appears to me to lie in the grave risk of the bankruptcy of the fund in the event of a serious war. If 5,000 seamen subscribers were killed during a war 1,000,000l. might become payable, while even a single disaster, such as the loss of a ship like the "Captain," might prove a grave embarrassment. No actuary could form any estimate based on such a speculative possibility. Parapraph g:-The assent of the Treasury to the appropriation of these sums might be obtained.

Paragraph h:-If the tables are soundly calculated there ought never to be a reserve fund much in excess of the actual requirements for the amounts insured. A copy of the report of the Pensions Committee is forwarded herewith. 1 have marked the passages which refer more particularly to age pensions and the formation of a Widows' Pensions Fund. I have, &c. (Signed) W. S. CAINE.

Benefits of Greenwich Hospital.

The primary objects of the foundation of Greenwich Hospital were the relief and support of old and disabled scamen of the Navy, objects which are now mainly met by the award of pensions from naval funds, and about 107,000l., or about 66 per cent. of the total income of Greenwich Hospital, which is annually spent in age pensions, special pensions, and for defraying the charges of maintaining men in naval hospitals.

Age pensions were established in 1865 upon the recommendation of a Committee presided over by Mr. Childers. In the report of that Committee it is stated::

"Two modes suggested themselves to the Committee for dealing with Greenwich Hospital pensions; one by an allowance of 6d. a day to naval and marine life pensioners on reaching the age of 55 years; the other by an allowance of 5d. a day, or 71. 128. a year at 55 years of age, and after five years on pension; to be increased at the age of 70 years, and after 10 years on pension, to 9d. a day, or 137. 128, a year."

"The first plan, which would continue uniform through life, was estimated at 46,000l. a year, the latter, assuming the number of pensioners above the age of 70 to be one third of the whole at 48,000l."

The Committee considered that, although much might be said of the single rate of 6d. a day, they thought it desirable to adopt the latter plan on the grounds that "it afforded to the seamen as their infirmities and wants of age increased some addi"tional means of mitigating the one and meeting the "other."

It was, as stated, on this report that the age pensions were founded, the Committee calculating that 5,000 such pensions would be in force at one time, and be sufficient to provide for all eligible candidates, and this number was fixed as the limit.

This calculation, however, proved fallacious. In 1865, 3,000 age pensions were bestowed; in the following year this number was increased by 1,000. In 1868 the number rose to the maximum of 5,000. In 1869 the limit of 5,000 was abolished. In 1875 the Board decided to give the increased age pension at the age of 65, five years earlier than that contemplated by Mr. Childer's Committee. By Her Majesty's Order in Council of 29th June 1878 the number of age pensions was restricted, the maximum number to be in force at one time being assessed at 7,500; no award allowed pensioners in the receipt of a naval pension of 2s. 6d. a day, and men were only allowed to receive so much Greenwich age pension as would make up their combined pensions to that limit.

Men, however, who have already received the age pension of 5d. a day are awarded the higher rate of 9d. a day at 65 years of age, quite irrespective of this restriction.

At the present time, we find that, notwithstanding the various office restrictions, the age pension list is full, and that there are many eligible candidates waiting for age pensions. This is mainly due to the fact that over 5,000 of the present 7,500 were in force before the adoption of the present restrictions, and these were in most cases granted to men who would not now be eligible. In order that justice should be done to the most deserving cases, as vacancies occur in the age pension list, a form of recommendation has been adopted, giving full particulars as to each man's means, his family, and his capacity to work. This latter point is tested by medical evidence in every case, and no man is awarded an age pension unless it is conclusively established by medical survey that he is incapable, or

only in a small degree capable, of making any exertion towards his own livelihood.

Pensioner Reserve.

The only class of men who are exempted from these Seamen regulations are those pensioners who have completed certain drills in the Seamen Pensioner Reserve. In establishing this reserve the inducement of an age pension (as a right) was held out, to be awarded at the early age of 50 years, regardless of any restriction. There are about 150 such pensions in existence.

