The wise provisions of the Banking Act of Sir Robert Peel in 1844 are a proof that our Legislature does interfere in financial affairs, and life assurance is only an extended form of banking; the joint-stock banking company receiving deposits and paying them back, with interest, on demand; the joint-stock assurance company receiving deposits and paying them back, with interest, at death. If it were thought desirable for the Bank of England to publish a weekly statement of its financial position, it is equally desirable, in many respects, for a life assurance company,--the argument being, in both cases, the general good. An examination of the accounts returned by the various offices gives us some startling facts. Twenty-five of these, the average term of whose operations has been three years and three-fifths, have expended in that time 375,328_l._ out of 462,032_l._, great part of which they have received for policies granted and annuities promised. Nine of them have spent all their premiums and 30 per cent. of their capital besides. Mr. Labouchere distinctly stated his opinion that many were insolvent; and “My impression,” says Mr. Christie, “nay, my entire conviction, as to others, notwithstanding the flaming accounts of their prosperity contained in reports and speeches at annual meetings, is, that they are rotten, and are in effect, though not in design, fraudulent.” Such statements as these being publicly made, there appears some ground for examining the question, and for quieting the minds of those who may have entered into engagements with the junior offices, so far as a fair and rational consideration will do so. It may be assumed that none of the offices now in existence have been opened with a fraudulent intent; but the necessity which exists of spending their money liberally, and almost lavishly, to procure business, is almost as pernicious. It is but just to say that an examination of the tables of the new offices does not show a low rate of premium; not lower, perhaps, than the increased value of life will allow, and certainly not lower than the old offices could well afford to charge.