BEECH OIL ANNUITIES.-See Hist. of ANNU. ON LIVES under date 1714. BEELE'S BOTTOMRY.-This was a project of the South-Sea period (1720). It had relation to the extension of the application of the contract of bottomry, of which we shall give a detailed hist. presently. No exact record of this particular project can be found; but some general remarks, which probably apply to it, will be given under BOTTOMRY. BEER-SHOP KEEPERS, MORTALITY OF.-See INN AND BEER-SHOP KEEPERS. BEETHAM, WILLIAM, was the first Sec. of Eagle Ins. Co.

BELFAST. A manufacturing town in the north-east of Ireland, with a pop. of about 250,000, chiefly engaged in the linen trade. For some years-especially between 1850 and 1860-it was remarkable for the large number of fires occurring. The most serious was that occurring on the 1st of July, 1859, when Victoria Chambers were burned down -the damage being estimated at £100,000. Between 1858 and 1867 the fires averaged 37 p.a.; and yet a considerable portion of the property remained uninsured. Thus in 1859, out of 40 fires, in 6 cases there was no ins. In 1860, out of 33 fires, 7 were unins. In 1861, 40 fires, 9 unins. ; 1862, 47 fires, 11 unins.; 1863, 23 fires, 9 unins. ; 1864, 28 fires, 10 unins.; 1865, 48 fires, 5 unins.; 1866, 35 fires, 14 unins. Thus out of a total of 294 fires in those years, in 71 cases there was no ins. It is difficult to understand the cause of this. The principle of average is embodied in all fire pol. issued in this town, except those upon private dwellings. This unusual procedure is by special agreement of

the offices.

The town has a special Building Act, which however was said at one time to be very little attended to. It has an excellent fire brigade; while the natural pressure from the new water-works will throw a jet 180 feet high. Capt. Shaw, now chief of the Metropolitan F. Brigade, gained his experience here. The fire offices employ a Fire Inspector, who attends all fires, and looks after the interests of the office by removing salvage, etc. He afterwards examines carefully into the causes of fires. The result of all this is a marked improvement in the per-centage of loss of late years. Yet it was given in evidence before a Parl. Committee as recently as 1867, that the F. offices had for some years lost in this town about £5000 p.a. more than the gross prems. received out of it. But young fire offices are still found hardy enough to venture there in the hope of profit, or in the desire for prems. !

A survey was made of this town on 1st Jan. 1757. The number of houses was 1779. containing 8549 inhabitants, of whom 7993 were Protestants; number of looms 399, Another survey was made in Jan. 1782, from which it appeared that the town then consisted of 2026 houses, containing 13, 105 inhabitants-6133 of whom were males, and 6972 females; looms 388; and houses for selling beer and spirits 119, or a 17th part of all the houses.

BELFAST FIRE INS. CO., LIM., founded towards the close of 1871, with an authorized cap. of £250,000, in 100,000 shares of £2 10s. Calls not to exceed 5s. p. share, nor to be made more frequently than at 3 months' intervals, after 21 days' notice. The prosp. said the Co. had been formed "for the purpose of conducting F. ins. bus. on a system of equitable rating, in accordance with the character and merits of the risks."Again, "For some years past the want of a local ins. co. in the North of Ireland has been seriously felt, and at the present time a difficulty is experienced in effecting ins. for large amounts. The rapid increase of the pop. of Belfast, and the vast development of the trade of Ulster, demand add. facilities for the ins. of property in the district, which is daily increasing in value and importance." But "the operations of the Co. will not be confined to any particular district, but may be extended to all the principal towns in Gt. Brit., or wherever a remunerative bus. may be obtained." Mr. Henry G. Rule was founder, and is General Manager of the Co.