The second class of pensions awarded from the funds of Greenwich Hospital are styled special pensions. Special pensions were created in 1869, and formed the last chapter to the closing of Greenwich Hospital. These are granted at rates not exceeding 1s. 6d. a day, inclusive of naval pension, if any. They were established for old and infirm men who had seen some service under the Crown, and as a means to prevent seamen who had any claim on the State from appealing to public charity or the work house.

'The amount at first though needful for this purpose was 20,000l. a year, but the pensions were granted in so liberal a manner that the expenditure exceeded this limit, and it was found desirable to be more cautious in the awards, and to exact greater claims before the bestowal of these pensions.

In April 1880 an Order in Council was obtained to increase the special pensions to 22,000l. a year, and this amount, coupled with the various restrictions now placed on awards, is found amply sufficient to meet every deserving case that comes forward.

Greenwich Hospital also grants to the wives or children of inmates a weekly allowance of 38., and 18. to the pensioner himself.

Greenwich special per

sions.

maintaining

These grants, and the charge for the maintenance of Cost of pensioners and others in naval hospitals at the expense pensioner of Greenwich Hospital, amount to about 8,000l. a year. in hospitals. The mode adopted in regard to the latter is to debit Greenwich Hospital Funds with the cost of the man's maintenance, fixed at 2s. 6d. a day, and to credit Greenwich Hospital Funds with the man's pension, if any.

We have carefully considered the objects that were Age penin view when the age pensions were established, and sions. we have given due weight to the many advantages they possess; but we are of opinion that in their present form they should be altogether discontinued, and the money thus set free devoted to other purposes. Pensioners now-a-days have so many opportunities of earning a livelihood, even after the age of 60, that age in itself cannot be considered as a test of a man's capacity to work, and this capacity we consider should be the sole guide for assistance from Greenwich Hospital Funds.

Greenwich Hospital was an asylum for broken down scamen and marines; none were admitted who were supposed to be capable of working, and as age pensions were given in lieu of this asylum, it may very fairly be argued that neither should these pensions be given to men who are capable of earning a livelihood.

The sailor who has devoted the best days of his life in the service should be liberally provided for, and when the time has come that he can no longer battle with the world the State should provide for him in his declining years; but it can never be contended that hale and hearty men should be recipients of charity.

From the manner in which age pensions were at first bestowed the men have become to regard them as a right, and they argue that the larger the pensions they have the greater must have been their service, and therefore the greater rights do they possess to receive an age pension.

No hardship whatever is inflicted upon these men. On joining the naval service they certainly could look forward to being admitted to Greenwich Hospital as a home when they were disabled or past work, at the same time surrendering their pensions. The value of this home was by the men themselves assessed at 2s. a day, that being the maximum combined pension gladly accepted by the in-pensioners in 1869, which resulted in the closing of Greenwich Hospital.

Men with large pensions seldom sought shelter in Greenwich Hospital, and any worn-out pensioner who is infirm and helpless has still an asylum to look to, as he can be admitted into one of the naval hospitals as a permanent inmate, and receive every possible care and kindness.

enormous

As we said before, we can see no sufficient reason for maintaining age pensions; they form an charge upon Greenwich Funds, being nearly half of the income, and they have been or are for the most part held by men who would never have sought admission into Greenwich.

We would propose to abolish age pensions, and extend the award of special pensions, which might be styled" Greenwich Hospital Pensions."

Special pensions are most beneficial, and by a judicious enlargement of the system under which they are granted, they can be brought to meet the case of every man, whether pensioner or not, and to satisfy the claims of every man who has any rights to the benefits of Greenwich Hospital.

