APPENDIX  OF  CASES.

193

Aii  information  was  preferred  by  the  appellant  (as  parent
and  next  friend  of  Samuel  Burton,  a  member  of  the  Stoke
Bruern  Friendly  Society),  against  the  respondent,  as  secretary ­
  of  the  society,  for  that  Samuel  Burton,  a  member  of
the  society,  was  then  insane,  and  an  inmate  of  the  Northampton ­
  General  Lunatic  Asylum,  and,  as  such,  sick,  and
entitled  to  relief  from  the  society,  which  relief  has  been
refused  to  him.
At  the  hearing,  on  the  2nd  of  July,  1871,  a  copy  of  the
rules  was  put  in,  of  which  the  following  axe  material:—
On  the  first  page  was  the  preamble  ;
“  Whereas  it  is  a  laudable  custom  in  Great  Britain,  for
divers  artists  and  other  [well]  disposed  persons  to  meet
and  form  themselves  into  societies  for  the  relief  of  such
members  as  by  illness  or  accident  shall  not  be  able  to  work
at  their  usual  employment;  it  is  therefore  agreed  by  us,
rrho  have  entered  our  names  in  a  book  and  subscribed,  as
follows:—
“  Rule  11.  That  if  any  member  remove  from  his  present
place  of  abode  to  any  part  of  England,  he  shall  be  allowed
two  months  to  send  his  contribution  money  in,  or  forfeit
Is.  6d.,  hut  if  he  neglect  to  send  it  in  three  months  he  shall
be  excluded.  And  if  the  person  absent  shall  duly  send
ms  contribution,  and  be  there  taken  sick  and  unable  to
w ork  at  his  trade,  he  shall  send  a  certificate  signed  by  the
minister,  churchwarden,  and  doctor  of  the  parish  where  he
resides,  certifying  how  long  he  hath  been  ill,  and  what  his
disorder  is.  But  if  such  member’s  illness  shall  continue
mr  more  than  a  month,  he  shall  send  a  certificate  every
month  as  above,  and  on  the  receipt  of  such  certificate  he
shall  receive  his  money  the  same  as  if  he  were  present.
“Rule  13.  That  no  member  shall  be  entitled  to  any
benefit  from  this  society  until  one  year  has  expired  from
he  day  of  his  entrance,  and  all  his  contributions,  &c.,  to
-.‘at  time  be  cleared  off;  he  shall  then  receive  8.s.  per  week
<  uring  any  sickness  or  accident  that  may  befall  him,  unless
?  . n °ting  or  drunkenness  (the  venereal'  disease  excepted),
_, UC  l  shall  be  carried  to  him  by  the  stewards  weekly;
1°  are  required  to  visit  and  inquire  after  the  state  of  the
■  iclv,  tor  which  they  shall  receive  3d.  per  mile  from  the.
jox  for  their  trouble;  and  accordingly  make  their  report
Is  societ y>  m  case  °f  failure,  to  forfeit  for  each  offence
„  *  Rule  32.  That  if  any  member  shal 1 ,  by  quarrelling,,
(gating,  wrestling,  or  any  other  unlawful  cr  needless  exerc
 , lse  mil  into  either  sickness,  lameness,  or  blin  ’ness,  &c.,  he
■ s  mil  not  be  allowed  the  benefit  of  this  society.”
K