BELGIUM. The mania for ins. projects in the early part of the last century extended from England to Holland and from Holland into Belgium; hence we hear of a new co. in Liège ; and another at Metz, in Lorraine; and symptoms were shown of extension into Flanders and the German States. But the cos. so formed were not of a lasting character. After the restoration of general peace Belgium possessed no ins. asso. of any kind. It was only in 1818 that the earliest of the cos. now existing were formed-a fire and marine ins. co. in Antwerp, and two fire cos. in Brussels. In 1821 some other cos. were formed; and then a number of marine ins. cos. in rapid succession; so that during the years 1828 and 1830 maritime risks to any extent could be covered at Antwerp. After the revolution of 1830, and the separation of Belgium from Holland, the bus of marine ins. again languished; and it is only of late years that it has once more revived.

About 1838 a combination of all the marine ins. asso. which then remained was formed under the title of a Réunion d' Assureurs. The results of this combination were most satisfactory. Whatever risks were accepted by any one of the partners were divided among the community in certain determined proportions. There being 13 associated offices: 8 of these took two 27th shares each; 3 took three 27ths; and 2 one 27th. Each associate was allowed to refuse its share; the same being then distributed among the acceptants. At length so many cos., home and foreign, applied to join this combination, that the proportion for each became too small, and no more associates were admitted. An average-stater (Dispatchor) was employed for the special purposes of the asso. A

general system of obtaining information on all facts which might influence the value of marine risks was adopted. A strict survey was held of all ships landing and receiving their cargo. All claims were examined by a special commission of underwriters, under the superintendence of a Recorder. All expenses attending these operations were provided by levying a per-centage on the amount of all claims for average; and other measures of protection were taken for the common good.

In 1841 there was organized, under special decree from the King, a permanent Central Statistical Commission. In 1845 authority was given for the estab. of provincial or local statistical commissions.

M. Quetelet drew up some notes as to the scope and nature of the obs. to be undertaken by these commissions. He said therein, "The study of the influence of the seasons on diseases, and the sanitary state of the country in general, has not yet received the same attention [as some other branches of inquiry]; but everything concurs to inspire us with the hope of receiving the assistance of active and learned physicians, who appreciate the advantages of a system of obs. which would lay the foundation for the complete medical statistics of the kingdom." The range of inquiry extended to: (1). Meteorology and Physics [with 11 sub-divisions]. (2). Chemistry: Analysis of air and water. (3). Botany and Agriculture [with 10 sub-divisions]. (4). Zoology [with 7 sub-divisions]. (5). Man, with the following sub-divisions: Fecundation; births; marriages; deaths and their causes; diseases and their duration; insanity; crimes; suicides; consumption of food; etc. About 1841 another combination of marine insurers, known as the Cercle d' Assureurs Particuliers, was founded. This asso. consisted of 20 members, each of whom participated in an equal proportion in the ins., without, however, in any case participating in the risks on one and the same vessel to a greater amount than £40, and without there being any responsibility amongst the members. The maximum of the "cercle" was, therefore, limited to £800 on the value of a single risk. In the 9 years 1841-9, inclusive, the sums ins. amounted to £1,305,332. The prems. thereon (less "returns £1000), £30, 195. The brokerage was £1516, being just under 5 p.c.; the losses and averages, £18, 197, being 58 34 p.c. of prems. (or 1'394 p. c. on sums ins.) For re-insurances there was paid £2180, being 7 p.c. on gross prems.; and there was recovered on these £2000, being 641 p.c. The expenses were £531, or 131 p.c. on prems. There was reserved for "valuations" £1055; leaving net profits £8716, or nearly 28 p.c. on prems. received. We have not seen the more recent returns.

Of late years there has, we believe, been more competition in the bus. by the formation of many new cos.-most of which, however, are very prudently managed.