These pensions possess the additional advantage of only being awarded from year to year, they are given on medical evidence, and they are bestowed entirely irrespective of age, and serve the same purpose as when Greenwich Hospital was in existence, viz., to afford either pecuniary aid or treatment in a naval hospital. It may be remarked owing to the restrictions that have been placed on the award of age pensions, age and special pensions are now bestowed upon precisely the same basis, viz., the question of health, and are given according to the man's capacity to work, although many would be eligible for an age pension but not for a special pension, the limit of combined awards in regard to the first being 2s. 6d. a day and in regard to the last only 18. 6d. These regulations appear to be well devised, and to require no alteration as regards the eligibility of men for the awards.

We would propose to extend the limit to 28. a day in cases of men with life naval pensions, the computed value of a home in Greenwich Hospital. To men not in receipt of naval pensions the limit might be fixed at 1s. 6d., whilst to men who had completed a third engagement we would increase the combined naval and Greenwich Hospital pension to 2s. 6d. a day.

In very exceptional cases, where men have been so severely wounded or injured as to necessitate attendants, their Lordships might take power to make up the naval and Greenwich Hospital pensions to 3s. 6d. a day.

With the scope of the special pensions extended as proposed, the Admiralty would have the assurance that no seaman or marine who had worthily served, and who was incapable of work, need seek shelter in the workhouse or ask for alms; and, on the other hand, that no man was receiving charity to keep him in idleness.

As regards the second class of widows, the creation of the fund from which their annuities could be granted is dependent on their Lordships' adoption of our proposal to discontinue the award of the Greenwich Age Pensions. This question is not one of extreme urgency, and to determine the steps necessary to be taken for establishing such a fund, which could only be introduced gradually, would necessarily occupy much time, and cause great delay in the presentation of this Report. We have not, therefore, attempted to formulate any detailed scheme of pensions for these widows. We would only state that we are satisfied that with an income of about 50,000l. a year from Greenwich Funds, which the abolition of the age pensions would eventually set free for this purpose, supplemented by contributions from the men, the establishment of a general pension scheme for widows would be quite practicable. The amount of the pensions payable from such a fund would require to be actuarially determined, and in such calculation the amounts and conditions of the contributions received from the men would form an important element. We are strongly of opinion that the establishment of such a fund would more than any other appropriation of Greenwich moneys increase the attraction of service in the Navy.

Our Navy stands, in regard to any State provision for the widows and families of its seamen, in an inferior position to the French and German navies, in both of which such a provision exists.

The desirability of introducing some arrangement for this object into our Navy has frequently been discussed, but no satisfactory scheme has yet been propounded.

The following remarks are offered not as attempting to suggest any scheme of Government pensions for widows and orphans, but in order to indicate what may be regarded as the men's own means of assisting themselves in this respect, if encouraged by a system of free Government administration of any arrangement which may be sanctioned, and of some Government assistance in cases of calamity and infirmity.

The annexed statement shows that in the last financial year for which an appropriation account has been prepared, i.e., 1879-80, the aggregate pay and allowances of the petty officers and scamen of the fleet and coastguard, and of the marines afloat and on shore, were as follows, viz. :—

No. of men, 48,383. Aggregate pay and allowances

Per Annum.

£

1,676,240

ance for the current necessities of his family or friends; and depositing such surplus money as he may think proper in a savings bank or other provident institution. The above amounts are not strictly correct, as the clothing and allotments of boys are included; but, without considerable expenditure of labour, there are no means of eliminating them.

It is true that the men received in addition to the above amounts about 145,000l. in payment for savings of their provisions, but this sum may be assumed to have been expended by them mainly in the purchase of other articles of diet or necessaries for their messes.

It would be satisfactory if the foregoing amounts could be accurately distributed between the married and single men of the navy. This, however, is not practicable, as no sufficient data exist for determining in what proportions the foregoing allotments, remittances, or deposits in bank, &c. were effected by the respective classes.

Still, from an analysis of some of the lists, it may be estimated, broadly, that about 30 per cent. of the allotments and remittances, and about 13 per cent. of the deposits, were made by married men.

A census of the navy taken in 1879* showed that of a total number of 47,898 petty officers and seamen serving in the navy and coastguard, including marines, 14,978 or 31 per cent. were married.

