Except so far as any of the said acts repeal the whole or any part of any other acts, and except as hereinafter is excepted: Provided, that such repeal shall not invalidate or affect any thing which has been done before the passing of this act in pursuance of any of the said acts.. § 1.

How Friendly Societies may be formed.—It shall be lawful for any number of persons in Great Britain and Ireland to form themselves into and to establish a society for the purpose of raising from time to time, by subscriptions of the several members of every such society, or by voluntary contributions, or by donations, a stock or fund for the mutual relief and maintenance of all the members thereof, their wives or children, or other relations, in sickness, infancy, advanced age, widowhood, or any other natural state or contingency whereof the occurrence is susceptible of calculation by way of average; and for the several members of each society to assemble together, and to make, ordain, and constitute such proper and wholesome rules for the better government and guidance of the same as to the major part of the members so assembled shall seem meet, so as such rules shall not be repugnant to the laws of this realm, nor any of the express provisions or regulations of this act; and to impose and inflict such reasonable fines and forfeitures upon the several members of any such society who shall offend against such rules as shall be just and necessary for duly enforcing the same, to be respectively paid to such uses, for the benefit of such society and also from time to time to alter and amend such rules as occasion shall require, or to annul and repeal the same, and to make new rules in lieu thereof. § 2.

Object of Societies. And every such society so to be established, before any of the rules thereof shall be confirmed by the justices, shall, in or by one or more of the rules, declare the intents and purposes for which such society is intended to be established, and shall also in and by such rules direct the uses and purposes to which the money which shall be subscribed, paid, or given to or for the use or benefit of such society, or which shall arise therefrom, or in anywise shall belong to such society, shall be appropriated and applied, and in what shares and proportions and under what circumstances any member or other person shall or may become entitled to the same or any part thereof: provided, that the application thereof shall not in anywise be repugnant to the uses, intents, and purposes of such society, or any of them. And all such rules, during the continuance of the same, shall be complied with and enforced; and the moneys so subscribed, paid, or given, or so arising, to or for the use or benefit of such society, or belonging thereto, shall not be diverted or misapplied, either by the treasurer, trustee, or any other officer or member of such society entrusted therewith, under such penalty or forfeiture as such society shall by any rule impose and inflict for such offence. 3.

Rules to be submitied to a Barrister.-A transcript, fairly writ

ten on paper or parchment, of all such rules, signed by three members, and countersigned by the clerk or secretary, with all convenient speed after the same shall be made, altered, or amended, and so from time to time after every making, altering, or amending thereof, shall be submitted, in England and Wales and Berwick-upon-Tweed, to the barrister at law for the time being appointed to certify the rules of Saving Banks, and in Scotland to the lord advocate or any of his deputies, and in Ireland to such barrister as may be appointed by his majesty's attorney general in Ireland, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the said rules or alteration or amendment thereof, are in conformity to law and to the provisions of this act; and the said barrister shall give a certificate thereof, or point out in what part they are repugnant thereto; and the fee payable to such barrister, shall not at any one time exceed the sum of one guinea, which, together with the expence of conveying the rules to and from the said barrister shall be defrayed by each society. And such transcript, when certified by the said barrister, shall be deposited with the clerk of the peace for the county wherein such society shall be formed, and by him laid before the justices for such county at the general quarter sessions or adjournment thereof, next after the time when such transcript shall have been so certified and returned; and the justices then and there present are authorized and required to allow and confirm the same. And such transcript shall be filed by such clerk of the peace with the rolls of the sessions of the peace in his custody; and a certificate of the enrolment thereof shall, within fourteen days after the end of the said sessions or adjournment thereof, be signed by such clerk on a duplicate copy, to be provided by and returned, to such society, without fee or reward. Provided, that nothing herein contained shall be construed to require any rules, alterations or amendments thereof, to be submitted to such barrister, if the same, when deposited with the clerk of the peace, are accompanied with an affidavit of being a copy of any of the rules, alterations, or amendments of any other society which shall have been already enrolled under the provisions of this act in the same county. § 4.

