3d, In case of the bankruptcy of a Treasurer or a Trustee, the debts due to the Society are to be satisfied in the first instance, before the demands of any other creditor. (Sec. 10.)

4th, All suits concerning the monies, goods, and chattels of the Society, may be carried on and defended in the name of the Treasurer or Trustees; and no suit is to discontinue or abate by the death or removal of such Trustee-but may be continued in the name of his successor. (Sec. 11.)

gth, The Societies are secured against fraudutent dissolutions, by a few members dividing the funds. (Sec. 12.)

6th, And provisions are made for settling in a prompt and easy manner any differences that may happen to arise among the members. (Sec. -15 and 16.)

SECTION II.

Of the Tables computed by Baron Maseres and Dr. Price, for ascertaining the Allowances that may be afforded in Sickness and Old Age; and some Cauti ons necessary to be observed in adjusting the Prohortion between Subscription and Benefit, and the Management of the Funds of a Friendly Society.

The greater the extent and importance of the advantages to be expected from the establishment of Friendly Societies, the greater is the attention necessary in adjusting the proportion between subscription and benefit, so as to secure their permanence and stability. It is observed by the learned editor of the last edition of Dr. Price's Treatise on Reversionary Payments*, "that it is ❝much to be lamented that the different paro"chial clubs which were established in Great "Britain at the time of the publication of that

General Preface, p. 32.

"word (scilt. in 1792) should in general be "founded on such erroneous principles; and, "That by the formation of rational plans for "this purpose, the many wretched schemes which "were then continually rising up to delude the

hopes of the poor would disappear, and the "indigent labourer and his family would look "forward without anxiety to seasons of sickness" " and old age." And Sir Frederick Eden, in his chapter on Friendly Societies at the end of "his 1st vol. p. 619, observes, "That a Society, "of only thirty years standing can only be con"sidered as a middle-aged club. As the clubs "at first consist entirely of young persons, be"tween thirty and forty years of age, and con"sequently during the first ten or twenty years "the funds have encreased very fast, societies "have been led to require subscriptions much "too moderate for the allowances they make for sickness and funerals; and many clubs in the "northern counties, which have been estab"lished fifty or fixty years, are now declining very " rapidly."

So far as these clubs have been established in Ireland, there is no reason to suppose that they have been founded upon more solid principles. On the contrary, there is reason to apprehend that their allowances have in general been too liberal for the subscriptions required, and that bankruptcy has been in many instances the consequence.

There is a circumstance of peculiar calamity attending the bankruptcy of a Friendly Society, "that it almost necessarily happens at the period "when the claims upon the fund are most numerous, that is, at the very moment when it is

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Scilt. of Great Britain,

B

most productive of misery and disappoint "ment." To point out the means of avoiding these dangers in future, it seems necessary to exhibit a short view of the tables which have been computed for settling the scale of allowances, whether in sickness or old age, proportioned to certain given contributions; and also to suggest some general cautions necessary to be observed for securing the permanence of Friendly Societies.

The benefits usually allowed by Friendly Societies are as follows:

Ist, Allowances in sickness.

2dly, Annuities in old age.

3dly, Allowances for the funerals of deceased members.

Sometimes a sum of money is payable to the widow or legal representative of a deceased member by the constitution of the society; and the terms and conditions on which allowances are granted, are modified in a variety of ways: for the purpose of general consideration, they seem however reducible to the above classes.

The bill which was introduced by Mr. Dowdswell in 1773, and which passed the House of Commons, provided only for the granting of annuities, and had no reference whatever to any provision or support in occasional sickness. To this bill two sets of tables were annexed, which were to serve as a guide to ascertain the terms on which annuities under the provisions of the bill were to be granted; the one for the city of London, the other for country parishes. The difference between the probabilities of life in great towns and the country, occasioned the necessity of two sets of tables; and the London table is more or less applicable to all great towns, according to their extent and circumstances.

These tables shewed the payment due (reckoning interest at 3. per cent.) for a life-annuity of 17. payable quarterly, to commence at any age from thirty-five to seventy-five; at all ages from fourteen and three-quarters to seventy-three and a half.

They are published in the Appendix to the 2d vol, of Baron Maseres's Treatise on LifeAnnuities. As they relate to annuities only, and as Dr. Price's Tables embrace the consideration of allowances in sickness also, it seems unnecessary to do more than refer the reader who may wish for more particular information, to Baron Maseres's Work, and direct his attention chiefly to Dr. Price's Tables.

These tables were computed by Dr. Price at the request of a Committee of the House of Commons of Great Britain, and were intended to form the foundation of a plan for enabling the labouring poor to provide support for themselves in sickness and old age, by small weekly savings from their wages.

The first table shews the weekly allowances: during incapacities of labour, produced by fickness or accidents, and the corresponding weekly contributions necessary to entitle persons to those allowances; and, according to this table, a person under thirty-two must pay id. per week to secure an allowance of 4s. per week in totol incapacity of labour (or what is termed bedlying-pay)» and 25. per week in partial incapacities (or what is termed walking-pay.)

From forty-three to fifty-one, the weekly payment must be one-half more; and from fifty-nine to sixty-four, it must be doubled, in order to support the same allowance. This table relates to allowances in sickness only; and does not take into consideration the

purchase of permanent annuities in old age; and it does not extend the computation beyond the age of 65; because, at that period, the permanent weekly allowance which is the subject of consideration in the following Table, is supposed to commence.

See said Table in Appendix (No. 2.)

The second Table shews the weekly allowance after 65 and 70, and the corresponding weekly contributions in early life necessary to support these allowances; and, according to this Table, a person under the age of 21 must pay id. per week, in order to entitle him to a permanent weekly allowance of 25. per week from 65 to 70, and an allowance of 4. per week after 70, for the remainder of his life, without receiving any benefit whatever in cases of sickness or accident at any period previous to 65. This Table being confined to the consideration of permanent weekly payments, as that of the former to occasional allowances, see said Table, Appendix (No. 2.)

The third Table is a combination of the other two, and shews the weekly allowances during sickness and old age, and the corresponding weekly contributions for supporting those allow

ances.

According to this Table, a person under 21 must pay 2d. per week in order to entitle him to' an allowance of 4s. per week bedlaying-pay, and 25. per week walking-pay, in all cases of occasional sickness and accidents, up to the age of 65; and a permanent weekly allowance of 25, per week from 65 to 70, and of 45. per week from 70 for the remainder of his life.

The contributions in this, as in the former Table (in order to support the same allowances) rise progressively in each succeeding year; so that a person who does not commence his pay