164 Friendly Societies, State Action, and the Poor-la ic. 
ought, after years of care, in which it has done good work, to be 
the means of keeping the old members to the end of their days, 
and then providing the cost of interment ? The young men of 
the parish dislike the old society; some few are joining the 
Foresters, but the majority have formed a splendid sharing-out 
club at the new public-house. The old men in the old Parish 
United Brothers find their capital of 700/. or 800/. going at the 
rate of 140/. a year, besides extras. The "botheration" returns 
to the Registrar are beyond the abilitv of any committee to 
understand, much less to fill up, now that squire and parson 
have gone. The country lawyer is of no more use than his 
clerk, to whom they went in the first place as amicus curia;, and 
tells them wrong. At last the Quinquennial Returns roundly 
demanded by the Government Actuary drive the poor old 
fellows out of their wits. They make up their minds forthwith, 
" cut the Registrar and the whole concern," sell out the remaining 
capital, have a final jollification, not preceded by a service in 
the parish church ; share out all the proceeds, as they say, 
equally (for do not all, irrespective of age, receive the same 
amount?), and by-and-by you will find a heavy percentage of 
our old friends in the Union. 
The only remaining society which requires notice is that 
which, notwithstanding its admitted excellence and the good 
service rendered in promoting salutary alterations of the laws 
relating to Friendlv Societies, is not so popular as it deserves to 
he. County Friendly Societies are sometimes called patronised 
societies, and the notion of patronage has become generally dis- 
tasteful to the sturdy Briton. There are, however, other reasons 
whv they have not as yet succeeded in attracting great numbers 
of the labourers. They work on the border-land of the dominion 
of the Poor-law. The provision which they offer to men who 
consider the funds of the rate their proper superannuation allow- 
ance, and if need be burial-money, which they have for nothing, 
is not greatly cared for. These societies are also regarded by 
many of our rear-rank labourers with suspicion, as a contrivance 
by which they may be made to forfeit their right to the poor 
relief. These feelings are turned to account by the keen emis- 
saries of societies who make huge commissions, and if their 
representations prove ineffectual, the sharing-out club is ready 
to receive their recruit with open arms. It will be seen, then, 
that there are some little difficulties to be removed before he will 
enter the ranks of the safe and solvent benefit society. A short 
description of this most useful provident institution will not be 
out of place. It consists of a patron or patrons, a president, 
vice-presi<ipnts, trustees, a treasurer, auditors, and a secretary. A 
number of directors, consisting of magistrates, clergymen, trades- 