In this ratio it may be estimated that of the 48,383 men before referred to, 14,999 were married, and 33,384 single. And on the foregoing basis the pecuniary position of these two groups of men may be assumed to be somewhat as follows, viz. :

The first of these two columns may represent a fair estimate of the average available resources for personal expenditure, or family provision, of each individual of the entire body of married men in the fleet, coastguard, and marines, after making the deductions alluded to at page But it has to be borne in mind that, as the allotments and remittances, as well as the deposits in banks, are almost wholly made by the men afloat, the available means of this section of the men for personal expenditure would appear to be inferior to those of the marines and coastguard on shore, the latter of which forces consists, to the large extent of 94 per cent., of married men. These figures, however, necessarily apply only to results exhibited in the public accounts; the family expenditure of men ashore being conducted by themselves, and not appearing in the form of allotments, remittances, &c.

The census of 1879 above alluded to, established the additional facts that the average age of the entire navy (excluding officers, but including boys) was about 27, that of the 31 per cent. of the force who were married was 34, and that of their wives 31.

This proportion of married men does not hold good as regard pensioners, the great majority of whom are married.

In considering what family provision could be effected by the men themselves, with the available means at their disposal, it is obvious, that for a married man, without family, a survivorship annuity for his wife would be the cheapest arrangement.

But this would, in many of such cases, be expedient, and would involve the loss of all the premiums, should the husband survive the wife. It could, however, no doubt, be arranged with the National Debt Office, if desired, in exceptional cases.

And there is the further grave objection to any comprehensive system of pensions, or annuities, for widows

Parliamentary Paper of 11 August 1879, No. 359.

on

of seamen and marines, that, to be effectual, it must be so extensive a scale, and must necessitate so elaborate a machinery of periodical payments, and accounts, as would be both onerous and costly to the State.

A system of Insurance, however, open to the whole fleet, administered under proper restrictions as to state of health, &c., and which would secure to the seaman or marine in every instance the full value of his premiums, and which would also, to a large extent, be divested of the objections to a pension system,-would appear to be that best adapted to the necessities of the navy, and that for working which facilities could best be afforded by the Admiralty.

From the tables published by the National Debt Office of premiums for iusurance of lives, &c. (1880), it appears that a man, at the average age of the married men of the navy and marines (34), can insure his life for 1001., for the annual premium of 21. 12s. 2d., or about 11 per cent. of the 241. shown above as the average available means at his disposal. The age at marriage being somewhat lower, the premium, if insurance were at once effected, would be somewhat less.

This is the ordinary premium for persons residing in the United Kingdom, and a higher premium would no doubt be required in respect of men exposed to the risks and varying climates of a sailor's life. But it is possible, that by arrangement with the National Debt Office, and by avoiding the trouble and expense of collection of premiums, more advantageous terms than those ordinarily demanded might be obtained for seamen and marines.

The man would, at his discretion, determine the amount of his insurance; and the sum thus insured might, at his death, be paid over as directed by him to his widow, children, or others to whom he might bequeath it. Or it might be so left as to be applied in part to assisting his widow in starting her in an occupation, to enable her to earn her own livelihood; or in payments to trustees or others for the support of his children until able to help themselves.

Insurance, being for life, would not, however, terminate with the period of active service; and a difficulty in regard to any such arrangement may be considered as likely to arise when a man may leave the active service and enter on pension. But as the average pension of the fleet and coastguard is about 311. per annum, it is improbable that a man who had for several years paid insurance premiums when in active service would willingly forfeit the whole by neglecting or refusing to continue them when on pension; especially as at the average age (39 to 41) when pension is attained the man is usually in full vigour and able to earn an independent livelihood.

And, in a provident scheme of this character, which would not only be an invaluable boon to the seaman and his family, but also to the State in its operation as a link to the service, the beneficial effect on its general tone, and as constituting an important deterrent to desertion, it is not too much to hope that the Government would afford reasonable inducements for effecting insurances, would lend cordial assistance in the collection of premiums both during active service and when on pension, and would also assist in the due appropriation of the sums insured, or, if desired, in the purchase of Government Annuities for survivors.

