On Thursday, the Home Secretary introduced a Bill for the
Regulation of Friendly Societies, the chief principle of which is to carry out an elaborate system of district registration, to pro- vide forms in which the accounts of registered societies-must be made out, to supply accurately calculated tables by which (very intelligent) people may be able to judge of the solvency of these bodies, to prohibit the insurance of the life of any child under three years of age altogether, and to permit it only under fixed conditions even above that age ; and further, to consolidate the various laws concerning friendly societies into the eighty clauses of the new Bill. The most important, however, of Mr. Cross's intimations was, that the Government itself thinks of taking up the subject of Life Insurance in a more practical form than hitherto, so as to assure smaller sums on death than it has hitherto done, and so bring the benefits of a secure life assurance within the reach of the working-classes. If this is to be done, let the Government not only insure, but itself collect the pre- miums. Without that, the scheme will be nearly abortive ; with it, it might add really to the prudence and the happiness of the working-class. Mr. Cross takes the second reading of his Friendly Societies' Bill on Monday week.
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