In the 6th Rep. of Reg.-Gen. (1845), are given some very interesting statistics of the births, marriages, and deaths in Belgium, for the year 1842. We observe in these returns that the divorces pronounced each year are recorded as a set-off against the marriages of the year. This should be done in all countries. In 1842 there were 29,876 marriages-21 divorces. The returns on all subjects connected with the V. sta. of the pop. are kept with great exactitude: yet some years since M. Quetelet observed that I in 65, or about 15 p. 1000, of the living escaped enumeration.—(Assu. Mag. ii. p. 61.) With a view of avoiding such defects in the future, M. Quetelet pointed out that too much had been left to mere form, and that the intelligence of the citizens had not been appealed to:

There should have been selected, I think, in each town, a dozen instructed persons, who should correspond with a central committee, so as to insure uniformity and exactitude in the data collected; and who should moreover name in each quarter of the town or commune other individuals known for their zeal and activity, who might superintend in their several localities the detailed operations, and impress upon all their importance and utility. This kind of influence efficiently exercised by persons held in regard would, jointly with the measures of the local authorities, have produced a very good effect. The local authorities, in fact, do not always perform that which is required of them with all the caution and exactitude demanded by science; they confine themselves to taking without thought whatever replies are made to them.

At the census of 1846 the total number of houses in the kingdom was 829, 561-of these, 799,848 were inhabited, and 29,713 uninhabited, while 160,471, or 20 p.c. only, were ins. against fire, for a total of £43,721,212, being an average of £272 each house, and just 10 for each inhabitant.

Some time before 1846 the attention of the Gov. of this country was occupied with the problem of whether or not the State should undertake a general system of ins., or leave it in the hands of individuals or asso. The advocates of the State system represented that the profits of ins. were so large that, if secured by the State, a great remission of taxation would take place. On the 27th Dec., 1846, a special commission was appointed to inquire into the project. By the end of 1847 this Commission brought in a proposal for "A general system of Ins. against Fire, Hail, and Mort. amongst Cattle," to be undertaken by the State.

It turned out that this Commission had omitted to inquire at what cost to the public treasury such a law could be carried into effect, or whence the profits-estimated by some to amount to as much as £400,000 p.a.-were to arise. The matter was therefore again referred, this time to the Central Committee of Statistics, and to some other persons specially selected by the Minister of Finance. The result was the rejection of the plan as a State measure. 18

VOL. I.

In the course of the inquiries by the last-named Commission, some interesting facts were obtained. It was estimated that the total value of the buildings in Belgium was £84,000,000; of the furniture, £13,600,000; total, £97,600,000. It was found that the average rate of prem. for fire risks of this class was 85 cents per 1000 francs, or Is. 9d. p. 100. The Commission had assumed 25. per 100, in order to be on the safe side. This would produce a prem. income from the above classes of property of £97,600 p.a. Inquiries through the proper Gov. departments had shown the mean value of property destroyed by fire in each of the years 1839, 1840, and 1841, was £76,220. From 1844 to 1848, inclusive, £94,416. Average over the whole period, £85,318; but this was not all from buildings and furniture.

As regards expenses, the Commissioners considered that at starting there should be a valuation of the entire house property of the kingdom. This they estimated would cost £32,000. The ann. expenditure they put at £12,000.

The number of proprietary F. ins. cos. authorized since 1830 was found to be 12; of which, however, only 8 were carrying on bus. at the date of the Commissioners' report. According to the returns from 7 of the principal of these for 1848, the total risks ins. by them amounted to £57,128,424. The prems. amounted to £49,278; losses, £26,881; expenses, commission, etc., 17,028; together, £43,909; leaving profit £5369, or about II p.c. on the prems. Taking the bal. of each co. separately, but 3 were found to have made any profit.

In 1849 a scheme of Deferred Gov. Annu. was adopted for Belgium. The following is a brief outline of its provisions.

