I shall, in the following remarks, mainly confine myself to some considerations connected with the rise and the development of life assurance business in Australasia—a development which, considering the limited population of these colonies, is probably quite as phenomenal as that which has attended its progress in the United States of America with their teeming millions. To such an extent, in fact, has this been the case, that in no part of the world, so far as I am aware, has the amount assured per head of the population reached so high a figure as in Australasia. The figures are approximately as follows: Australasia, £19; Canada, £9; United Kingdom, £12; United States, £10.