8

INTRODUCTION  •

fits  proposed  to  be  used  miglit  be  adopted  with
safety  to  all  parties  concerned.
11.  This  statute  re-enacted  the  more  important
of  the  privileges  conferred  by  that  of  1793  on
Friendly  Societies,  and  in  some  particulars  extended ­
  them.  On  the  other  hand,  it  required
them  to  pay  one  guinea  fee  to  the  barrister  for
his  certificate.  It  specified  a  list  of  securities
upon  which  the  funds  might  be  invested  ;  it  made
provision  against  the  incapacity  or  refusal  to
act  of  trustees;  it  authorized  societies  to  pay
small  sums  without  the  expense  of  administration ­
  ;  it  substituted  a  summary  remedy  before
justices  for  that  in  Chancery  in  the  case  of
defaulting  officers;  it  omitted  the  provision  for
the  appointment  of  responsible  householders  as
trustees,  and  for  requiring  tlicir  consent  to  a  dissolution ­
  of  the  society;  and  substituted  for  the
certificate  of  experts,  in  cases  of  dissolution,  the
agreement  of  five-sixths  of  the  members  and  of
all  those  entitled  to  relief.  It  also  provided
that  minors  might  be  members,  and  that  an
annual  audited  statement  of  the  funds  should  be
prepared,  of  which  each  member  should  be  entitled
to  a  copy  on  payment  of  a  sum  not  exceeding
sixpence.
12.  The  Act  of  1829  after  reciting  that  it  is
“  desirable,  for  the  better  security  of  such  societies,
that  correct  calculations  of  tables  of  payment  and
allowances,  dependent  on  the  duration  of  sickness
and  the  probabilities  of  human  life,  may  be  constructed ­
  for  their  assistance,  and  the  present
existing  data  on  these  subjects  have  been  found