The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-01 00:00:00

ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEMIAT INSTITUTIN.Y.

Tho Prince of Walton presidol over the annual
meeting of this society, held yesterday in the Egyptian.
hall at the Mansion-house. The announcement that his
royal highn.s would take the chair attracted a nu.
ineroux audience within, and large crowds without, from
both of whom the royal party received a warm welcome.
A preliminary announcement having been made,
The Prince of WALES opened the proceedings by deliver.
ing a brief speech, in the course of which he said :—lt
affords me very great pleasure to occupy the chair upon so
interesting an occasion as the present. Among the many
benevolent and charitable institutions of tiara country
there are, I think, few which more demand our sympathy
and support, and in which we can feel more interest than
the National Lifeboat Institution. (Cheers.) An in.
stitution of this kind is an absolute necessity iu a
great maritime country like ours. It is wholly dif-
ferent in one respect to many other institations,
because, although Hate are to be saved, they ran
in those cases in which this society operates, only be
saved at the risk of the loss of other lives. (Hear, hear.)
I am happy to be able to congratulate the institution
upon its high state of efficiency at the present moment,
and on the fact that by its means very nearly one thousand
lives have been saved in the course of the pant year.
(Cheers.) Lifeboats have been given by many benevolent
individuals, some as thankofferings from the friends of
those whose lives have been saved, and others it
memory of those who are now unhappily no more.
I am happy also to be able to say that life.
boats exist not only upon our coast, but our
bright example in this matter has been emulated by Elan,
foreign maritime countries who have chosen to model
their institutions upon our own. (Cheers.) I beg to
tender in the name of the institution our warmest thank'
for the kindness and courtesy of the Lord Mayor, for
allowing to to hold our meeting in this hall. (Cheers.)
It is, indeed, a peculiarly fitting place in which to hell
it, from theintimate connection which must naturally exist
between the City of London and the institution. Half a
century ago it originated in this city. In
the late Duke of Northumberland became its president.
My lamented father was also the vice-patron, and took
the warmest interest in its prosperity. (Cheers.) I
am happy to say that the respected secretary, Mr,
Lewis, occupied that position in 18:0). He has held
it ever since, and much of die success of the in.
stitution is owing to his long experience ; and the
energetic manner in which he has directed its working has
raised the institution to its present high state of effi-
ciency. (Cheers.) I should also mention that Mr. Thomas
Chapman, Sir Edward l'errott, Bart., Captain .1. H. Ward,
lt.N., the inspector of lifeboats to the institution, sad
many other gentlemen, have rendered, and du render,
to the institution most important service. I may say
that there are 174 lifeboats afloat, and that in the course
of the past year many have been called into existence at
a cost of no less than 17,0001., the whole of which has
been defrayed by benevolent individuals. Before cow
eluding the brief remarks which I have addressed to yea,
I call upon you once more to offer your support to so ex-
cellent an institution. lam certain that you mast be
convinced that it is one which is really a necessity for a
great maritime nation like this. I congratulate you that
it has arrived at so excellent a state, and I feel quite sure
that you would be the last to wish it to decay fur the want
of support to its fund. (Cheers.)
The annual report was read by the SECRET %RT. It
stated that during the 4:1 years of its existence, the life-
boats and other special exertions of the institution had
I been the mamas of saving 15,901 lives.
The adoption of this report was moved by Sir .T.
PAKINGTON (First Lord of the Admiralty), and seconded
by the Earl of HARI/MIME, who, in the course of some
' practical observations, pointed out that among the clan:rem
that gave the sailor so strong a claim upon our sympathies,
the credulity and " liberality" of the insurance offices, as
illustrated by a recent trial, was not to be omitted.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
A resolution, declaring that the institntion was
emf-
nently deserving of continued public support, was moved
by Sir S. Nostritorre (President of the Board of Trade),
and seconded by Lord Ammer, PAGET. Lord Alfred. in •
concise and pointed manner, urged that the ectahlishimnt
along the most exposed portions of our coast Sine of har-
bours of refuge was essential to the proper wet king of the
lifeboats.

Before this motion was put from the chair, a gentlemn,
who afterwards proved to Le Mr. BANTINc, claimed a
few moments' attention. As he spoke from the body of the
hall, the in:ijority present appeared to he app,eh:• - • -of
this deviation hum the programme, but horn wore soon
exchanged for applause when the speaker 11, 0.101 Up a
cheque for tiOW. It was the gift of a lady who e 'lame he
was forbidden to mention, and who de..ired the money to
be devoted to the purchase of a new lifeboat and
loges an soon as a station could be found for 0n... It ap-
peared that Mr. Rutting himself once gave the 'agitation
a boat, which wax unfortunately wrecked within s few
days of her launch, and the meeting sletre.l with him the
gratification he expressed that he was now 'urinated to
assist in the performance of an act which was " a kind of
child's dream" of his own for litany yearn.

