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be the case, to grant beneficial terms to the contributors, and tofulfil their engagements.
3. It would require much consideration and inquiry, to pointout the best plans for Benefit Societies, so as to be generallyapplicable to the whole kingdom ; and a good deal of latitudemust be given, that they may be suited to the circumstances ofeach particular district. Some idea, however, may easily begiven, if these hints are approved of, to prevent those vision-ary plans of impracticable benefit, which can only terminate in dis-appointment.
If these general outlines were adopted, the result probablywould be,
1. That every industrious man in the kingdom, might, by amoderate sacrifice, secure a comfortable provision for himself, insickness and old age, and for his wife, if she survives him.
2. That there would be a constant remittance of money toLondon , to purchase stock ; a large proportion of which wouldremain undemanded, and by means of which, the price of theFunds, that barometer of public credit, would be kept up. And,
3. That all the industrious classes of the community, wouldthus be interested in the preservation of the Government, and inthe prosperity of the country.
In regard to Benefit Societies in Scotland , several have beenestablished in various parts of the kingdom ; but there is nonewhere a better system, or more useful rules have been adopted,than at Castletown in the county of Caithness ; and on that ac-count they are annexed to these observations.
Regulations of the Society of United Farmers andCraftsmen of Castletown in the County of Caithness.
At Castletown, the 14th February 1798, and the 38th yearof the Reign of His Majesty King George the Third,whom God long preserve.
We, the farmers and craftsmen, in and about Castletown,having met, it was proposed, and unanimously agreed to, thatit is expedient and necessary for us to form ourselves into a So-ciety, and to raise a fund for the aid and assistance of such mem-bers, their widows and offspring, whom it may please God to reduceto indigence and want. We, therefore, resolve to unite ourselves in-to a Society, which shall be known, and called, by the name of theUnited Farmers and Craftsmen of Castletown, for the endsand purposes aforesaid : And further, we bind and oblige our-selves to abide by the following rules and regulations, and suchothers as may hereafter be judged proper to adopt.
Article I. Admission of Members.
1. That no person is to be admitted into the Society buthewho is a Protestant by profession, and of a good moral charac*