132 Mr W. Fraser on the History and Constitution of 



the next place, according to Mr Gavin Burns, in his able pam- 

 phlet on the Principles and Management of Friendly Societies 

 in Scotland, " it is a known fact, that many decisions have been 

 given, in cases of society disputes, in our inferior courts of jus- 

 tice, in which, from motives of lenity or humanity to a com- 

 plaining member, this principle' (of adhering to the rules) has been 

 departed from ; and although he may have failed in performing 

 his part of the stipulations mutually agreed on, in many cases 

 has been adjudged to receive the benefit of the funds the same 

 as if he had fulfilled them f but such " lenity or humanity, 

 however well meant, when shewn to one member at the expence 

 of strict justice, may, by injuring the general interests of the 

 society, become cruelty to numbers, who may be thereby de- 

 prived of that relief in sickness and old age to which they had 

 a just claim.*" Thus are societies deprived of the many bene- 

 fits and protection which these acts are intended to afford ; 

 whereas were their provisions duly acted on, the interests both 

 of societies collectively, and of their members individually, would 

 be more effectually preserved. 



It is true, indeed, that, in Scotland, the Justices have no 

 power, by the existing statutes, to alter or impose upon societies 

 any law whatever, provided their rules be merely consistent 

 with the common law of the land ; but still a great deal of good 

 might be done, were societies merely made aware of their errors 

 before their regulations were passed into a law. In this respect, 

 great praise is certainly due to the Justices of Forfarshire, who 

 have lately drawn up and printed a statement explanatory of 

 the principles on which societies can alone be conducted with 

 safety and advantage, and copies of which are issued to all so- 

 cieties applying for sanction. It is understood that the Justices 

 of Peace for the county of Edinburgh are now also in the habit 

 of recommending a similar publication* to their attention. By 

 these and similar measures, a very beneficial change cannot fail 

 to be soon effected in the principles and management of Friend- 

 ly Societies; for it cannot be doubted, that to irregularity hi- 

 therto in the proceedings of societies themselves, must certainly 



• Remarks on the Constitution and Errors of Friendly Societies, with the 

 Leiws of the Edinburgh Compositors' Society, instituted upon the principles rccom. 

 mended by the Highland Society of Scotland, Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, &c. 

 Price Is. 6d. 



