The Express.
London, England, 1850-02-28 00:00:00

ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY.

Yesterday the anniversary dinner of this society
took piano at the Freemason's Tavern, Great Queen.street ;
the Right Hon. Fox Malmo. MT., in the chair. Amongst
these present wee- 8:r Wi liana Gomm, Sir B. Belcher,
Henry Kemble, Esq., Mr. Sheriff Lawrence, Mr. Sheriff
Nicoll, &a
The usual lopl touts having been disposed of, the
CHAIRMAN gam ' • The Army and Navy," conplion with
the tsast the names of Sir Win. Gomm and Sir Edward
Belcher.

Sir WM. GOMM, in returning thanks, said he had a
peculiar aeknowkdgment to snake to this society. It might
be in the recollect,on of the company that more than twelve
mouths ago a resalution was palmed by the society awarding
a medal to a you officer of the Fuulkn, at that time eta-
tioned at Neurittus, for an act of gallaatry and humanity
performed by him in saving the hese of tour brother often.
Ile (Sir Wm. Gomm) coma lered it his duty, as governer of
the island, to represent the circumstances to the Royal
Humane Society, aid the acknowledgments he received
gave aim inducement to take warm interest in the success of
so admirably en institution.

Sir EDWARD BELOBER returned thanks on behalf of
the sm.
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing " Progrerity to the Royal
Humane Satiety," said that in his opinion there was no in-
sti,ution which possessed so great and well merited claims
upon the public as the institution wheel, anniversary they
were now met to celebrate. He was happy to find from the
report that the fame of the institution was increasing in pro-
portion to its suatulnosa. From the report which had been
presented on this occaelon, it would appear that during the
year 1819 the committee had submitted to them 160 cases,
comprising 190 persons, out of whom 173 were successfully
treated and recovered, and 17 were beyond recovery. 16
honorary silver med.lhr)llll were voted for eases of rescue at.
tend. .d by extraordinary courage and risk of life; and 19
hooorery bronzy medals have been awarded. The thanks
of the society were presented to 12 individuals, and 146
clairuan.s rec. ins d pecuniary rewards. The total number of
persons who bathed in the Serpentine River throughout the
year were estimated at 330,000, according to the daily
returns kept by the superintendent. Twenty•seven persons
were rescued from drowning by the society's boatmen, who
had either got beyond throe depth or were m iced with cramp
while swimming ; of which number nine were taken to the
society's warm baths and beds, and received medical treat-
ment at the receiving•ht use. Five other individuals were
likewise preveated or rescued from committing suicide by
the watchlul-ese of the boatmen during the daytime. The
committee have also to state, that 79 persons have been
saved by the society's icemen this winter up to the time of
going to prep, the success:ul exertions of the society beiog
k n..ly noticed by the public press. Notwithstanding the
facts here recorded, the committee expressed a regret that
the operations of the society could not be extended, from the
want of increased funds, ned they confidently hoped that
their (Mr iOl5ll would be responded to in that spirit of bene-
volence which for 76 years they bed had much pride in ad-
verting to under the name of " voluntary contributions."
The toast of " Prosperity to the Royal Humane Society,"
having been drunk with the usual honours, the various
persons whose lives bad been raved by the society since the
last aanivenary formed a procession round the room, and the
exhibition was one of • most interesting nature. There was
a very large number of men, women, and chillren, and their
appearance was suck as to impre:s all present with a deep
conviction of the importance of the institution. Medals
were then presented by the chairman to the &Relent persons
whose courage had been the means of saving human life
during 'he last twelve months, and amongst those who re-
reired rewards was a young gentleman named Powell, whose
yatthiul appearance excited the applause of the company.
Other gentlemen ad-reesed the co upany in the course of
the evening, and eubscr,ptions were announced, amounting
in Ml to nearly 8001. Upwards of 160 gentlemen sat down
ee dinner.

SOUTH WESTERN STEAM PACKET
COMPANY.

Yesterday the ordinary half-yearly meeting of the
shareholders in this company took place at the offices of the
Lone,. n and 8 .uth West. rn Railway, in the York road.
Mr. lit u. chairman of the hoard of directors. presided, and
was supported by Mr. Laoy, M.P., Col. Ileaderson, and
tr.hAr at his Co director.

