Summary Of News For May.

slergy , and subscribers , and a vote of thanks being given to the surgeon , Mr . Harvey , sui to the reverend chairman , the meeting separated . PROVIDENT . The annual meeting of the Kent Mutual Life Assurance Society was held on the Kb , when Br . Gumming , the manager , read a report , which stated that since the last

ajaraal meeting new business had been transacted , " yielding new premiums of £ 6195 29 s . 5 cL a year , by the issue of 509 new policies ; that the assets of the society now aiao'sntto £ 31 , 398 8 s . Id . ; and that , under the division of profits realised at the 2 iih of March , 1854 , a cash bonus of 20 per cent ,, or one-fifth of the premiums yaid , was declared upon all policies on which two or more annual premiums had been jiaid , is to be found , in the opinion of the board , the most conclusive evidence that & e condition of your society continues to be most satisfactory and prosperous . " The

assort was adopted . The Metropolitan Life Assurance Society held its 20 th annual meeting . It appeared from the report that the number of policies issued has been 387 G , of which SiS have ceased , leaving 303 G existing policies , the annual premiums receivable on wMch amount to £ 96 , 887 12 * . 5 d . The aggregate of the claims on the society by aleath has been £ 307 , 667 15 s . od ., and of that sum £ 32 , 397 has arisen during the 3 ? nsi year . The total amount of abatement of premiums made to its members has

IsEan £ 254 , 633 4 s . Id . The accumulated capital to the 5 th of April last was . £ 679 , 417 10 s . Id . On the 24 th the National Provincial Fire Insurance Company held its second annual mseting , when a report was presented wliich stated that the number of new policies d & eted during the past year is 2349 , insuring £ 1 , 300 , 221 , the premium and duty reserved on which amount to £ 5898 as . 4 cZ ., whilst the net amount of losses for the same-period is £ 5871 8 s . 5 d . The following is a statement of the transactions of

til * last two years : —Number of policies , 4649 ; sum insured , £ 2 , 562 , 221 ; premium and duty , £ 10 , 240 16 s . 3 < L ; number of claims , 51 ; net amount of losses , £ 6011 8 s . lie ? . ; average amount of loss , £ 117 10 s . ; average amount of policies , £ 559 . It was explained that the past year has , from the number of fires , produced Josses to all offices much above the average—as must occasionally be the case . A oEvidcnd of five per cent , per annum was declared .

ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES . There was a great fire in Leadenhall Street , at the house of Mr . Preston , a Stationer , on the 1 st ; in which property of the value of about £ 15 , 000 was destroyed , sail the apprentice boy lost his life . A destructive fire broke out at the ship building yard of Messrs . J . Scott , Russell 5 t Co ., Millwall , on the 3 rd , when a floating battery , and other property of the

ssfciiBated value of £ 120 , 000 was destroyed . The Russian prisoners at Lewes rebelled against the authority of the Governor of fee prison , on the 4 th , but were soon reduced to obedience , and they have since been asc-re closely confined than before . 'On the 3 rd , tho barque John of Plymouth , with emigrants bound for Quebec , struck co ihe Manacles Rock , and was wrecked . About 195 individuals , chiefly passengers , lost their lives . A Coroner ' s Jury have brought in a verdict of manslaughter against ,

fie captain who appears to have been guilty of neglect of duty . ^ On the 29 th of April , au attempt was made to assassinate the Emperor of the Wsench , in the streets of Paris , by an Italian refugee , named Pianori , who has since tpess condemned and executed . Mr . C . A . Dyer , one of the confidential servants of the North London Railway , has Ire * hss life by being knocked down by an engine , whilst walking on the line in a state of mental abstraction . The family of Mr . Dyer will receive £ 1000 from the Bailway Passengers Assurance Company , he having taken out one of the annual jolcies for that amount , which cost £ 1 each .