The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-01-25 00:00:00

NORWICH UNION FIRE-OFFICE.

On Tuesday, the 11th instant, the annual general
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advertisement. Between forty and fifty gentlemen at-
tended, and at twelve o'clock the President, Anthony
Hudson, Esq., took the chair, and called upon the Secre-
tary, Samuel Bignold, Esq., to open the proceedings,
which he did by reading the clauses of the deed of settle-
ment (which prescribed that this meeting should be held,
and the advertisement, as it appeared in the Gazette,
convening the same).
The PRESIDENT then proceeded to lay the accounts
before the shareholders, which he did with great minute-
ness and perspicuity, commenting on the items as he went
along, so that the fullest exposition of the affairs took
place. The president concluded by stating, that though
the year had not been favourable as to a diminution of
fires, for, in fact, it was in amount of loss above the aver-
age, yet there was an available balance, after providing
for every contingency, of £8,595. At the sitting of the
directors on the previous day, they had thought it right
to make an appropriation of £5,000 of this balance, leav-
ing in hand £3,595 to begin the next year's account. The
president observed that one-fifth of this appropriation
was, by the constitution of the office, available for the
yearly dividend to the shareholders, and being added to
the interest produced by their capital, enabled the direc-
tors to declare a dividend of £3 per share, or £lO per
cent. on the amount originally paid up. (Hear, hear.) He
felt himself justified in avowing, that in no period of the
past history of this great: office were its affairs.
a
more healthy or satisfactory position than at this time.
(Hear, hear.)
Some discursive discussion arose on many matters of
detail, in which Captain Money, Mr. Mottram, the Rev.
John Bailey, and other gentlemen, took part.
At the close, Mr. BIGNOLD shortly addressed the meet-
ing, stating that the dividend which had been declared
would be payable at the treasurers', Messrs. Gurneys, on
and after Thursday, the 13th instant. He further drew
the attention of the proprietors to the still onward course
of this great institution, which, the returns on the table
showed, had increased more than a quarter of a million in
.
its aggregate sums insured in the last year. attri-
buted to three causes—first, the great and distinctive
principle on which the office was founded, that of making
returns to the parties insuring ; no less than £21,072 had
been paid back in this way, between Michaelmas, 1831,
and Michaelmas, 1852, to those who had been insured in
the previous five years. (Hear, hear.) The second
ground of the greatness of this office was, he thought, to
be traced to the confidence of the public in its executive
management. Although its directors were known in this
city and county by their position and influence, they were
only known at distant points, (great seats of business of
this office,) viz., London, Liverpool, Manchester, Bir-
mingham, Bristol, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dub-
lin, by their strict and honourable fulfilment of the en-
gagements of the office, and in all these agencies their
business was prospering in a very high degree. The third
ground of the greatness of this office was, in his opinion,
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future success of the society would fully equal the past,
1852, 425.; and at this year was 60s. ',hear.) The business of the annual meeting being onclu.ded it
was declared special, formally to pass a resolution, sanc-
tioning the society's carrying on foreign insurances, Which,
after some explanation by the President, was approved
and confirmed.

The thanks of the meeting having been voted to the
president and directors for their able administration of the
affairs of the office, the meeting terminated.

Duty paid to Government in 1851, £74,100 15s. 3d.,
and the amount insured on farming stock, which is free of
duty, amounted to X 9,150,698.