INTRODUCTION.

11

surance  against  fire,  flood,  or  shipwreck  (9  &  10
Viet.  c.  27).
16.  By  an  Act  of  the  15th  August,  1850
(13  &  14  Viet.  c.  115),  the  statutes  relating  to
Friendly  Societies  were  again  consolidated,  and
for  that  purpose  the  Acts  of  1829,  1834,  1840,
and  1846  were  all  repealed,  except  with  regard  to
Benefit  Building  Societies.  The  wide  definition
of  objects  contained  in  the  Act  of  1846  was  reenacted ­
  with  slight  alteration,  but  no  society  was
to  be  entitled  to  the  privileges  of  the  Act  which
assured  more  than  £100  in  one  sum,  or  more
than  £30  by  way  of  annuity,  or  more  than  205.
per  week  in  sickness.  Societies  under  this  Act
were  divided  into  two  classes,  “  Certified  Friendly
Societies/-’  and  “  Registered  Friendly  Societies.”
The  certified  societies  (6)  were  such  as  should
obtain  a  certificate  to  their  tables  by  an  actuary
possessing  a  given  qualification,  who  was  required
to  set  forth  the  data  of  sickness  and  mortality
upon  which  he  proceeded,  and  the  rate  of  interest
assumed  in  the  calculations.  All  others  were  to
be  simply  registered.  The  duty  of  the  Registrar
was  to  see  that  the  rules  of  every  society,  whether
certified  or  registered,  were  in  conformity  with
law,  that  no  rule  was  repugnant  to  another,  and
that  they  were  reasonable  and  proper.  All
societies  granting  annuities  were  required  to  come
under  the  class  of  certified  societies  (c).  The  fee

(i)  Very  few  of  this  class  were  actually  established.
(c)  A  provision  equivalent  to  this  was  re-enacted  in  the
Acts  of  1855  and  1875.