As regards men in the active service, this could readily be arranged by permitting the premiums to be abated on ships' ledgers, or on the marine or coastguard pay lists; and as regards pensions, by allowing corresponding abatements to be made from the pcriodical payments of pensions by the several paying officers.

Accounts would be required to be kept of the sums thus from time to time received from each insurer, as well as of the insurances or annuities eventually purchased and paid.

But the additional clerical staff required for such a purpose would not be considerable; while an inestimable benefit would thus be conferred on the whole naval service.

There would, however, arise this difficulty as regards one class of premiums, viz., that men retired not on long service pensions but on temporary or inferior life pensions on account of disability, and who at present number over 5,000, would probably be unable to continue their full insurance premiums. But to aid such cases it would be advisable, and legitim te, to utilise some portion of the large amount (about 76,000l. per anuum) now somewhat lavishly disbursed as Greenwich

Hospital Age Pensions; and it might also be found practicable to appropriate to this object the whole or a con-siderable part of the amount (about 7,000/. per annum) now annually surrendered to the Exchequer on account of fines, or mulets on account of leave-breaking, &c. (see Parliamentary Return of 7th September 1880, No. 424).

The labour and costliness of any scheme of Government pensions for the widows and orphans of all the seamen and marines of the Navy would no doubt preclude the possibility of its being entertained, at least on any general or adquate scale.

But a system, under which the principle of self-help would be appealed to, aided by a sense of security in regard to the eventual return to the man's family, or friends, of the full value of the premiums paid, and assisted by gratuitous Government administration, and by a certain amount of Government aid in cases of infirmity or incapacity, would probably have a good prospect of success, and seems worthy of consideration.

With such facilities afforded to seamen and marines for making provision for their families, the Government would feel justified in considering it incumbent on itself to meet only the cases of men killed or drowned on duty, dying from injuries or diseases contracted in the service, or lost in such calamities as those of the "Eurydice," "Atalanta," and "Doterel." And in these exceptional cases it would probably suffice if the men's insurances and deposits in savings banks, &c., added to the present graut of a year's pay from Greenwich Hospital Funds, were supplemented by such assistance as might be found needful from the 76,000l. now annually disbursed as Greenwich Age Pensions.

The foregoing suggestions may be summarised asI. To encourage providence, and family provision, in the Navy, by affording facilities for effecting life insurances an advantageous terms.

It might also be found practicable to afford some moderate contribution from the Government in aid of the premiums of men effecting insurances. II. To assist insurers who may have to leave the service in consequence of illness or accident in keeping up their payments of premiums.

1

66

Its registered office shall be at the Admiralty, Whitehall, London, in the county of Middlesex; and in the event of any change in the situation of the registered office, notice of such change shall be sent within 14 days thereafter to the Registrar of Friendly Societies, in manner and form provided by the Treasury Regulation in that behalf.

2. The Coast Guard Life Insurance Fund is established for the purpose of providing, by the voluntary subscriptions of the members, with the aid of donations and fines, for insuring money, not exceeding 2001., to be paid absolutely on the death of a member.

3. The management of the fund shall be vested in a committee, and a secretary, who shall also act as treasurer; and all moneys received on account of contributions, donations, fines, or otherwise, shall be applied towards carrying out the objects of the society, according to the rules and tables thereof.

4. The Secretary of the Admiralty for the time being, the Superintendent of Naval Reserves and Coast Guard for the time being, and his Secretary for the time being, shall be, if willing to serve, ex-officio members of the committee, and the society shall have power to add to their number; and the secretary and auditors shall be appointed by the committee.

5. The secretary shall be paid at the rate of 88. 4d. per quarter for every 100 members; and the auditors shall be granted a sum not exceeding 51. 58. a year for their services.

