duty to any society, assuring after the passing of this act, payment of a sum exceeding 100l. or of an annuity exceeding 301., or of a sum in sickness exceeding 20s. a week.

A clause prohibiting a re-deposit of moneys with the National Debt Commissioners without the consent of the Comptroller-General.

The new object for which a Friendly Society may be established under the present act, is for the purpose of enabling a member or any of his family to emigrate, which may be done, provided one of the trustees be a justice residing in the place where the society is established. The other objects for which a society may be established are the same as heretofore. The present act, however, limits the amount to be assured to 1007., or an annuity of 30l., or a sum in sickness not exceeding 20s. a week.

What we have above enumerated are the principal new provisions contained in the present act.

The act is not to apply to any Benefit Building Society established under 6 & 7 Will. 4, c. 32, and so much of the repealed Friendly Societies Acts as relate to such Building Societies, are to remain in force. A doubt has been suggested whether this applies to Benefit Building Societies which may be hereafter established under 6 & 7 Will. 4, c. 32, or whether it is not confined to such only as are now so established;

but we think it must be considered not to be so confined, but to apply to such Building Societies as may in future be so established. It is a question, however, not within the province of this work, which is merely an edition of the Friendly Societies Act; for the law of Benefit Building Societies we would refer the reader to the work on that subject by Mr. Thompson. Neither do we intend to enter into the financial question of Friendly Societies, as persons interested in their formation can peruse with advantage the second edition of the work of Mr. Scratchley, on Benefit and Emigration Societies.

THE

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES ACT.

13 & 14 VICT. CAP. 115.

An Act to consolidate and amend the Laws relating to Friendly Societies.-[15th August, 1850.];

Sect. 1. Repeal of 10 Geo. 4, c. 56; 2 & 3 Will. 4, c. 37; 4 & 5 Will. 4, c. 40; 3 & 4 Vict. c. 73; 9 & 10 Vict. c. 27.-Whereas many societies have been established in Great Britain and Ireland for the purpose of affording relief and maintenance to the members thereof in sickness, old age, or infirmity, and for other purposes of a provident and benevolent nature; and it is expedient to amend the laws relating to such Friendly Societies, and to make further provision for protection of the members against fraud and misapplication of their funds, and to consolidate the same in one act: be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that an act passed in the tenth year of His late Majesty King George the Fourth, intituled An Act to consolidate and amend the Laws relating to Friendly Societies; and also an act passed in the second year of his late Majesty King William the Fourth, intituled An Act to amend an Act of the Tenth Year of His late Majesty King George the Fourth, by extending the Time within which pre-existing Societies must conform to the Provisions of that Act; and also

B

an act passed in the fourth and fifth years of His late Majesty King William the Fourth, intituled An Act to amend an Act of the Tenth Year of His late Majesty King George the Fourth, to consolidate and amend the Laws relating to Friendly Societies; and also an act passed in the session of Parliament held in the third and fourth years of Her present Majesty, intituled An Act to explain and amend the Acts relating to Friendly Societies; and also an act passed in the session of Parliament held in the ninth and tenth years of Her present Majesty, intituled An Act to amend the Laws relating to Friendly Societies, shall be and the same are hereby repealed, except so far as any of the said acts repeal the whole or any part of any other acts, and except so far as the same may be applicable to any Benefit Building Society established under an act passed in the session of Parliament held in the sixth and seventh years of the reign of His late Majesty King William the Fourth: provided nevertheless, that such repeal shall not invalidate or affect anything which has been done before the passing of this act in pursuance of any of the said acts: provided also, that the provisions of the said acts, except as hereinafter provided, shall continue in force, as to all societies established under any or either of them before the passing of this act.

2. Objects for which Friendly Societies may be established; act limited to societies not assuring above 100l., or annuity of 301., or allowance of 20s. per week in sickness. And be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for any number of persons to establish a society or branch of the same under the provisions of this act, for the purpose of raising by voluntary subscriptions of the members thereof, with or without the aid of donations, a fund for any of the following objects; that is to say,

1. For insuring a sum of money to be paid, on the death of a member, to the widower or widow of a member, as the case may be, or to the child,

or to the executors, administrators, or assigns, of such member, or for defraying the expense of the burial of a member, or of the husband, wife, child, or kindred of a member; subject always to the restrictions hereinafter enacted in that behalf.

2. For the relief, maintenance, or endowment of the members, their husbands, wives, children, or kindred, in infancy, old age, sickness, widowhood, or any other natural state of which the probability may be calculated by way of average:

3. For insuring or making good any loss or damage of live or dead stock, goods, or stock in trade, implements and tools, sustained by any member by fire, flood, shipwreck, or any contingency of which the probability may be calculated by way of average:

4. For the frugal investment of the savings of the members for better enabling them to purchase food, firing, clothes, or other necessaries, or the tools, implements, or materials of their trade or calling, or to provide for the education of their children or kindred: provided, that the shares in any such investment society shall not be transferable, and that the investment of each member shall accumulate or be employed for the sole benefit of the member investing, or of the husband, wife, children, or kindred of such member, and that no part thereof shall be appropriated to the relief, maintenance, or endowment of any other person whomsoever; and that the whole amount of the balance due, according to the rules of such society, to such member, shall be paid to him or her on withdrawing from such society:

5. For the purpose of enabling any member, or the husband, wife, or children, or nominee, of such member, to emigrate; provided that, in case of any society for that purpose, one of the trustees shall be a justice of the peace residing in and acting for the county, borough, or place in which such society shall be established: