Benefit or Friendly Societies. 181 



lias not yet been followed up by any alteration of the existing 

 acts, but the Committee having been this session of Parliament 

 (1827) reappointed, it is to be presumed that they will speedily 

 undergo a revision and amendment. 



It may here be observed, however, that Friendly Societies 

 have always regarded legislative interference with the utmost 

 jealousy and alarm ; but that this arose from misapprehen- 

 sion, and from the benevolent objects being misunderstood, 

 the following extract from the Parliamentary Report above 

 alluded to, will sufficiently demonstrate : " Your Commit- 

 tee take this opportunity of observing, that it is in their opi- 

 nion, only in consideration of the advantages conferred by 

 the law, that any restrictive interference can be justified with 

 voluntary associations, established for lawful and innocent pur- 

 poses. They wish this principle to be kept in view, in consi- 

 dering as well the history of the law, as the suggestions which 

 they shall make for amending it. It is true that the restrictions 

 which the act (1793) imposes are, without exception, calculated 

 for the benefit and security of individuals ; nevertheless it is for 

 the individuals themselves to determine whether to adopt the 

 provisions of the statute which offers at the same time regula- 

 tion and privilege, or to remain perfectly unfettered by any 

 thing but their own will, or the common and more ancient law 

 against fraud and embezzlement. For your Committee appre- 

 hend, that although the act of 1793 appears to begin by ren- 

 dering lawful the institution of Friendly Societies, there neither 

 was at that time, nor is now, any law or statute which deprives 

 the King's subjects of the right of associating themselves for mu- 

 tual support.'' This Report, and that of the Highland Society 

 of Scotland, will be more particularly referred to in the sequel. 



There are no legislative enactments regarding Friendly So- 

 cieties in France ; but their rules must be at first submitted to, 

 and approved of by, the Prefect of Police, and notice thereafter 

 given to him some days previous to each meeting. 



Such a detail of the Parliamentary proceedings and enactments 

 has been deemed necessary, with the view of directing to them the 

 special attention both of Justices of the Peace and of Friendly 

 Societies. As already mentioned, the rules of almost every society 

 bear evidence, that, in the first place, the statutes are either al- 

 most wholly useless, or at all events seldom attended to ; and, in 



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