The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-23 00:00:00

ERAN CE.

BOURSE, JAN. 22.—Transactions very moderate,
yet prices well supported, and the main feature is a
alight increase of confidence.
Three o'clock..-,-The market closed as follows :

---- - --- -
4i- per Cent.
Bud of month... _— Italian Loan
3 per Cent
End of mouth 6B 60 Mexican Loan ... 17 50'
Credit Mobilier
End of mouth— 170 Spanish Threes 3725
Credit Fourier ...1378 75 Home Debt
End of m0nth...1372 50 Deferred —

RAILWAYS.

Account
Orleans ................................. .... 878
Northern
Lyons and Mediterranean
Southern....
Western
Eastern ............ .. 535
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard
North of Spain 6U
Saragossa
Roman

NORWICH UNION FIRE OFFICE.

ANNUAL MEETING.

On Tuesday last the annual general meeting of
the proprietors of this important institution was
held at the chief office, in Surrey-street. Upwards
of sixty proprietors were present, being a far larger
number than had ever before been brought together
on a similar occasion. The President (Mr. Chan-
ceilor Evans) took the chair, and
The SECRETARY (Sir Samuel Bignold) opened the
proceedings, first remarking that he had been the
artificer of this great and prosperous undertaking,
and during the 46 yearly meetings that had been
held, it had fallen to his lot to unfold the events of
the preceding year and their results, as he should do
with such pride and gratification this clay ' • the divi-
dend determined upon by the Board of Directors
amounting to 50 per cent. on the capital paid up in
the year 1821. Sir Samuel expressed his belief that
this was without example in the annuls of any
insurance office in the kingdom. The accounts
were :-
Ist. The cash account for the year ending 29th
September last.
. 2d. The proprietors' fund account, showing its
grand total, of which there existed as a reset ye
fund, wholly accumulated from past savings,
£110,905 Bs. 11d., which was available for the pro-
tection of the insuring public.
31. life insurance—a trade fund account in which
there was an item of £46,768—n0w available for
returns to the insurers on their policies taken out in
the last four years.
The reading of these accounts elicited the
warmest plaudits of the meeting.
The PRESIDENT rose and congratulated his fellow
proprietors on the most successful year which had
ever occurred in this, or, he believed, ally other
office, the fruits of which they would realise by a
dividend of £l5 per share, causing a distribution of
£33,000 amongst the 259 shareholders of whom the
company was composed.
The PRESIDENT invited criticism on the accounts,
and generally on the conduct of the great business
of this society, and several inquiries were made,
which were most satisfactorily answered by the
chairman and secretary, and eliciting from various
members expressions of satisfaction at the past, and
entire confidence in the future management of this
splendid institution.
The PRESIDENT concluded this part of the busi-
ness of the day by announcing that the dividend
for the past year would be payable on and after
Thursday, the 16th inst., at the bank of Gurneys
and Co., in this city.
The meeting then resolved itself specially to take
into consideration, and, if approved, to adopt two
resolutions agreed to at an extraordinary meeting
of the Board of Directors. These were :-
Ist. To establish a reserved fund for the special
object of protection against casualties in the foreign
business, such fund not to exceed £15,000.
2d. To sanction opening agencies at the city of
Havannah ; also at Rio Janeiro.
Resolutions carrying out these proposals were
moved by DONALD DALRY3IPLE, Esq. (who called
attention to lithographed .plans which were on the
Board table of these seats of business), and seconded
by B. J. HARVEY HARVEY, Esq., M.P., who warmly
advocated the prosecution of foreign insurance, but
was decidedly in favour of creating the proposed
reserved fund, which he believed would have a ten
dency to equalise future dividends.
Both proposals were affirmed by large majorities,
and the meeting broke up, after a two hours' sit-
ting, with expressions of high satisfaction at the
probabl,l future of this great and vastly-spreading
institution.
It was elicited in the course of the morning that
the total business on subsisting policies at the 29th
September, 1867, amounted to 83 millions.