The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-16 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—l enclose you a bank-note struck and issued
by M. Mazzini, showing Mr. Stansfeld as his agent
(see the last line). The note is in the name of Italian
Liberty, and it is complete with the exception of the
date, which has only A.D. 185 , leaving a blank to
be filled up by the fourth figure. This note is ten
years or more old.—l am, sir, yours, &c.,

London, March 15. M. A.
Other notes can be forwarded of the same age and
:ssue.

Dio e Popolo. Prestito Italia e Roma,
Nazionale Italian°,

Diretto unicamente ad affrettare l'indipendenza e la liberta

d'ltalia.

W 5102. FRANC HI 100.
Ricevuta di FRANCHI CENTO di Capitale, col mercantile
kite:ease di mezzo per cento al mese, adatare de questo giorno
185
Pel Comitato Nazionale,
G 'US. MA.ZZINI

Republica Gros EI:PE SIRTORI Comitato
Romana, ATTU. M ONTECCIII Nazionale
9 Febbrajo, 1849. AURELIO SAFFI Italiano.

A. SALINTZ.

La Circolare No. 1, contenente le basi e I particolari
dell' Imprestit o, si distribuisce colic cedole.

London agent, Jamey Stansfeld, 2, Sydney-place, Brompton,

Royal National Lifeboat Institution,

The annual general meeting of the friends and
supporters of this institution was held on Tuesday
the 15th inst. at the London Tavern. The Right
Hon. Sir J. S. Pakington, Bart., G.C.8., .M.P., in
the chair. The meeting was influentially and nume-
rously attended. There were present amongst
others—T. J. Miller, Esq., M.P.; Admiral Sir
George Sartorius ; Thomas Baring, Esq., M.P. ;
Colonel Palmer, High Sheriff of Essex; Captain R.
Robertson, R.N., Surveyor General of the Board of
Trade; Thomas Chapman, Esq., F.R.S. ; E. J. Reed,
Esq., Chief Constructor of the Navy; James Mc-
Cann, Esq., M.P. for Drogheda ; Thomas Sopwith,
Esq., F.R.S.; Stephen Cave, Esq-, M.P.; Captain
Sir Edward Perrott, Bart., V.P.; Joseph Somes,
Esq., M.P.; John J. Rogers, Esq., M.P.; Francis
Brodigan, Esq., J.P. ; Admiral Hall, C. 8., F.R,S, ;
Cot. Moore ; Admiral Gordon ; Captain the Hon. F.
;Maude, R.N. ; Captain Hyde, H.C.S. ; Captain
Howes, R.N. ; R. Cloves, Esq. ; Capt. Nairne, R.N..
Commander Jesse, R.N. ; John Proctor, Esq.
Montague Gore, E,q. ; Col. Fitzroy C.ayton ; W.
H. Herten, Esq.; Colonel Sykes, M.P.; Louis Par-
nell, Esq. ; Samuel Hibbert, Esq.,; Thomas Henan],
Esq.; G. C. Begbie, Esq.; Admiral Bullock; J. D,
Alcroft, Esq. ; Rev. George Wilkins, &c.
The CHAIRMAN expressed the great satisfaction
he felt in taking the chair on this, the 40th anni-
versary, of so important and national institution.
It was an institution of which Englishmen might
be truly proud. (Hear, hear.) The clear and
im-
pJrtant facts which were detailed in its annual re-
port could not fail to elicit the admiration of every
one. (Hear, hear.)
After some further appropriate remarks, the
chairman called on

RICHARD LEWIS, Esq., barrister-at-law, secre-
tary of the institution, to read the annual report.
The report stated that on this, the 40th anniver-
sary of the institution, the committee had once more
to place on record the success which, with the
Divine blessing, had rested on their labours, and to
express their gratitude to a liberal public for its
continued generous support. Perhaps the most
striking feature in the history of the institution
during the past year was the large number of noble
gifts, i❑ the shape of the entire cost of twelve new
lifeboats, which had been presented to it by philan-
thropic individuals. The committee had the gratifi-
cation to know that the Lords of the Admiralty
were taking steps to provide every ship-of-war with
an efficient lifeboat, their lot dships having paid the
Institution the compliment to consult it on that
important subject. The committee proposed to build
and place at some of the principal fishing stations
model or standard insubmergible fishing boats,
from which, after sufficient trial, others might be
built in the several localities ; and thus a permanent
improvement be established, which might lead to
the saving of many lives on occasions of such boats
being overtaken by gales of wind when at long dis-
tances from land. During the past year the insti-
tution has been enabled to send no less than 15 new
lifeboats to the coast, and numerous others were in
course of construction. Tne lifeboats of the
institution numbered 132 ; and some of them
were the means of saving no less than 4:7
lives and 17 vessels during the past year, nearly
the whole of them under dangerous circumstances,
amidst high surfs, when no ether description of
boats could have been launched with safety. For
these services, and for saving 297 shipwrecked per-
sons by fishing and shore boats cc other means—
the institution had granted rewards amounting to
£1,351. On occasions of service, and on those of
quarterly exercise of the life-boats, about 6,000
persons were afloat in them, yet not a single life
had been loot. Transporting-carriages and boat-
houses had been provided for most of the said new
life-boats. The committee regretted to report that
the number of wrecks during the past year was, a,
usual, very large, and that the gales in October
and December were perhaps the most destructive
that ever visited the shores and seas of the British
lola. It wits, howeyer, most gratifying to bo Able

