217 



FRICTION WHEELS. 



FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. 



218 



inequalities of the surfaces. Grease, for instance, is a better lubricator 

 than water : oil than grease ; and of oils it would appear that the 

 mineral ones are better adapted to this use than either the animal or 

 the vegetable ones. 



FRICTION WHEELS. [WHEELS.] 



FRICTIONAL ELECTRICITY. [ELECTRICITY, COMMON, FRIC- 



TIONAL, or FRAJtKLIXIC.] 



FRIDAY. [WEEK.] 



FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. These institutions, which, if founded 

 upon correct principles and prudently conducted, are beneficial both to 

 their members and to the community at large, are of very ancient 

 origin. Mr. Turner, in hia ' History of the Anglo-Saxons,' notices them 

 in these words : " The guilds or social corporations of the Anglo-Saxons 

 seem on the whole to have been friendly associations made for mutual 

 aid and contribution, to meet the pecuniary exigencies which were 

 perpetually arising from burials, legal exactions, penal mulcts, and 

 other payments or compensations." (See also Herbert's ' History of 

 the Twelve Great Livery Companies, 1 vol. i., p. 1.) 



In 1773 a bill was brought into the House of Commons for " the 

 better support of poor persons in certain circumstances, by enabling 

 parishes to grant them annuities for lives upon purchase, and under 

 certain restrictions." The bill passed the Commons, but was rejected 

 by the Lords. A bill with a similar object met with the like fate in 

 1780. A bill introduced in 1793 by the late Mr. George Rose passed 

 into a law (33 George III. c. 54), which is known by his name, and was 

 extensively acted upon. This act recited " that the protection and 

 encouragement of friendly societies in this kingdom, for securing, by 

 voluntary subscription of the members thereof, separate funds for the 

 mutual relief and maintenance of the said members in sickness, old 

 age, and infirmity, is likely to be attended with very beneficial effects," 

 and it authorised persons to form themselves into a society of good 

 fellowship, for the purpose of raising funds, by contributions or sub- 

 scriptions, for the mutual relief and maintenance of thfi members in 

 old age, sickness, and infirmity, or for the relief of the widows and 

 children of deceased members. A committee of members was autho- 

 rised to frame regulations for the government of the society, which 

 regulations, after being approved by the majority of the subscribers, 

 were to be exhibited to the justices in quarter-sessions, and if not 

 repugnant to the laws of the realm, and conformable to the true 

 intent and meaning of the act, were to be confirmed and made binding 

 upon the subscribers. 



Among other provisions, it was allowed to impose reasonable fines 

 upon such members as should offend against the regulations ; such 

 fines to be applied to the general benefit of the society. By this act it 

 was declared unlawful " to dissolve or determine any such society, so 

 long as the intents or purposes declared by the society remain to be 

 carried into effect, without the consent and approbation of five-sixths 

 of the then existing members, and also of all persons then receiving or 

 entitled to receive relief from the society on account of sickness, age, 

 or infirmity." Societies thus constituted were relieved from the pay- 

 ment of certain stamp-duties, and were empowered to proceed for the 

 recovery of moneys, or lor legal redress in certain cases, by summary 

 process, without being liable to the payment of fees to any officer of 

 the court ; and to aid them, the court was required to assign counsel 

 to carry on the suit without fee or reward. 



In 1 795 an act was passed which extended the privileges of Mr. Rose's 

 act to other " benevolent and charitable institutions and societies 

 formed in this kingdom for the purpose of relieving widows, orphans, 

 and families of the clergy and others in distressed circumstances." 

 Several other acts were passed between 1795 and 1817 affecting the 

 proceedings of these societies, but not hi any matter of importance. 

 In the last-mentioned year the " Savings' Bank Act " wax passed, and 

 under its provisions the officers of friendly societies were allowed to 

 deposit their funds in any savings' bank, by which means they got 

 security for their property and a higher rate of interest than they 

 could otherwise obtain. This act has been of essential benefit to these 

 associations. Another law, making provisions for the further pro- 

 tection and encouragement of friendly societies, and for preventing 

 frauds and abuses in their management, was passed in 1819; but as 

 this and all other acts previously passed with the same object were 

 repealed and superseded by the act of 1829 (10 Geo. IV. c. 56), which, 

 with two acts passed in 1832 and 1834 (2 Wm. IV. c. 37, and 4 & 5 

 Wm. IV. c. 40), contain the law as it now stands for the regulation of 

 friendly societies, it is unnecessary to detail here the alterations effected 

 in 1819. 



In the years 1825 and 1827 select committees were appointed by the 

 House of Commons to consider the laws of friendly societies. The 

 reports made by these committees have thrown considerable light upon 

 the subject, and prepared the way for the enactment of 1829, already 

 mentioned, which, with the subsequent acts of 1832 and 1834, we now 

 proceed to analyse. 



The law of 1829 (10 Geo. IV. c. 56), in the first place, authorises 

 anew the establishment of societies within the United Kingdom, for 

 raising funds for the mutual relief and maintenance of the members. 