Manner of Proceeding in case Barrister shall refuse to certify.Provided, that in case any such barrister shall refuse to certify all or any of the rules so to be submitted for his perusal and examination, it shall then be lawful for any such society to submit the same to the court of quarter sessions, together with the reasons assigned by the said barrister, in writing, for any such rejection or disapproval of any one or more such rules; and the justices may, if they think fit, confirm and allow the same, notwithstanding any such rejection or disapproval. § 5.

Rules not to be allowed unless the Justices are satisfied with the Tables. No rules of any society shall be allowed unless it shall appear to the justices that the tables of the payment to be made by the members, and of the benefits to be received by them, may -be adopted with safety to all parties concerned. § 6.

Rules to be confirmed.-No such society shall have the benefit of this act, unless all the rules for the management thereof shall be entered in a book to be kept by an officer of such society ap pointed for that purpose, and which book shall be open at all seasonable times for the inspection of the members, and unless all such rules shall be fairly transcribed, and such transcript deposited with the clerk of the peace for the county wherein such society shall be established. But nothing contained herein shall extend to prevent any alteration or amendment of any such rules, or repealing or annulling the same, or any of them, in the whole or in part, or making any new rules, in such manner as by the rules of such society shall from time to time be provided; but such new rules, or such alterations or amendments of former rules, or any order annulling or repealing any former rules in the whole or in part, shall not be in force until the same respectively shall be entered in such book as aforesaid, and certified, when necessary, by such barrister as aforesaid, and until a transcript thereof shall be deposited with such clerk of the peace, who shall file and certify the same; and no such rule, or alteration in or amendment of any former rule, shall be binding or have any force or effect until the same shall have been confirmed by such justices, and filed as aforesaid. § 7.

Rules to be binding on Members.-All rules from time to time made and in force for the management of such society, and duly entered in such book, and confirmed by the justices, shall be binding on the several members and officers of such society, and the several contributors thereto, and their representatives, all of whom shall be deemed and taken to have full notice thereof by such entry and contribution; and the entry of such rules, or the transcript thereof deposited with such clerk of the peace, or a true copy of such transcript, examined with the original and proved to be a true copy, shall be received as evidence of such rules respectively in all cases; and no certiorari, suspension, advocation, reduction, or other legal process shall be brought or allowed to remove any such rules into any of his majesty's courts of record; and every copy of any such transcript deposited with any clerk of the peace shall be made without fee or reward, except the actual expence of making such copy. § 8.

Rules not to be altered but at a General Meeting.-No rule confirmed by the justices of the peace shall be altered, rescinded, or repealed, unless at a general meeting of the members, convened by public notice, written or printed, signed by the secretary or president or other principal officer or clerk, in pursuance of a requisition for that purpose by seven or more of the members of such society, which said requisition and notice shall be publicly read at the two usual meetings of such society to be held next before such general meeting for the purpose of such alteration or repeal; unless a committee of such members shall have been nominated for that purpose at a general meeting of the members of such society convened in manner aforesaid, in which case such

committee shall have the like power to make such alterations or repeal, and unless such alterations or repeal shall be made with the concurrence and approbation of three fourths of the members of such society then present, or by the like proportion of such committee, if any shall have been nominated for that purpose. § 9.

Place of Meeting.-The rules of every society formed under this act shall specify the place at which it is intended such society shall hold its meetings, and shall contain provisions with respect to the powers and duties of the members at large, and of such committees or officers as may be appointed for the management of its affairs. Provided always, that it shall be lawful for any such society to alter their place of meeting whenever they may consider it necessary, upon giving notice thereof in writing to the clerk of the peace for the county, the said notice to be given within seven days before or after such removal, and sigued by the secretary or other principal officer, and also by three or more of the members; and provided, that the place at which such society intend to hold their meetings shall be situate within the county in which the rules of the said society are enrolled. § 10.