to report that during the time that these storms
lasted, the life-boats were providentially the means
of rescuing no less than 385 shipwrecked persons.
With a shipping representing about sixty millions
of tons, and 400,000 vessels which cleared outwards
and entered inwards from British ports during the
past year, a large number of shipwrecks had become
almost a natural sequence. Accordingly, it was
found that 1,602 casualties took place last year
on the shores and in the seas of the British
Isles, accompanied with loss of 568 valuable lives—
lives of the utmost consequence to the commerce and
defence of the country. It was, however, gratify-
ing to find that during the same period 4,565 per-
sons were rescued by lifeboats, the rocket apparatus,
shore-boats, and other means. The total number of
lives saved during the forty years from the esta-
blishment of the Institution in 1824, to the end of
the year 1863, either by its lifeboats, or by special
exertions for which it had granted rewards, was
13,568. Daring the year 15 silver medals, 26 votes
of thanks inscribed on parchment, and £1,297 in
cash had been granted fer saving the lives of 714
persons by lifeboats, shore and fishing boats, and
other means, on the coasts and ouaying banks of
the United Kingdom. Since the formatiO• of the
Institution, it had expended on lifeboat estabeh-
ments nearly £lOO,OOO, and had voted 82 gold and
738 silver medals for saving life, besides pecuniary
awards, amounting together to £17,830. The
Committee referred to the cordial co-operation of
the local Branch Committees, the Board of
Trade, the Coast Guard, and the Railway
and Steam Packet Companies, The expenditure
of the Institution in the year 1863, on its life-
boat establishments, was £11,377 143. ld.; £1,351
6s. 41. in rewards for services to shipwrecked
crews; and £2,441 9s. ld. for coxswains' salaries,
and the quarterly practice of the boats' crows. Thu
institution had received £lOO from a Sailor's
Daughter, per Messrs. Deummonds; £lOO as a
thank-offering for preservation at sea during the
storm of the 31st October last; £1 6s. 9d. being
the amount of a collection at St, John's Sunday
School, Manchester; £3 18e. Bd. collected in
Mochrum Parish Church, as a new year's offering
to the Institution, per Rev. R. Craig; £lOO from a
friend,' in gratitude to God for the preservation
of his wife for another year; and £2O from a sea-
man's daughter (C. T.) the produce of her needle
work. The following legacies had been bequeathed
to the Institution since the last report :—James
Miller, Esq., of Glasgow, £lOO ; Wm. Carrie,
Esq., of Cornhill, London, £200; John Farnell,
Eq., of Isleworth, £l,OOO (free of duty); Milborne
Williams, Esq., of Whitchurch, £5O; Miss Emma
Keate, of Kensington, £3OO ; and Richard Spencer,
Esq., of Gower-street, London, £2OO. The items
of receipt and expenditure were detailed in the
annual financial statement attached to the report
audited as usual by Mr. Begbie, the public account-
ant. Considering the magnitude and unavoidable
costliness of the operations of the National Lifeboat
Institution, embracing the whole of the coasts of
the British Isles, a large permanent annual income
was indispensable to enable it to maintain, in an
effective state, its one hundred and thirty-two life-
boats, and to increase their number, should circum-
stances render it desirable to do so. The committee
appealed to the British public with fresh confidence
for support to an institution, whose mission and
mercy must come home to every one, and plead for
sympathy and support.

The report having been moved and unanimously
adopted, resolutions in furtherance of the objects of
the institution were proposed and seconded lby
Montagu Gore, Esq. ; J. M(Cann, Esq., M.P. ;
Stephen Cave, Esq., M.P. ; Col. Fitz Roy Clayton,
Sir George Slaloms, Admiral Hall, C. 8., F.R.S. ;
J. D. Allcroft, Esq. ; Rev. George Wilkins, Capt.
Robertson, R.N., Surveyor-General of the Board of
Trade ; and the usual complimentary vote of thanks
having been given to the chairman,.the proceedings,
which were of a very interesting character, closed.