6. The funds not required for immediate use shall be invested, in the names of trustees, in such of the following securities as the committee direct; and no power shall be vested in any one of such trustees, nor of the committee, to appropriate any portion of the amount subscribed; but every order for payment of any sum whatever (and such order is to specify the amount thereof) shall be signed by two of the committee, as well as by the secretary.

The Public Funds of Great Britain or India, or Bank

LIFE INSURANCE FUND.

The bonds or debentures of any of the colonies or dependencies of Great Britain, which shall be guaranteed by the Home or Colonial Government.

The stock or debentures of any railway company in the East Indies, the dividends or interest on which shall be guaranteed by H.M. Secretary of State for India, or the Indian Government.

The bonds or bebentures, or debenture or preference or preferred stock, of any railway company in Great Britain incorporated by Act of Parliament, whose ordinary stock at the time of loan shall be at or above par on the London Stock Exchange.

7. According to the provisions of the Friendly Societies Act, 1875, the trustees shall not be liable to make good any deficiency in the funds; but shall be liable only for moneys actually received by them respectively on account of the fund.

8. A copy of every resolution appointing a trustee shall be sent within fourteen days to the Registrar in the form prescribed by the Treasury Regulations.

9. It shall be the duty of the committee to provide the secretary with a sufficient number of copies of the rules to enable him to deliver to any person on demand a copy of such rules, on payment of a sum not exceeding one shilling; and of the secretary to deliver such copies accordingly.

10. The accounts shall be regularly entered in proper books; separate accounts being kept of all moneys received or paid on account of every particular fund or benefit assured by the society, for which a separate table of contributions payable is adopted, distinct from all moneys received and paid on account of any other benefit or fund.

A separate account shall also be kept of the expenses of management, and of all contributions on account thereof.

The accounts shall be audited at least once in every year by public accountants; and an annual return shall be printed and issued to the members, showing the receipt and expenditure up to the 31st December then last, duly certified by such auditors; together with a statement of the affairs of the fund since the last annual

11. Every year before the 1st June, an annual return of the receipts and expenditure, funds and effects, and of the number of members of the fund, up to the 31st December then last inclusively, as audited, shall be sent to the Registrar of Friendly Societies, as required. by the Friendly Societies Act, 1875.

A return of mortality, as required by the said Act, shall also be furnished to the Registrar within six calendar months after the expiration of every five years succeeding the 31st of December 1875; and a valuation of the assets and liabilities of the fund, including the estimated risks and contributions, shall be made once at least in the five years following the registry of the society, and within six calendar months after the expiration of every succeeding five years.

A copy of the last annual balance sheet, together with the report of the auditors, and of the last quinquennial valuation shall be always hung up in a conspicuous place at the registered office of the society.

12. The books and accounts of the fund shall be open to the inspection of any member or person having an interest in the fund, at all reasonable times, at the office of the fund; and it shall be the duty of the secretary to produce them for inspection.

13. It shall be the duty of the committee of management to provide the secretary with a sufficient number of copies of the annual return, or of some balance sheet or other document duly audited, containing the same particnlars as to the receipts and expenditure, funds and effects of the society, for supplying gratuitously every member or person interested in the funds of the society, on his application, with a copy of the last annual return of the society or of such balance sheet or other document for the time being, and it shall be the duty of the secretary to supply such gratuitous copies on application accordingly.

14. All officers and men serving in the coast-guard on shore, and in coast-guard cruisers or watch vessels, and any officers of the fund, shall be eligible for admission as members of the fund, provided they are under the age of 50, and provided their health is in a satisfactory condition; and all persons who are admitted as members shall remain members for life (except as provided for in rule No. 23) unless they are dismissed from the coast-guard, or leave otherwise than on retirement, in which case they shall cease to be members, and shall be dealt with under rule 25.

