1. the' purpose 'of his being sworn. Before
swearing him, however the officer whose duty it was to
administer the' Oath re u,s .t d him to make the sign
of the
°m,
-having q e
Doman -.Catholic., asoeitained that he was a
which the witness r& fused to do,
stating that be considered it an insult to be told that his
catn taken on the Evangelists was not as binding
wi.hout th a
e. cross with it. Then, it would
se !en that , the teagisntraca,v.:, Mr. Combo, took it up, who
stated that he had r known a Roman Catholic
refine to make the sign •
of the press before, whereupon
d that 11'2
the witness still preteit
mode of proceeding
could be ntended us nethihg elseAl'
than au insult Lohim-
self. This called' fox t i anotiiiiraleixklanation from the
magistrate - in the shape of
i
witeess; that if a Roman Catholiclnt Priesten oath ttkiniation to the
present,.' he, would tell him that an
it wore
Roman Catholic would not • be binding, unless
accompanie I by the sign of the cross. '!'he witness, how-
ev:r, persisted that he know not!ting of any such
sled uilintaiely he was allowed to be sworn to the rule
usual
,
way, when he gave some evidence contradicting that of
a former witness, but 'the magistrate said be did
not
helieve him,. aanddeejgad 'the case tho other way,
The witness Reard. then asked the magistrate '
if he, the magistrate, intended publicly tee
charge him with committing perjury, to which the ma-
gistrate replied that he certainly did.—(Hear, hear.)
lie wished, therefore, to ask the Chief Secretary of
State, whether it was his intention to notice the conduct
of Mr. Combe, presiding magistrate of the Clerkenwell

Sessions Court, towards a Roman Catholic witness of to meet any contingency which might hereafter
the name of Reardon, on Tuesday, 7th May? arise. Although it was rather early in the day to
Sir GEORGE GREY said his attention had been expect that that fund could be very large, yet it had
called to the case by reciving notico of a question yes- been considered advisable to commence it, and by
adding a little to it every year, it would gradually '
terday on the subject from his Noble Friend the Earl of
crease to such an extent as might enable them to meet
Arundel and Surrey, and in consequence of that intim-
any contin. gencies that might arise m ithout calling on
tion he had locked over the report of the case in the
the proprietors. Their loan business was also increas-
newspapers. Upon readieg that report he directed a
communication to be made to Mr. Combo, the magis-
trate, requesting that gentleman to furnish him with any ing day after day, and would increase more with the
observations in explanation on the matter. The answer he increase of their capital. That loan system, he would
had received to that communication found no observe, was a very valuable adjunct to the business
fault with the newspaper report of the case, but of the society. He need not say much then with re-
i: stated that the witness being requested to spect to the advantages and assistance which the so-
make the sign of the cross was made in accordance
ciety derived from its most efficient officers. On a
with the usual practice of the Clerkenwell Police-
former occasion he had the pleasure of bearing testi-
court. The answer added that the magistrate did not mony to the efficiency of their medical officers, as
discredit the evidence of the witness because he refused well as their manager and provincial auperinten-
to make the sign of the cross, but because the evidence
dent. The report alluded in complimentary terms
on the other side seemed to be the strongest,
to those oflicers, and for his own part
and the most to be relied on.—(Hear, hear.) he should reiterate what he had said on
Now he (Sir G. Grey) must confess that this practice
was one which he bad never heard of before while ho had previous occasions, and again bear his testimony
made inquiries of parties who were well informed on the to the value of their services. There was one sub-
aubject, and they seemed to think that the act of ject on which he wished to say a few words. It was
=wing the sign of a cross was quite voluntary on the with respect to their auditors. One of their auditors
part of the witness, and no magistrate had is right to in-
had retired, and there was at present only one. They
sist on a witness performing the ceremony before permit- had been obliged to accept the assistance of a gentle-
ting him to be sworn. It did not appear that the man who had very kindly offered his services. But
practice prevailed in any other police-court, nor did it
anian auditor was to be appointed, and his experience
prevail in any of the common law courts either in Eng-
in other com
land or Ireland,--(Hear, hear.) He had, therefore, pes led him to believe that pro-
directed a communioation to be made to Mr. Combe, evictors did not generally look with favour on the
directing that the practice should be forthwith aban- fact of directors nominating auditors. As a general
doned in the Clerkenwell Court.—(Che err.) rule, he thought the election of auditors should be left
Colonel FREESTUN presented a petition from the to the proprietors. Now, what they thought was, that
resident magietrates, churchwardens, overseers, master if there was a gentleman—a public accountant—who
mariners, and upwards of 500 other inhabitants of the would take the matter in his hands, it would be advis-
Island of Portland, in the county of Dorset, praying able to appoint such a man ; for though their ac-
that the House will make no alteration in the postal ar- counts might be small at present, there was every
rangements; and stating that a former petition presented
to the House, was unauthorised by the inhabitants gene- prospect that in the course of a few years they
would give the auditors work enough. There were
believedtwo ways by which the question might be met. He
rally, add signed in the Churches after Divine Service:
their deed required that a special meeting,
thereby making them the the atres of political discussion
a desecration which the petitioners conceived to be of a
far more serious nature, than the travelling of the mails after 21 days notice, should be held to elect an
and the delivery of letters on Sundays. auditor. This was an officer whose appointment
MONDAY'S BUSINESS. ought to be left in the proprietors' hands. In con-
ale. Emig sesked the Secretary of State for the elusion, he begged to move the adoption of the report
Home Department 'last was to be the business for which had been laid before the meeting. He then
Monday ? read the number of attendances given by each
Sir GEORGE GREY said the Australian Govern- director during the past year.
went Bill stood first for Monday. Mr. FULLER, in seconding the motion for the
POLICE IMPROVEMENT (SCOTLAND) BILL.
ad option of the report, said he hardly thought that
On the motion that the House should go into Com-
many people could be aware of the advantages con-
mittee on this Bill,
Mr. HUME said, having been informed that all the nected with that office. There wag not only the amount
material objections to this Bill coming from Scotland of the assurance, but the quality of it to be comi•
had bean removed he did not intend to oppose any oh dered. There was another thing which was not
atecle whatever to the Bill. known, be believed, and it was the value of
In answer to a question from Mr. COWAN, the shares in that society, which was still in its
The LORD ADVOCATE said it was not his inters- icfAncy. They did not want for applications, but
tion to go on with the Publio Health Bill to-night. they wanted capital. Any person taking shares in
The House then went into Committee. their society, not only got the interest upon it as
Clauses 1,2, 3,4, 5, were agreed to without dis- such, but got also the benefit of the money paid out
cuaaion. on loan ; and if the capital was increased 5,0001. the