1. The scheme is estab, under the guarantee of the State. 2. Any person not under 18 years of age may, by a single payment, purchase a deferred annu. to commence at not less than 10 years from the date of purchase. 3. A married woman, in order to purchase a deferred annu., must deposit the authority of her husband. Magistrates have power to make order if husband refuses without good cause. 4. The rates are calculated from actual mort. at 5 p.c. int. 5. The minimum is fixed at 24 fr. (say 1); the maximum annu. that can be purchased is 1200 fr. (say £50). The purchase-money for an annu. beyond that will be forfeited to the State. 6. Any sum of 5 fr. and upwards received by way of deposit towards purchase of annu. 7. The annu. may be made to commence at 55, 60, or 65, at option of purchaser; and he may have annu. commencing at different periods. 8. Every person depending entirely upon his labour for subsistence, and who becomes permanently disabled by accident or failure of health before his annu. becomes payable in ordinary course, shall receive it immediately, provided 5 years have elapsed from its purchase, and the annu. does not exceed £15. 9. The payments are considered irrevocable, excepting those which a married woman has made, or those which, under art. 6, have not been converted into annu. 10. The families of the assu. have no claim on the fund; but in cases of extreme poverty the funeral expenses of those who die after becoming entitled to the annu. will be paid out of the fund. 11. The annu. are not liable to cease or be forfeited except in certain cases where they exceed £15. 12. Each person is permitted to make his payment in the name and for the benefit of a third party, to whom alone the annu. will be payable. 13. The annu. are paid in monthly instalments by the Gov. agents in the various places where the annu. reside, and only to those who are residing in the kingdom. 14. Every annu. has a little book of account showing the payments, etc., given to him. 15. Royal decrees will determine the form and entries of the book, as well as the mode of proving age, residence, and continued existence of insured. 16. The fund is under the management of 5 commissioners named by the king. 17. All receipts for annu. paid direct into treasury. 18. These to be applied in purchasing Gov. funds, 19. Accounts of fund to be made up 20. Each provincial council selects one of its members to examine accounts. 21. All acts and legal documents necessary for carrying into effect the provisions of this law are delivered gratis, and free of stamp and regis. duty. 22. During first 5 years after promulgation of the law the annu. may be granted, commencing only 5 years after date of purchase. [POOR, ÎNS. FOR THE.]

each year.

We have some account of the transactions of ten of the leading F. cos. for the year 1849-in some cases the financial year extended into 1850. [The oldest F. co. is the Securitas of Antwerp, founded 1819.] These offices ins. in the year £123,419, 190, receiving in prems. £129,724. The prems. varied from 071 to 257 p.c.; the average over the whole being 0107, or 25. 2d. per £100 ins. The losses were £56,000, varying from 022 in some cos. to 056 in others, p.c. on the sums ins. The average being 046, or IId. per £100 ins., at the rate of 44 p.c. on the prems. received.

In 1856 M. Quetelet pub. a Mort. T. for Belgium. [BELGIUM MORT. T.]

The pop. in 1863 was 4,893,021; its density 432 to the square mile, being greater than that of any other European country. The rate of mort. however, only a little exceeds 22 per 1000 (Dr. Farr, 1856).

Belgium has most of its fire arrangements on the French plan; and the city of Antwerp adopts the mode of action and drill laid down in the manual of the Parisian Sapeur Pompier. Mr. C. F. T. Young tells us (Fires, Fire Engines, etc., 1866):

In Belgium paid and volunteer fire brigades exist in most of the cities, important towns, and parishes, all of which are provided with engines, pumps, and equipments. Some of these brigades are armed and equipped as soldiers, and reside in barracks, being always ready to start the instant a call is received, to any fire, either in the town or in the country. In many other parts will be found volunteer fire brigades, formed out of the members of the town guard, who are found to render most efficient service at fires, with that spirit for which volunteers are always distinguished. Their uniform and equipments are generally the same as those of the infantry of the town guard. The greater part of the other portions of the kingdom are provided with fire appliances, which are worked by associations of workmen, such as from their business occupations are most likely to be able to render efficient service at fires. They do not wear uniform or arms, and some of them receive a certain reward for their services, proportionate to the value of them.

