278 Mr W. Fraser on the History mid Constitution of 



Upon this assumed rate Dr Price accordingly prepared ta- 

 bles of contributions and allowances to the age of 65, and laid 

 them before Parliament ; but added, with regard to sickness oc- 

 curring under 32 years of age, that " various reasons, and par- 

 ticularly the experience of friendly clubs, determined me to 

 believe, that the proportion of the sick to the well in such a so- 

 ciety will not be so great as this, and, consequently, that the 

 weekly allowances during sickness will be more than supported 

 by weekly contributions not exceeding a forty-eighth part of that 

 allowance.'" 



The Bill and Tables were sanctioned by the House of Com- 

 mons, but lost in the House of Lords, on account of the burden 

 which it was thought the scheme would impose on the landed 

 interest. The tables, however, were afterwards given to the 

 public in the 7th edition of Dr Price's work on Reversionary 

 Payments; but being professedly founded on supposition, and 

 incorporated with subjects of an abstruse nature, they did not 

 meet with that attention which they merited. Till very lately, 

 few societies in England ever adopted them, and even those 

 only partially ; while such tables, it is believed, remained whol- 

 ly unknown to Friendly Societies in Scotland. 



In the latter country, the first attempt, of which we have any 

 notice, to calculate upon the probable rate of sickness, occurred 

 in 1801, in the case of the Society or Incorporation of Sailors 

 of Prestonpans. A few individuals had endeavoured to deprive 

 the seamen of that town of the privileges and capital of their in- 

 stitution, but they vindicated their rights before the Court of 

 Session, and recovered possession of their funds. Upon the case 

 being finally decided, the Court directed new regulations to be 

 drawn up, and submitted for their approval. This duty de- 

 volved on Charles Oliphant, Esq. writer to the Signet, their 

 law-agent, who having felt great difficulty in adapting the fu- 

 ture allowances to the revenue, consulted with the late Reverend 

 Mr Wilkie, a writer on annuities. This gentleman afterwards 

 reported on the subject, but stated it to be impossible to calcu- 

 late accurately for the schemes of Friendly Societies, so long as 

 the law of sickness remained to be ascertained. The contributions 

 and allowances proposed by Mr Wilkie, however, proceeded 

 on the assumption that one-twelfth part of the members would 