The report, after referring to the insufficiency of members
to form a b gal quorum at the meeting in August last, ea-
pounced the fact that a lease of all the boats and plant be-
n longing to the company bad been granted to the London
and South Western Rifler Company for 131 years,
commencing from the let of January, 1849, the railway
company egaranteeing to the sha-eho.ders in the steam
luau. 5 per mot. on the outlay of their capital,
Tim active duties of the directors ►ad therefore ceased,
but there were certain legal returns necessary, under the act
et parliament, to be furnished to the mi.-ration office, in-
volving a trifling annual outlay, which it would be necessary
to provide for. The amount of these expellees during the
past six months had been only 311. 10.. 81., but the direct•
tors recommended, in order to melt any contingency, that
an annual sum of 1001. (out of which 251. would he paid to
their secretary) should be set sport. In order to close the
ea: ital account of the company, the directors bad borrowed a
sum of 11,00111, from their bankers, preferring rather to do
this than make a call on the proprietors shortly befcre
Christ's.% wi ieh would whereine have beim necessary.
This amount had now to be provided fir, and the directors
propued to meet it by a call of 2/. per share on the proprie-
tary, settle', tall, re tom as paid up, would be entitled to 6
p:r cent let net a owl, as the rest of Vie cspit.l.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
remarket t..at ne thought the lease of the boats to the rail-
way company with a guarantee of 5 per cent. on the capital,
ought to be a subject of congratulation to the shareholder..
That amouat would be paid to them as regularly as a bank
dividend up to the end of 'he term, when they would be
entitled to have their money back or their money's worth in
boats and plant. The agreement with the railway company
h d been very honourably met even at a time when great
pecuniary loss resulted from the working of the boats, end
he thought the shareholders need not regret that they were
themselves freed from all risk or responsibility in the
matter.

The adoption of the report having been moved and se-
conded, it wa• unanimrubly agreed to. with one exception,
viz., that instead of a fixed sum of 1001. to meat this expen-
diture of the company, an uniform charge of 2 per cent, on
the dividend, amounting to abcut 1141., should be deducted
for this poop ate.
A vote of thanks to the chairman and bard of directors
closed the proceedings.

WATER SUPPLY TO THE METROPOLIS.
A meeting was }yid yesterday afternoon, at the
White 11 sow Hotel, Uxbridge, for the purpose of affording
the it„,tc,,,,,,, rs and =howl, rs on the Colne and its back;
an 01 portunity of determining upon the stets they should
take to ;pp we the W,ttortt sluing Water Company's scheme
now before parliament.
The Right Hon. the Earl of VERULAM was voted to
the chair, and addressed the meeting at some length, in
condemnstion of the Watford scheme, which he contended
was o, peed to the int, rests of all who had property in the
district. The company proposed to take away the water
which drove their mills and supplied their land, without
Bring the slightest compeasation for the injury inflicted.
Tory had as much right to do so as they had to take the
oats or other produce off his estate. It wee a most
impudent scheme. The company seemed to treat the
inhabitants on the lend round the Cans and its tributaries as
urerly uninterested iu the question, while their scheme, if
carried out, would deprive them of water, and render the
ccuntry hardly habitable. Ile would strenuously oppose
that scheme se Hurt ors to that part of the county.
Mr. DICKENSON said that, in opposing the project of
1840, he had very hilly anted his views on this subject, end
it was not necessary that he should now go at any length
into it. It was a revival of the old project, except that the
well was proposed to be at Watword instead of Bushey. Four-
tests years' experience had proved to him that although the
greaser l art of the rain did not go down to the springs, yet
those springs materially affected the body of the water in
the Cottle, and if the supply of them were diverted, a con-
s &melds loss or water power must occur. When the
Grua Junction Canal Compaby wished to rink a well at the
head of the Batwing River, Mr. Cubitt was appointed to try
experiments as to the probable effect of such a step. A well
ICA sunk, and pumps worked by an engine were kept going
knee:anti, for ten days and nights. The effect was to dry
up the source of the river, and to leave its bed dry for
350 yards. A a cnnd I xperiment of ten days and nights'
pumping dried up the river for 3.0 yards more. In fact, a
circle of 1,200 yards was left as dry as a board. He thought
this conclusive that the Watford well, with eight millions of
gallons taken from it daily, would exercise a similarly inju-
rious effect, but in a much more extended degree, and know-
ing the vast amount of property concerned, he felt bound to
opp se the m,
Mr. CLUTTERISLICK corroborated the statement of Mr.
Dickerson.

Mr. Towax moved, and Mr. Wtata•os seconded, a reso-
lution, deprecatory a the Watford scheme, which was agreed
; and a emataithe WAS appointed to oppose the bill.
Thanks were voted to the chairman, and the meeting
operated.

TIM BRITANNIA BRIDOR.—The permanent longi-
tudinal beams, along which the trains will run, are placed,
and visitors may pus from side to side without difficulty, re-
hinting over the tops of the tubes for sake of variety, if in
the eimbinx mood, We visited the works on Wednesday
lest, and were politely clnducted through end over the
tubular range. The ponderous machinery in use when
raising the tube, and the steam engine required for charging
the hydr tulle press, were being taken down from the chum
berg in the piers; and there seemed little remaining to be
dolts beyond laying the rails. The formal opening of the
immerses iron g tliery will not be deferred, it is asserted,
beyond the second or third week in March ; but experi-
mental trains will pus end repass sooner than the
period named.--Nora Wales