ABSTRACT
THE plan proposed by Baron Maseres in 1772, for 1786. establishing life annuities in every parish for the benefit ~~iand'• of the poor, has already been noticed.1 In 1786 Mr. !~f:b1i~~~r Acland, with a like benevolent intention, proposed a ~:ersa.l scheme for establishing a kind of universal friendly or!:!:~;. benefit society, by contributing to which at certain prescribed rates, according to age and other circumstances, all persons might, independently of the Poor Law, assure for themselves adequate support in the time of sickness, infirmity, and old age. Mr. Acland proposed that an association should be established by Act of Parliament for the whole of England, to which every one between the ages of twenty and thirty should be compelled to subscribe, in manner following-a labourer earning lOd. a day, and a man-servant having ls. 6d. a week or £4 a year wages, or if a female, ls. 3d. a week or £3 a year wages, to pay to the common stock, the man 2d. weekly, the woman lid. Persons
disabledbyaccidentorinfirmity,orbeingmarriedand havingoneormorechildren,arenot,however,compellabletosubscribe,butmaydosoiftheythinkfit, asrnayalsopersonsbetweentheagesofthirtyand fifty,onpaymentofoneyear'ssubscriptionbywayof entrance-money,andanadditionalshillingforevery yeartheyexceedtheageofthirty.Thechurchwardensandoverseersareinvirtueoftheirofficetobe thetreasurersoftheassociation.Incaseofsicknessor accidenthappeningtoanysubscriber,noticethereofis tobegiventotheminister,ortoachurchwardenor overseeroftheparish,whoisforthwithtovisitthe member,andsendtheparishapothecarytoattendhim ifnecessary;andinorderthatallpersonsmayhave properassistanceatsuchtimes,everyparishistoagree withsomeneighbouringapothecaryforthesupplyof medicineandattendance,onehalfoftheapothecary's salarytobepaidbytheparish,theotherhalfbythe association.Thesubscriberofl~d.aweek,ifsickor disabled,istobeentitledtoreceive4s.aweekbedlyingpay,2s.aweekwalkingpay,andls.aweekfor everychildabovetwo.Thesubscriberof2d.aweek, ifsickordisabled,isentitledto6s.aweekbed-lying pay,3s.aweekwalkingpay,andls.4}d.aweekfor everychildabovetwo.Thereareotherprovisions extendingtheproposedassociationtopersonspossessed ofproperty,andsuperior·inconditiontolabourersor servants; buttheaboveparticularsareallthatneed herebenoticedasbearinguponthePoorLaw,which thisplanwasintendedingreatmeasuretosupersede.
