INTRODUCTION. . 
5 
provision for themselves or their families out of 
the fruits of their otvn industry. By the contri 
bution of the savings of many persons to one 
common fund the most effectual provision may he 
made for the casualties affecting all the contribu 
tors ; and it is therefore desirable to afford further 
facilities and additional security to persons avIio 
may be willing to unite in appropriating small 
sums from time to time to a common fund for the 
purposes aforesaid, and it is desirable to protect 
such persons against the effects of fraud or mis 
calculation ” (b). The preamble went on to recite 
that the provisions of preceding Acts had been 
found insufficient for these purposes, and great 
abuses had prevailed in many societies established 
under their authority. 
7. The statute proceeded to define a Friendly 
Society as “ an institution whereby it is intended 
to provide by contribution, on the principle of 
mutual insurance, for the maintenance or assist 
ance of the contributors thereto, their wives or 
children, in sickness, infancy, advanced age, widoAV- 
liood, or any other natural state or contingency, 
whereof the occurrence is susceptible of calcula 
tion by way of average.-” Not only the rules but 
also the tables were to be thenceforth submitted 
to justices, who, before confirming them, were to 
satisfy themselves that the contingencies which 
(b) It Avill be observed that though the problem of Iioav 
to keep a society sound was present to the legislature from 
a very early time, the expedient of a periodical valuation 
was not adopted till the Act of 1875 was passed.