whole of that could be expended in loans connected
with life assurances. In addition to the interest on
the loans, they had also the advantage of a life assur-
ance. But in giving loans they did not always take a
life assurance. And then there was also the bonus to
accrue to the families of the parties after a short time.
Considering the progress which had been already made,
he felt that be was justified in saying their ratio of im-
provement would not be arithmetical but geometrical,
and must not be calculated by adding, but doubling.
The resolution was then put and carried.
The directors named in tha report were then bid-
lotted for and re=elected.
The CHAIRMAN then said he did not think they
could take any other step for the present with respect
to the auditor. If the proprietors could get a gentle-
man, a good public accountant, to qualify for the
ffiee, the directors would be happy to co-operate
with them.
Mr. limo then proposed, and Mr. LEuu seconded,
a proposition that twenty guineas should be paid to
the auditors of last year.
Carried unanimously.
After a few words from gr,Fpnx,xu, on the subject
of the appointment of an auditor,
The CHAIRMAN said that Mr. Addison, the pros
vincial superintendent of the society, was present, and
would be happy to give the meeting any information
it might require.
Mr. ADDISON went into a detail of the werations
of a tour of inspection which he had made, end gave
it as the result of his observation that the business of
the society would increase in the next year even to a
still greater extent than in the past.
Mr. FULLER then said, the feeling of the directors
led them to propose a vote of thanks to the managing
officers of their society, to whose zeal and assiduity
it was so much indebted.
Mr. V. NEALE, in seconding the resolution, also
bore testimony to the efficiency of the society's
officers.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Mr. CAssaoux and Mr. ADDISON respectively re-
turned their acksowledgments to the directors and
the meeting.
Mr. V. NEALE also proposed a vote of thanks, in
highly complimentary terms, to the medical officers.
The CHAIRMAN said, if he thought that they had
not been included in the former resolution, he would
have moved the addition to it.
Dr. FULLER acknowledged the compliment paid
him, and said he and Mr. Smith (who stood beside
him) would always give their best attention to the
interests of the society.
LEGH, in moving a vote of thanks to the Chair-
man and directors, took the opportunity of contrast-
ing the great advance, in proportion to its time of
existence, which their society had made with the
position of other similar societies. There was one
successful society which, after six years of existence,
had not more policies than theirs had at the present
moment. He would venture to predict that their
society, after the lapse of six years, would have .5,000
policies, instead of 3,000.
The resolution, having been seconded by Mr.
Blyth, was carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks on behalf of him-
self and brother directors.
The usual vote of thanks to the Chairman of the
meeting having been then passed and responded to,
the meeting separated.

SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.
(From the Montreal Pilot.)
We have received the following communication
from Sir George Simpson :