The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-21 00:00:00

SHIPIVREcKED YAILORs' FUND.

The Society formed for the purpose of relieving the distressed
shipwrecked seilor, and the desolate families of such seamen as
hare perished by shipwreck. was held yesterday evening at the
City of London Tavern. The Meciing was thinly attended, and
was chiefly composed of ladies—at all times and in all countries
the most realous as well as the most eff:ctivo friends of the suffer-
ing and distressed.
Before tt.ehtisinesa of the Society was entered upon,
The Rev. G. C. SMITH came forward. Ile said that under
all the circumstances he could not help regretting that the Meet.
ing was so thinly attended. Many of the most eminent merchants,
as well as other influential persons, had been applied to, anti *ex-
pressed their wane approbation of the objects of the Society, and
their intentions to affind it tneir individual support. Aldermen
Kay, Gansu, Thompson, and ‘Yosid, as well as die present Lord
Mayor, had beet applied to, but some of them were now engaged
in public business, and the peculiar citcunistarces of the City ac-
counted for the absence of all. Under these circumstances it was
thought necessary to apply to some gentleman connected with the
Royal Navy to take the Chair, and Admiral Maitland had offered
to preside. but as Admiral Maitland had not yet arrived, he would
proi,ose that Captain Crosbie, of the W.ir-otfice packet service,
should take the Chair.
Captain CROSBIE, upon taking the Chair, briefly adverted to
the objects of the Institution, and intimated his willingness to hear
the observations of any of the gentlemen who surrounded him. In
conclusion he begged to call the attention of the Meeting to :he
interesting Report which was about to be read.
The SECRETARY then proceeded to read the Report, which,
amongst other things, adverted to the recent shipwrecks of the
Baron of Renfrew, and the Ogle Castle, on the Goodwin Sands,
the Kent East Indianian, in the Western Ocean, and the horrible
fate of the passengers on board the Comet steam packet, which, as
it Was feelingly expressed, " filled the coast with the pathetic be-
wailing& of shivering mariners, agonised widows, and bereaved
orphans." These calamities had severally occurred since the for-
mation of the Society, and from the insular position of our island,
and the extension of our commerce, similar calamities were likely
to recur. It was necessary, therefore, to consider the mot proper
methods of affording relief, and these were thought to be the grant
of pecuniary rewards to those who assisted in succouring and
saving the shipwrecked, and the immediate relief of the ship.
wrecked mariner Mimed, when suffering under the pressure of ag-
gravated want, as well as by affording assistance to his destitute
family. The Royal National Institution for Shipwrecked Sestneo
was already in existence, but its operations were confined tq those
who were instrumental in saving the shipwrecked, whilst the un-
fortunate objects who were saved from the devouring element had
no other public institution to look to for assistance but the Ship-
wrecked Sailors' Fund. The Report noticed a case which occurred
at the Mansion-house, where an unfortunate seaman came Wore
tho Lord Mayor, and stated that lie had been shipwrecked off Yar-
mouth, and was now houseless and pennyless. lie said he had
applied to the Royal National Institution for assistance, but was told
that that excellent institution only referred to those who were in-
strumental in saving shipwrecked seamen, but that his case did not
conic within the object of the Society. Upon this occasion the
Lord Mayor, then ignorant of the existence of the Shipwrecked
Seamen's Fund, had suggested the necessity of such an institution.
lie had sutsequently been informed of its existence, however,
and had expressed his unqualified approbation of its object, as
well as his anxiety for its success.
The Rev. Mr. SMITH said he had attended at the formation of
the Society. and watched its progress with deep interest. It was
the practical good which a society effected that should determine its
utility, and he had the happiness to state that the Shipwrecked
Seamen's Society could produce numberless testimonies of its
hotel}, and humane interference. The Rev. Gentleman here read
several letters, detailing the circumstances attendant npon many
distressing occurrences of shipwreck, in which the Society had
stepped [erased, and relieved shipwrecked seamen and their fami-
lies, who, but for the timely assistance thus afforded, must have ac-
tually perished from want.
Mr. Joyce read a statement of the receipts and disbursements
of the Society during the last year. Front this statement it ap-
peared that the funds of the Society were very limited, indeed
wholly inadequate to relieve one-half of the cases which came
strictly within the object of the Institution.
The Report having been received, a series of Resolutions was
proposed, and several gentlemen addressed the meeting, comment-
ing upon the beneficial results which had already taken place from
the operations of the Institution, and its strong claim upon the
British public to continued and increased support.
Some subscriptions and donations were then announced, and a
considerable collection was made in the town before the meeting
separated.