L I F E-A SSURANCE. 
morals^and the fubfirtenceof the people; fince, in propor¬ 
tion to'the fpread and fuccefs of this plan, would the in- 
duftrious be rendered independent, and the poor-rates be 
relieved. Profeffional men, artifts, clerks, mechanics, and, 
in (hort, individuals of all occupations where perfonal ex¬ 
ertion is the fource of income, and whofe livelihood may¬ 
be affefted by the decay of their mental or bodily powers, 
are the perfons to whom this plan of provifion for old age 
is adapted. 
A perfon paying a ftipulated fum to this office, yearly, 
half-yearly, or quarterly, for a certain number of years, 
may, from the termination of that period, receive an ade¬ 
quate annuity for the reft of his life. The period for the 
payment of the premiums to the office mult, both as to 
the amount of the fum and the duration of the payments, 
be regulated by the age of the perfon. Of courfe this 
plan is recommended only to the healthy, prudent, and 
temperate. It will not fuit the invalid, or the diffipated 
part of the community. The office propofes, for the fake 
of extending the benefits of this plan to all the daffies of 
induftry, to accept of quarterly payments, not lefts, how¬ 
ever, than one pound per quarter, and which, if the indi¬ 
viduals increafe in income, may be advanced fo as to give 
them a correfponding advance in the future annuity. The 
plan is digefted fo, that not merely the fums thus paid in 
by individuals will be carefully hufbanded and improved 
for them, but that they who furvive will reap the benefit 
arifing from the deaths of thofe who may be cut off before 
the ftated periods of the commencement of their refpec- 
tive annuities. And it is on the calculation of the pro¬ 
bable decrement of life, among a given number of regu¬ 
lar and healthy perfons, of middle age, that the table of 
terms is calculated. The propofed annuities will not be 
fo great as if the lives were to be promifcuoufiy taken 
from the mafs of fociety; but even in this way the provi¬ 
fion will be greater than any fum that the fame perfons 
could make in the fame time, by laying out the mouey 
for themfelves at compound intereft. 
It has long been the fubject of regret that fome plan of 
affurance on life has not been eftabliffied for military offi¬ 
cers, by which they might fecure to themfelves a com¬ 
fortable provifion for old age. An infurance in the ufual 
way, on the whole period of life , to provide a fum to be paid 
to their widows and families, may be effected indeed at 
every office, but upon terms which are neceffarily. high, 
on account of the hazards to which military life is fub- 
jeft. The annual expenfe is too great in general for a mi¬ 
litary man ; and it is neceffiary alfo that he ihould prefent 
himfelf at the board, and fubmit to an examination ; and 
if, by the effects of climate or the chance of war, his con- 
ftitution appears to be endangered, he finds an infurance 
impracticable. Very few military men, therefore, have 
infured their lives; but, though the difficulty and expenfe 
of making an affurance of the life of a military man are 
great, there is no difficulty whatever in fecuring a provifion 
for his old age , if he (hall furvive the dangers of his profef- 
fion, fo as to enable him to retire with comfort from the 
fervice. Military perfons, after paffing what is termed the 
feafoning point, are generally long-lived. The habits of 
cleanlinefs and activity which they acquire, the care of 
(m 
their health which is taught them, are favourable to lon¬ 
gevity ; and accordingly the very long lives of our defen¬ 
ders, the penlioners in and out of our military and naval 
afylums, are highly creditable to the fervice as a profef- 
(ion. Again ; military perfons in general are (ingle, and 
have rather to look to comforts for themfelves, if they 
(hall attain old age, than for their pofterity; but, however, 
even married men, by fecuring to themfelves an annuity 
for old age, fecure alfo the means of educating and bring¬ 
ing forward their children. 
The objeCt of this plan is to enable a military man to 
retire upon full pay at an early period of his life ; by paying 
annually a fmall fum out of his pay for a certain number 
of years, he may fecure to himfelf an annuity for the reft 
of his life. He may direCt this to be paid quarterly, half- 
yearly, or yearly, by his agent in London. It is not ne¬ 
ceffiary for him to make his appearance at the board of 
directors. He has only to fend a written declaration of 
his age, regiment, &c. and to give a certificate of his 
identity at all times, but particularly when his annuity 
(hall have to commence. He mult be particular as to his 
age, becaufe an error would forfeit his policy. The fo¬ 
ciety require no certificate as to health, becaufe the cal¬ 
culation is made on the fuppofition that they are all in 
good health. No man wdto had the knowledge of a bo¬ 
dily complaint likely to (horten life would make an affiur- 
ance for a remote annuity. 
The plan is alfo made to apply to the purchafe of pre¬ 
ferment; for, inftead of an annuity, an officer may ftipu- 
late, by a proportionate annual premium, to have a fum 
paid down to him at the end of a certain number of years, 
which of courfe he may apply to the purchafe of a ftep in 
the army, or as he pleafes. 
It is material to obferve, that the office has agreed t® 
take the payments on this plan quarterly, in order to ex¬ 
tend the benefits to non-commiffioned officers and privates; 
and they may all fecure annuities from iol. per annum up- 
to any reafonable amount, and on terms within the reach 
of every prudent foldier or failor. 
The plan is alfo adapted to perfons going abroad, to 
the civil departments in India, to perfons refident for a 
time in the Weft Indies, to traders, to travellers, and all 
others whofe avocations may take them for a time from 
their native land. However men may winder in purfuit 
of fortune, it is their profpect and objeft to return ; and 
this plan may facilitate the execution of their wilhes in 
this refpeft. A particular table, adapted to climate, is 
formed for this fpecies of remote annuity; in which of 
courfe a ftipulation is made for change of place, and for 
the return of the individual to this country. 
The whole of this engagement for remote annuities , in all 
the claffes, both at home and abroad, may be entered into 
without the perfonal appearance at the office of the perfon 
defirous to fecure to himfelf fuch a provifion. It is taken 
as a matter of courfe that he is a perfon of found health; 
and it is only required that a certificate of his aftual age, 
and the ufual declaration thereon, (hall be lodged at the 
office; together with certificates of change of place, and 
identity of perfon, during the whole period of the contract. 
8 D 
Vol, XII. No. 860, 
Tabl 