Appointment of Officers.-Every such society may from time to time, at any of their usual meetings, or by their committee, if any such shall be appointed, elect and appoint such persons into the office of steward, president, warden, treasurer, or trustee, as they shall think proper, and also may from time to time elect and appoint such clerks and other officers as shall be deemed necessary, for such space of time and for such purposes as shall be fixed and established by the rules of such society, and from time to time to elect and appoint others in the room of those who shall vacate or die. And such treasurer, trustee, and every other officer or other person whatever who shall be appointed to any office in anywise touching or concerning the receipt, management, or expenditure of any money collected for the purpose of any such society, before he, she, or they shall be admitted to take upon him, ber, or them the execution of any such office or trust, (if required so to do by the rules of such society to which such officer shall belong), shall become bound in a bond, according to the form prescribed in the schedule to this act, with two sufficient sureties, for the just and faithful execution of such office or trust, and for rendering a just and true account according to the rules of such society, and in all matters lawful to pay obedience to the same, in such penal sum as by the major part of such society at any such meeting shall be thought expedient. And every such bond shall be given to the clerk of the peace of the county where such society shall be established, without fee or reward; and in case of forfeiture it shall be lawful to sue upon such bond in the name of the clerk of the peace, for the use of the said society, fully indemnifying and saving harmless such clerk of the peace from all costs and charges in respect of such suit: provided, that such bond shall have in Scotland the same force and effect as a bond

in the form in use in Scotland containing a clause of regis, tration. § 11.

Appointment of Committees.-And every such society may from time to time elect and appoint any number of the members to be a committee, the number thereof to be declared in the rules, and may delegate to such committee any of the powers given by this act, who, being so delegated, shall continue to act as such committee, for and during such time as they shall be appointed, for such society, for general purposes, the powers of such committee being first declared by the rules of such society, confirmed by the justices of the peace at their sessions, and filed in the manner hereinbefore directed; and in all cases where a committee shall be appointed for any particular purpose, the powers delegated to such committee shall be reduced into writing and entered into a book by the secretary or clerk; and a majority of the members of such committee shall at all times be necessary to concur in any act; and such committee shall, in all things delegated to them, act for and in the name of such society; and all acts and orders of such committee, under the powers delegated to them, shall have the like force and effect as the acts and orders of such society at any general meeting thereof could or might have had provided, that the transactions of such committee shall be entered in a book belonging to such society, and shall be from time to time and at all times subject and liable to the review, allowance, or disallowance and controul of such society, in such manner and form as such society shall by their general rules, confirmed by the justices and filed as aforesaid, have directed and appointed. § 12.

Duties of Treasurers and Trustees.-It shall be lawful for the treasurer or trustee of any such society, from time to time, with the consent of such society, to be testified in such manner as shall be directed by the general rules, to lay out or dispose of such part of all such sums of money as shall at any time be collected, given, or paid to and for the beneficial ends, intents, and purposes of such society, as the exigencies of such society shall not call for the immediate application or expenditure of, either on real or heritable securities or heritable property, (such securities to be taken in the name of such treasurer or trustee), or to invest the same in the public. stocks or funds, savings banks, or government securities, or in any of the chartered banks in Scotland, or in the bank of the Commercial Banking Company of Scotland, and not otherwise; and from time to time, to alter and transfer such securities and funds, and to make sale thereof respectively; and all the dividends, interests, and proceeds which shall from time to time arise from the moneys so laid out or invested as aforesaid shall from time to time be brought to account by such treasurer or trustee, and shall be applied to and for the use of such society, according to the rules thereof. § 13.

Treasurers &c. to render Accounts, and pay over Balances &c.Every person who shall have or receive any part of the moneys, effects, or funds of or belonging to any such society, or shall in

R