 The members of such societies are to meet together to make such rules 

 for the government of the same as shall not be contrary to the intent 

 of the act nor repugnant to the laws of the realm, and to impose such 

 reasonable fines upon the members who offend against any of such 



rules as may be necessary for enforcing them ; and these rules, which 

 must be passed by a majority of the members present, may be altered 

 and amended by the same authority. 



But before these original or amended rules shall be confirmed by the 

 justices of the county at the general quarter-sessions, they must have 

 inserted in them a declaration of the purposes for which the society 

 is established, and the uses to which its funds shall be applied, stating 

 in what shares and proportions, and under what circumstances any 

 member of the society or other person shall be entitled to the same ; 

 and further, it is required that the rules so passed " shall be submitted, 

 in England and Wales and Berwick-upon-Tweed, to the barrister-at- 

 law for the time being appointed to certify the rules of savings' banks ; 

 in Scotland, to the lord-advocate or any of his deputies ; and in Ireland, 

 to such barrister as may be appointed by her Majesty's attorney- 

 general in Ireland, for the purpose of ascertaining whether such rules 

 are in conformity to law and to the provisions of this act." The 

 officers here mentioned are respectively to settle such rules, and make 

 them conformable to law and to this act of parliament, and to give a 

 certificate of this regulation having been complied with. The rules so 

 certified are then to be deposited with the clerk of the peace for the 

 county wherein the society is formed, and by him to be laid before the 

 justices at quarter-sessions, who are required to confirm the same, 

 after which the rules and certificate are to be filed with the rolls of 

 the sessions of the peace, and a certificate of such enrolment, signed 

 by the clerk of the peace, is to be sent to the society. If the barrister 

 or other officer above mentioned shall refuse to certify the rules offered 

 for his approval, the society is allowed to submit the same to the 

 court of quarter-sessions, together with the reasons assigned for refusal, 

 when the justices may, if they see fit, confirm the rules, notwithstand- 

 ing the disapproval of the revising officer. 



Before these directions are complied with, no society is entitled to 

 enjoy any of the privileges or advantages communicated by the act ; 

 but when the rules shall have been enrolled, and until they shall have 

 been altered and the like confirmation shall have attended such 

 alteration, they shall be binding upon the members of the society, and 

 a certified copy of them shall be received in evidence in all cases. The 

 treasurer of each society must give bond to the clerk of the peace for 

 the county, with two sufficient sureties, for the faithful performance 

 of his trust, and must, on the demand of the society, render his 

 accounts and assign over the funds of the society at the demand of a 

 meeting of the members. The property of the society is to be vested 

 in the treasurer or trustees of the society, who may bring and defend 

 actions, " criminal as well as civil, in law or in equity," concerning the 

 property, right, or claim of the society, provided they shall be 

 authorised to do so by the vote of a majority at a meeting of the 

 members. 



In case any person shall die intestate whose representatives shall be 

 entitled on his account to receive any sum from the funds of the 

 society not exceeding 20?., the treasurer or trustees may pay the money 

 to the persons entitled to receive the property of the deceased, without 

 its being necessary to take out letters of administration. 



It is not lawful to dissolve any friendly society, so long as any of the 

 purposes declared in its rules remain to be carried into effect, " without 

 obtaining the votes of consent of five-sixths in value of the then 

 existing members, and also the consent of all persons then receiving 

 or then entitled to receive relief from such society ; and for the pur- 

 pose of ascertaining the votes of such five-sixths in value, every 

 member shall be entitled to one vote, and an additional vote for every 

 five years that he may have been a member, provided that no one 

 member shall have more than five votes in the whole." 



The rules of the society are to contain a declaration whether, in the 

 event of any dispute or difference arising between the society and any 

 one or more of its members, the matter shall be referred to the decision 

 of a justice of the peace or of arbitrators ; if to the latter, the arbi- 

 trators must be chosen or elected in sufficient number at the first 

 meeting of the society which shall be held after the enrolment of its 

 rules ; they must not be in any way interested in the funds of the 

 society ; and whenever the necessity for their employment shall arise, 

 a certain number, not exceeding three, are to be chosen by ballot from 

 among the arbitrators for the settlement of the dispute, and justices 

 are empowered to enforce compliance with the decision of the arbitra- 

 tors. If the rules of the society direct the application, in cases of dis- 

 putes, to justices of the peace, any justice is empowered to summon 

 the person against whom complaint is made, and any two justices may 

 hear and determine the matter, their sentence or order being final and 

 conclusive. Minors, if they act with the consent of parents or 

 guardians, may become members of friendly societies, having authority 

 to act for themselves on the one hand, and being held legally responsible 

 for their acts on the other. 



A statement, attested by two auditors of the funds belonging to 

 each society, shall be made annually to its members, every one of 

 whom may receive a copy of the statement on payment of a sum not 

 exceeding sixpence. 



Every friendly society enrolled under this act is obliged, within 

 three m nths alter the expiration of every five years, to transmit a 

 return of the rate of sickness and mortality, according to the experience 

 of the society during the preceding five years, such returns to be made 

 in a prescribed form to insure uniformity. These returns are directed 



