The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-18 00:00:00

MERCHANT SEAMEA'S HOSPITAL.

A public meeting was held last night at the
Sailor,' Institute, Mercer-street, Shadwell, Mr. THOMAS
BASING. M.P., in the chair, for the purpose of bringing
under the notice of the mercantile marine the claims to
support of the new hospital at Belvedere, near Brith, on
the Thames, for disabled and worn-out merchant seamen.
To help the meeting, which was numerously attended, to
form an adequate notion of its extent and appropriate
situation, a spirited representation of the building, painted
by Mr. Rogers, the chief scenic artist of the Britannia
Theatre, was hung over the platform. Mr. Baring, in
opening the proceedings, recalled to mind that the com-
merce of the country owed much of its greatness to the
sailors engaged in the merchant service. He candidly ad-
mitted that the extensive mercantile house to which
he belonged felt it to be its duty to assist in the esta-
blishment of this institution, and it afforded him un-
feigned pleasure in having bad the opportunity of
assisting 1111 the initiating of the hospital at the Mansion-
house, and of presiding over the present meeting. We had
retreats for our worn-out soldiers and sailors at Chelsea
and.. Greenwich ; but until now no such national asylum
had been thought of for our disabled merchant seamen.
It was estimated that there were no less than 250,000
sailors employed in that service, and of these 3,000 were
generally driven to seek shelter in workhouses, or to sub-
sist upon outdoor parochial relief. These simple facts de-
monstrated the necessity for the Belvedere institution,
which would be now further explained in an address from
its secretary.

Captain T. TRIBE, in responding to this iyquest,
gave a rapid history
i of the hospital, urging all
who had " a shot n his locker" to come forward
and assist the effort. The building was within a quarter
of an hour's journey of London, and contained 65 rooms,
and bad 24 acres of land attached to it. It was now capa-
ble of receiving 150 men, but its capacity was equal to the
wants of 500, and it was proposed gradually to raise the
inmates to that number. Royalty, the government, and
every large commercial town, with the City of London and
Liverpool at their head, had lent their aid in launching
the good ship Belvedere, of which it was ex.
pected our sailor prince would shortly hoist his
Hag_ as commander, by becoming its president.
The institution would be chiefly self-supporting, and,under
a plan of subscription by the seamen themselves, partake
rather of the character of a provident society than a
charity.
. .

Captain Hunter proposed, the Rev. Mr. Wilkson
seconded, Captain Peter Campbell supported, and the
meeting by acclamation, a resolution declaring that,
corn as it was of officers and seamen of the mer-
cantile marine and of shipowners and gentlemen connected
with commerce, it hailed with much satisfaction the state-
ment it had heard of the progress made towards providing
a refuge for the aged and disabled seamen of all ranks who
were in need, and establishing a national pension fund for
them, and annuities for their widows.

A second retvulution was carried, pledging the officers and
seamen present to become trubecnbers to the institution,
and to exert their influence in its behalf with their brother
sailors, and a vote of thanks to the chairnuui terminated
the proceedings.

THE SA molts' HOME, WELLS-STREET. —The annual
meeting of the friends of this institution was held yester-
day at the Home, Wells-street, St. George's-in-the-East ,•
Admiral Sir W. Bowles in the chair. The secretary read
the report, which, after referring to the success attending
the operations of the institution, alluded to the satisfac-
tory opening of the additional buildingi in May last by the
Prince of AS ales, a building worthy of the object for which
it was erected ; theexpense attending the erecting, and
fitting, and furnishing of which was about 200001. The
boarders at the Home during the past year had been—
British seamen, 7,260 ; foreign ditto, 2,120 ; making
a total of 11,390, of whom 243 had been also
victualled daily at the Home during the year. The report
then went on at great length to enumerate the many be-
nefits conferred on the seamen by the existence of the
homes in various parts of the United Kingdom. The in-
come for the year had been 11,019/. lls. kid-, and the ex-
penditure had been 7,801/. 16a. 3d., with 9731. 3.. 11d.
advanced to the building fund, which left a balance of
2441. lls. 6d. The invested fund was 3,4111. The Rev.
Mr. Pattison moved, and • Admiral Buckle seconded the
adoption of the report, which having also been spoken to
by the Hon. Capt. Maude and Messrs. Brown and Barnes,
was agreed to. A vote of thanks to the chairman closed
the proceedings.
BRITISH HOME FOR INCURABLES. —The annual
meeting of the subscribers was held yesterday at the Lon-
don Tavern, Mr. Charles Hood in the chair. The report
stated that since the establishment of the institution 93
patients have been elected to its benefits, of whom 40 were
inmates and 53 were out-pensioners. Some few have also
been admitted on payment, and there are at present re-
siding in the Home 35 patients. Among these severely
afflicted persons there is to be found nearly every form of
suffering under which humanity can exist. The sub-
scriptions and donations of the year had amounted
to 6,969/. 4s. 7d. During the same period 3,5701.
was invested in approved securities, and the Dotal
investments now amount to 13,2861. 3s. 4d. The balance
in the hands of the treasurer was 438/. 12s. 10d. In moving
the adoption of the report, the chairman mentioned that
in two years time the asylum would be quite fun, and it
would then become necessary to seek a larger house, or
cease to make new elections. At the termination of the
ordinary business of the meeting an election of eight in and
eight out pensioners took place. There were ninety-four
candidates, but it was announced that three of them had
died since the publication of the lists.

Lew .Assoclertolv.—The annual general court of
the Law Association for the benefit of widows and families
of professional men in the metropolis and its vicinity was
held yesterday afternoon, at the hall of the Inoorporated
Law Society, Chancery-lane ; Mr. Lenience Desborough in
the chair. The forty-ninth report, read from the chair,
showed that during the past year 32 cases of the primary
class had been relieved by the distribution among them of
1,3251., while 250/. had been applied to the cases of the
second class, being the widows and families of non-
members. Three life and seven annual members bad died
during the year, and the association now consists of 738
members. The receipts of the year had amounted to
1,1161. 12s. 4d. from dividends, and 5834 16s. from sub-
scriptions, besides a donation of 105/. and a legacy of 901.
The capital stock of the association now amounts to
26,4471. 14s. 4d. The report was unanimously adopted.