Under ANTWERP we have already given some account of the maritime legislation, and the ins. ordin. of that city; as also of the operations of the marine ins. asso. there. Under HANSEATIC LEAGUE, and NETHERLANDS, further reference will be made to these topics.

BELGIUM, TABLE OF MORTALITY FOR.-In 1856 M. Adolphe Quetelet pub. the following T. of Mort. for Belgium. It is based upon the entire pop. of that country, and represents the combined results of male and female life. [MORT. T., HIST. OF.] Age. Living. Dying. Expectation Age. Living. Dying. Expectation Age. Living. Dying. Expectation

BELL, GEORGE WILLIAM, Sec. of Law F. since 1868; he has been many years in the same office, holding various positions.

BELL, JAMES C. C., was Man. -Director of Imperial F., from 1840 down to 1867. He was instrumental in opening up a very large and important foreign and colonial connexion for the Co. He was also a Director of the Imperial L.

BELL, THOMAS, Man. of Sheffield and Rotherham from its commencement, after it became the North of England, down to 1850. From 1850 to 1854 he was Sec. of Anchor F. and L. In 1855-6 he was Sec. of Hull and Lond. Fire, and Sec. and Act. of Hull and Lond. Life. In 1868 we find a gentleman of the same name Act. of Life Assu. Union. BELLAMY, W. F., was Sec. of Anchor F. and L. in 1854 and 1855.

BENECKE, WILLIAM, pub. in Hamburg, in 1805, System des Assekuranz und Bodmereiwesens; being a system of ins. and bottomry according to the laws and usages of Hamburg, and the principal mercantile nations of Europe.

In 1806 Mr. Benecke endeavoured to found in Germany a L. asso. on the principle of the Amicable So., which had been then estab. for a century in Lond. We shall give the result under GERMANY.

In 1814 William Benecke (we presume the same, but then described as of Lloyd's) pub. in Lond., A Treatise of the Principles of Indemnity in Marine Ins., Bottomry and Respondentia, and on their Practical Application in Effecting those Contracts, and in the Adjustment of all Claims arising out of them; for the Use of Underwriters, Merchants, and Lawyers. This work, which is of the very highest authority (and is exceedingly rare), was trans. into French in 1825, and into Italian in 1828. In the U.S. the work has been incorporated with Stephens', and is pub., "Stephens and Benecke on Average and the Adjustment of Losses in Marine Ins." In 1851 an ed. was pub. in Hamburg, enlarged and corrected to that time, by Vincent Notte.

BENEFACTOR Assu. Co., FOR LIFE, FIRE, AND REVERSIONARY INTERESTS.-This Co. was projected in Manchester in 1851. It proposed to transact ins. bus. in "all its branches and ways according to law." It never got beyond prov. regis.

BENEFICE (Lat. Beneficium).-A word denoting Church preferments of every class except bishoprics. They may be with or without cure of souls; but the term is usually confined

to what are popularly called "livings," as distinguished from dignities. [NEXT PRESENTATIONS.]

BENEFICENT LIFE Assu. So., founded in 1852, and died out in the same year, having been written down a swindle! The projector is reputed to have been Mr. G. R. H. Denison.

BENEFICENT LIFE.-Projected in 1854; but abandoned before complete regis. in favour of another name-the Diadem.

BENEFICIAL ADVENTURE UPON THE LIVES of Child-Bed Women, "held at Pratt's Coffee-house, in Cateaton-street, between St. Lawrence Church and the corner of Aldermanbury." This was one of the ins. schemes founded in 1711-reign of Queen Anne-of which all we know of it will be found under CHILD-BIRTH INS. BENEFICIAL MARRIAGE INS. OFFICE, at Mr. Gray's, Swan-yard, founded in 1710. BENEFICIARY.-He that is in possession of a benefice; also a cestui que trust.

BENEFICIUM NATURE. Bénéfice de la nature.-A term by which the French denote the curative process of nature, when unaided by medicine; and which we popularly express by the term "effort of nature."—Hoblyn.

