INTRODUCTION.

9

imperfect  and  inefficient,”  provided  for  the  making
of  quinquennial  returns  of  sickness  and  mortality
in  a  form  prescribed,  and  for  their  being  laid
before  parliament  (a).
13.  The  provision  requiring  the  justices  to  be
satisfied  that  the  tables  proposed  to  be  used  were
safe,  before  they  allowed  and  confirmed  the  rules,
was  repealed  by  an  Act  of  the  30th  July,  1834'
(4  &  5  Will.  4,  c.  40).  Thenceforth  societies
were  to  be  free  to  establish  themselves  upon  what
conditions  and  with  what  rates  they  chose,  provided ­
  only  they  could  satisfy  the  barrister  that
the  rules  were  “  calculated  to  carry  into  effect  the
intention  of  the  parties  framing  them/’  and  were
“in  conformity  to  law.”  The  objects  or  purposes
for  which  societies  might  be  formed  were  extended
to  include  provision  against  any  natural  state  or
contingency  whereof  the  occurrence  is  susceptible
of  calculation  by  way  of  average,  and  any  other
pui-pose  which  is  not  illegal;  provided  that  the
contributions  for  such  other  purposes  were  kept
distinct.
14.  Other  sections  of  this  Act  improved  the
provisions  with  respect  to  the  settlement  of  disputes, ­
  and  declared  that  letters  to  and  from  the
barrister  should  he  free  of  postage.  The  Acts  of
1829  and  1834  are  still  in  force  with  regard  to
such  Benefit  Building  Societies  as  have  not  been

(a)  These  returns  have  regularly  been  made  at  the  end
of  every  five  years  from  1835  to  1880.  Abstracts  of  those
from  1860  to  1875  have  recently  been  ordered  by  parliament
to  be  printed.
b  3