12 
INTRODUCTION. 
payable for registry of rules of a branch or 
amendment of rules was reduced to 2.9. 6d. The 
privileges of investing money with the Commis 
sioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, 
and of payment of sums up to £50 without letters 
of administration, were to be granted to certified 
societies only. An elaborate form of annual 
return was provided. This Act was to be a tem 
porary Act, if not renewed after one year. 
17. In 1852, Industrial and Provident (or Co 
operative) Societies were taken out of the control 
of this Act, and a special Act passed in respect to 
them (15 & 16 Yict. c. 31). In the same session 
the Friendly Societies Act was continued and 
slightly amended, and it was again continued in 
1854. In 1853 (by 16 & 17 Yict. c. 123) the 
societies which granted assurances exceeding 
£200, &c., having been certified under old Acts, 
were restricted from investing their funds with the 
National Debt Commissioners, but received in 
exchange fuller powers of general investment. In 
1854 all societies which granted large assurances 
were discharged from the Friendly Societies Acts 
(17 & 18 Viet. c. 56J. 
18. In 1855 the law of Friendly Societies was 
again consolidated, with material amendments, 
by the 18 & 19 Viet. c. 63, which continued to 
be the principal statute to the commencement of 
the Act of 1875, on 1st January, 1876. By that 
Act the purposes for which a Friendly Society 
might be established, Avcre restricted to life assur 
ance, relief in old age, sickness and widowhood, 
endowments, and such purposes (ejusdem generis)