I 
INTRODUCTION. 
1. A new Edition o£ this Work having been 
called for (the Fourteenth from the first publica 
tion of “ The Law relating to Friendly Societies/’ 
by the late Mr. John Tidd Pratt (a), and the 
Second since the passing of the Friendly Societies 
Act, 1875, when the Work had to be re-written), 
the opportunity has been taken of embodying in 
the text the several amendments in the Friendly 
Societies Act, 1875, which were introduced by 
the Friendly Societies Amendment Act, 1876, 
and the new heading to section 30, which was 
provided by the Act to declare the true meaning 
of that section passed in the year 1879 (b) for 
the purpose of removing the doubt thrown upon 
that meaning by the decision of the Queen’s 
Bench Division in the case of Holt v. The United 
Patriots Friendly Society (c). Some important 
matters of practical interest which have arisen in 
the working of the Act have also been explained 
and additional forms of rules, &c., furnished (d). 
Part III. of the present Edition, which comprises 
(a) See p. 46. (b) 42 Viet. c. 9. 
(c) Law Hep. 4 Q. B. Div. 29. 
(d) The Treasury regulations and forms appended thereto 
have not, however, been reprinted in this Edition, as they 
are now published officially by Her Majesty’s Stationery 
Office, and may be obtained of Messrs. Shaw and Sons, 
agents for that department. 
B