§ Mr. Courtenay moved for leave to bring in a bill "to consolidate and amend the Laws relating to Friendly Societies."
§ Mr. Humesaid, that great anxiety existed as to the object which the hon. gentleman had in view. An idea prevailed, that it was the intention of the hon. member to take away from friendly societies the power of appointing their treasurers and other officers; which, in the opinion of persons connected with those societies, would destroy the system altogether. He was satisfied that the hon. member had no such intention; but hoped that, to allay the apprehensions of others, he would take that opportunity of stating what his object was.
§ Mr. Courtenaysaid, it might be a sufficient answer to what had fallen from the hon. member, to state that the bill which he proposed to bring in, did not in any degree affect the societies formed otherwise than under the act which he had the honour to introduce in 1819. The new bill would interfere no further in the matter of appointing officers than the former bill did. The existing act required that there should be certain trustees, and that they should appoint the treasurer. The act interfered in no other way with the management of the societies; so far from it, that all clauses in former acts relating to their management were repealed by it. Except in the matter of securities, the societies framed under his act had more direct management of their affairs than those framed under Mr. Rose's act. The act he had introduced was intended to obviate the numerous evils which resulted from miscalculation; for which purpose it provided, that justices should not allow any society to be formed, whose tables of payments and benefits should not have been approved by two competent actuaries. In the execution of this provision, however, a difficulty arose: it was not easy to know who were competent actuaries. To get rid of this obstacle, he would propose, in the bill he was about to introduce, that the rules and tables exhibited at the sessions should be, by the clerk of the peace, 602 transmitted to the only government-office in London which possessed a professional actuary; namely, the office of the Commissioners for reducing the National Debt.
§ Leave was given to bring in the bill.