15. The subscription shall be at the rates of 6s., 128., 188., and 24s. a year, and so on in proportion, and shall be paid in advance (monthly, quarterly, or half-yearly, as each member desires,) to the station officer, or officer in command of the cruiser or watch vessel, who shall duly enter each payment, at the time it is made, on a subscription card supplied to him for that purpose; and shall remit the amount so received, together with the card, to the secretary of the fund through the divisional officer, half-yearly, as soon as possible after the 1st of June and 1st of December in each year, under such arrangements as the committee may, from time to time, authorise to be made.

16. The subscription card shall be kept hung up in a conspicuous position at the station, or watch house, or on board the cruiser or watch vessel, so that all members may see that their payments have been duly recorded; and when the money has been received by the secretary, he shall sign the card as a receipt, and return it to the station officer, who shall again hang it up for the satisfaction of the members.

17. The following shall be the table of insurance :—

If any question shall arise as to the correct age of a person who desires to become a member, the age given by him on first entry into the Navy shall be taken as his correct age, according to the custom of the service.

In the event of the coastguard being called out for actual service against the enemy, the advice of an actuary shall be taken as to the necessity for increasing the premiums; and if it shall be found necessary to do so, the committee shall have full power to increase the premiums accordingly.

19. Each member on joining the fund shall be supplied, on payment of a sum not exceeding one shilling, with a copy of the rules of the fund, together with a certificate, signed by the secretary, to the effect that he has insured his life for a certain sum under such rules; and attached to such certificate shall be a nomination form, on which the member may fill in, in the presence of a witness, the name of the person, allowed by the Friendly Societies Act, to whom he wishes the money insured to be paid at his death.

20. If such name is not filled in prior to death, and duly witnessed, the sum insured shall be payable, without letters of administration, to the person who appears to the majority of the trustees, upon such evidence as they deem satisfactory, to be entitled by law to receive the same.

21. No money shall be paid by the society upon the death, otherwise than at sea, of a member or other person whose death is or ought to be entered in any register of deaths, except upon the production of a certificate of such death under the hand of the registrar of deaths, or other person having the care of the register of deaths in which such death is or ought to be entered; and whenever the trustees, after the death of any member, pay any sum of money to the person who at the time appears to them to be entitled thereto, the payment shall be valid and effectual against any demand made upon them by any other person.

22. The sum assured shall be payable immediately on receipt by the committee of a registrar's certificate of death, accompanied by the nomination form.

23. Subscriptions shall be payable for the month, quarter, or half-year in advance; and if any member shall be in arrears for six months he shall be fined 6d. ; and for every month beyond six months he shall be fined 6d. ; and at the end of 12 months, unless he pays up his arrears and fines in full, his name shall, after due notice has been given, be removed from the list of members; and he shall forfeit all contributions heretofore paid, together with every advantage he might have derived therefrom.

24. The committee may, however, at their discretion, re-admit such member at any future time, upon his paying up all arrears and fines as above.

25. If after having duly made his payments for a period of five years, a member shall be unable to continue, or shall desire to discontinue, such payments, one third of the whole sum paid by him shall be returned to him; provided always that all arrears and fines are paid up to the date of the claim for such return of premiums. No claim for a return of the premiums will be valid unless it be made within one twelvemonth from the date of the last payment of premium.

26. The society may at any time be dissolved by the consent of five sixths in value of the members, including honorary members, if any, testified by their signatures to some instrument of dissolution in the form provided by the Treasury Regulations in that behalf, and also by the written consent of any person for the time being receiving or entitled to receive any relief, or other benefit from the funds of the society, unless the claim of such person be first duly satisfied, or adequate provision made for satisfying such claim; the value of members to be ascertained by giving one vote to every member, and an additional vote for every five years that he has been a member, and to no one member more than five votes in the whole.

27. It shall be the right of one fifth of the total number of members, or if the number of members shall at any time amount to 1,000, and shall not exceed 10,000, it shall be the right of 100 members, or if the number shall at any time exceed 10,000, it shall be the right of 500 members, by an application in writing to the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies, signed by them in the form respectively provided by the Treasury Regulations in that behalf

(a.) To apply for the appointment of one or more inspectors to examine into the affairs of the society, and to report thereon.