INTRODUCTION. 
27 
lowed. These societies were formerly registered 
as Friendly Societies under authority of the 
Secretary of State, though some of the provisions 
of 18 & 19 Viet. c. 63, are clearly inapplicable to 
such societies—an anomaly which the Act of 1875 
removes. 
50. The Treasury may authorize the registry of 
societies for any purpose to which the powers and 
facilities of the Act ought to be extended, and 
may limit the application of the Act as respects 
such “ specially authorized ” societies, to such of 
its provisions as may be specified in the authority 
for registry. The provisions as to quinquennial 
returns and valuation do not apply to such 
societies, unless so directed in the authority. The 
Treasury may allow to the rules of any such 
society the effect of a deed under seal, making 
the contributions recoverable as a debt. (See 
Art. 47, p. 26.) The power of authorizing registry 
of societies for special purposes was formerly 
vested in the Secretary of State, but the power to 
limit the application of the Act is new. 
51. Upon this provision the Chief Registrar 
has remarked (Report for 1875, p. 6), that it in 
fact restores in a safer form the old deposit of 
rules (which is now prohibited, and the benefits 
of which for existing societies ceased on 31st 
December, 1878), and will, if the power be judi 
ciously made use of, allow the extension of the 
Act, without its special privileges, to a number of 
different classes of societies which would either be 
virtually shut out of the law by the abolition of 
the deposit, or which can now only obtain under 
c 2