Thanks were %sited to the Bonill of Train unit the Cisots
guard Service for the assistance they hii‘e rendered
to the institution, the motion being proposed by N.
(iiiscuros;, seconded by Sir E. L and
acknowledged by Mr. CA VF, Vice-President of the Bead
of Trade.

On the motion of Sir A. MILNE, seconded by General
KvnLl.t a vote of thanks was to the cone
mittee of management and the local oatittees of the
various branches throughout the country. The secretary o:
the Manchester branch, which is one of the largest in the
country, responded to the compliment. The Prince of
Wales here announced that he hail receisiiil a chwiiie
for 4& guineas from Captain Harris, of Poehanip-
ton. This will provide a lifeboat, her equipment,
life-belta for the crew, and a transporting carriage.
Thanks for the use of the hall were proposed by the
Duke of St. Albans, seconded by Mr. T. D. Potter,
M.P., and acknowledged by the Lord Mayor. The latter
gentleman announced a subscription of PM guineas from
Mr. S. Morley, who was prevented from iitteniling through
illness. Earl Percy. president of the institution, and Mr.
Raring, M.P., chairman of the committee of III:I tiagerov.r,
moved a vote of thanks to the Prince of Wales for presid-
ing, a duty that was rendered something more than
formal lay the noble earl presenting to the Prirxe
on behalf of the institution an elegant model Its a
glans case) of the Albert Victor lifeboat. which. with
eight others, had been given to the society I.v Moldiest. r,
and which, although oho is the Isla contribution of the
kind, has already done the state good service. The Prince
of Wales accepted the model, and thanked the society nit
giving it to him. He added that lie recciocil it with
peculiar pleasure on account of its name, and it was grr
tifying to feel that when his eldest son grew up be woad
he able to reflect that a life-boat, christened after him,
had saved between 30 and 40 lives by the tit., be Wa
three years old. .

Cheers were given as the Prince and suit• left the till
Amongst the gentlemen on the platform., in addition tc
Vione mentioned as taking part in the prooeohngs. w..re
the Earl of Shrewsbury and Talhot, Mt. Tit, M.P., Nr
N. Rothschild, and several members of the cot isnAtion.

Earl Grosvenor sends to the Times a sketch of
his speech at Mr. Gladstone's on Tueohv. " After v-
ing my humble tribute," he says, "to the dignity aid
moderation both of the views and the language of !,IT.
Gladstone in dealing with the measure of his opponent',
and which tended to reunite the liberal part. I assured
him of the cordial support of those with whom I Acted
year to bring this great question to a s di-fa..tory issue,
but on the express conditions that such issue pi..
Geed on sound constitutional principles. eiri iG to
class a full equal share of representation. :aid, ais,ve all,
giving preponderance to none. I added th.tt we who IA
year found it necessary to separate from out fronds OA
not consider ourselves, in the ordinary a ;
that our difference with the liberal patsy ~n
question of reform, and I sincerely hotel that Merin::
might be of no long continuance."
The Archbishop of York and the RiOit li do V.
E. Gladstone will be present at the meetin.; of the Net-
port.market Refuge on Thursday nest, and t.,k.. pal I
the proceedings.
•

The experiment of universal sierra :,• is
length to be tried in one American state. branch
of the legislature of Kansas have ailoptvl aimaalaients : •
the state constitution, granting the ri•;lit ~,te to -11
persons, male or tem ils, white or 1.1,1..
first success the ni.-itatorti for female R 10.1.1-., 11.1,e
achieved. In Washington a negro lias i t J lc d•
in the Treasury department.
•-

Mr. Minicreiff, M.P., has addrt•ssed a la P2:O 1,10,1*
ing of the Aggregate Liberal Comiiiittoe r.t
the suhject of the n.:-reactitat ion of the city. Ili.. ..ddr,z
consisted of a justification of his conduct in
with the Annuity-tax Bill, to wlslet Mr. M•Lar,n h. I
committed himself without any previous cototiscatesfl''
with him. Referring to the tlee,ratioa of lio*t•litt
at the meeting of Mr. l'l.aren's frien-Is its (Mc, I.•stre,l•
hall, on Monday evening, he took up the glov, k•
then bean thrown down, and declared his int• at ion ,t
firmly maintaining his ground, because he behoved dui.
the uttestion was not now merely One of taxation, but eve
°fleeting the character and credit of the city. A coedit,:
vote of thanks was given to Mr. Monona tor his .oltizess.