The term was frequently

BENEFIT OF CLERGY.-An arrest of judgment in criminal cases. used in former Acts of Parl. The right was abolished in 1827. BENEFIT SOCIETIES.-Another name for Friendly Sos. Perhaps, strictly speaking, implying the receipt of some benefit beyond that purchasable by their contributions. Regimental Benefit Sos. were abolished in 1849, by 12 & 13 Vict. c. 71. The 23 & 24 Vict. c. 13 (1860), provides that members of benefit sos. shall not incur forfeiture by inrolment as volunteers or by service in any corps of yeomanry. It will be more convenient to treat of these sos. in conjunction with FRIENDLY SOS. BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATIONS FOR ORPHANS AND WIDOWS.-There exist in Gt. Brit. a number of asso.—we do not speak here of the eleemosynary class—for the benefit of orphans and widows, supported by the subs. of their members, managed with great frugality, and not unfrequently, in the present day, with considerable skill. We hope to furnish an account of them, more or less complete, under the head of WIDOWS' FUNDS. It was in view of a scientific investigation of the affairs of some of these asso.-for they abounded during the last century-that many of the earliest problems in L. contingencies were practically applied. It will be remembered that Dr. Price obtained some of his most apt illustrations from the experience of the Asso. among the Lond. Clergy, and the Asso. of the Ministers in Scotland. And even to the present day we draw much of our practical knowledge of certain branches of L. contingencies from similar sos. now existing--especially those in India.

BENEVOLENT FIRE, LIFE, AND LOAN INS. Co., founded in 1838, and carried on bus. until 1842, when it passed out of existence. Its duty return in 1838 was £4; in 1839, £13; 1840, £52; 1841, £12-total, £81.

BENEVOLENT UNION SO., THE, founded in 1797, for granting annu., and for the relief of its members in case of sickness. It would appear that the So. was, by its regulations, limited to 61 members, and that it was not to be dissolved so long as seven members remained. Its affairs were afterwards in Chancery, in the cause of Beaumont v. Meredith (1814), when it was held that such a so. was merely a partnership, having no corporate character. In a suit, therefore, against some of the trustees for an account, alleging a dissolution contrary to the articles, all the other members must be parties. BENGAL, MORTALITY IN.-Several tables have been prepared, showing the rate of mort. in this Presidency, both in the military and civil services; but as the subject is surrounded with many important considerations, it can be more effectively discussed under INDIA. BENNETT, JAMES, was Sec. of Lond. branch of Provincial during 1859 and 1860. In 1861 he was Sec. of Lond. branch of Scottish Indisputable.

BENTHALL, HENRY, was Act. of Lond. and Continental from its commencement down to its trans. in 1859.

BENTHAM, SIR SAMUEL, in 1797, proposed a scheme for placing tanks of water on houses and buildings, with a simple system of perforated pipes, to which might be readily attached hose and branch pipes, as an improved means of extinguishing fires. BENTHAM, WILLIAM, Resident Sec., in Dublin, of Standard Life, and Man. of its bus. in Ireland since 1863. Mr. Bentham was trained to the bus. of banking; and, like many other bankers, turned his position and influence to account in advancing the interests of life ins. He then represented the Minerva. In 1853 he became Sup. of agents in England for the Standard, which position he held with great success until he received his present appointment. Mr. Bentham lives pleasantly in the memory of his large circle of English friends.

BENTHAM, W. D., Sec. of Standard Marine since 1871.

BENTLEY, JOSEPH.-This gentleman's name has been familiar to the ins. world for many years. His hist. is a remarkable one. He was reared as a simple factory-lad, without education or without friends to help him forward. He commenced his literary career by aiding in the compilation of Piggott's Commercial Directory. He ultimately became a self-constituted lecturer and writer on education. From this he drifted into the subject of savings banks and ins. asso. He knew nothing either of the legal or the actuarial