The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-18 00:00:00

Sir JOHN PARINGTON, in opening the business of the
meeting, said—lt gives me very great pleasure to take the
chair on this occasion. I filled the same office only a few
years since, and now accept the duty with untningled satis-
faction; It is most gratifying to leave for awhile the turmoil
of political life and come to a scene where, whether Church-
manor l)i,senter, Whig or Tory can unite in a common
cause of earnest hope for the future and thankfulness
for the past. The main feature in the report to which I
wish to refer is the many noble gifts, in the shape of the
entire cost of new life-boats presented by philanthropic
ine iv iduals. Bat before I direct attention to these acts of
liberality, there is one subject of vary sincere regret to
which I must allude—l mean the loss which this society
has sustained in the death of Admiral Washington. He
was a brave and scientific man. No person who hears me
will dissent from the opinion that the late Duke of North-
umberland and Admiral Washington have done much to
bring this society to its present state of prosperity. (Hear.)
Among the liberal gifts to this association there is one to
which the report draws especial attention, not alone on
account of its large amount, but as one springing from the
very highest order of motives on the pert of a commercial
firm, and which cannot but be appreciated in this great
mart of commerce, while it is invested with additional in-
terest as proceeding from members of one of the most
highly respected native communities amongst our fellow-
subjects in India. The splendid gift to which I allude is
that of £2,000, given by Messrs. Cama and Co., Parsee
merchants, London, for the purpose of providing the whole
cost and the future maintenance of a life-boat establish-
ment on the coast of the United Kingdom, in acknowledg-
ment of the success which had attended their business
transactions during eight years' residence in this metro-
polis. and in testimony of the courtesy and kindness which
they had invariably received from its inhabitants. (Cheers.)
I know of no better plan by which those great merchants
could have testified their sense of the benefits they derived
from their residence in London. I am also glad to find
that the Admiralty are taking active steps to ensure that
every ship in the navy should be provided with lifeboats.
(titer, hear.) The main point to which this institution
directs its energies is saving of human life. There are
now no less than 132.1ifeboats connected with the institu-
tion. Daring the past year 417 lives have been saved
by some of these boats, and those in addition to 297 ship-
wrecked persons, who, so far I can follow this report,
have been saved not exactly by the lifeboats belonging to
the institution, but by other crews—men whose gallantry
and bravery are part of the character of the British sailor,
(Hear, hear.) Those men have come forward in the most
noble way when the lifeboats were not at hand, and, availing
themselves of fishing or any other boats, have encountered
all risks and all weathers upon our coast. The total num-
ber of human lives saved during the last year was 714.
(Hear, hear.) With the single exception of the year 1852,
these numbers are larger than those of any previous year.
I find that 120 of these lives were saved by the Rams-
gate lifeboat alone, and 48 by the Holyhead lifeboat,
These, however, are only details of the great wcrk
which has been accomplished. During the last year, and
especially at the end of the year, there were gales of tre-
mendous force, and shipwrecks were, I am sorry to say, as
they always are, very numerous on our coast, The loss of
property was immense, and the loss of life, diminished as it
was by the efforts of this institution, was still very lament-
able. I cannot but connect in my mind this sad loss of life
with that other subject which has occupied the attention of
Parliament for some time—l mean harbours of refuge. We
are in a peculiar position with respect to that question.
There have been a committee and royal commission; the 4
latter was appointed to consider the best means of carrying
out the recommendations of the committee. Parlia-
ment is always in a difficulty when great expenses are pro-
posed, and we are going on year after year, but nothing is
done. A motion now stands upon the notice paper to the
effect whether the "recommendations of the committee may
not be carried out, and the financial difficulties be overcome,
by the adoption of some system of passiag tolls for the
ships, to meet the heavy expenses of harbours of re-
fuge." But, be this at it may, the two institutions will still
work together harmoniously for the benefit of the naval
interests of the country. My belief is that the existence of
harbours of refuge, however well they may be arranged,
and to whatever extent they may be carried out, will never
supersede the valuable action of this institution. Harbours
may be conducive to the saving of life and property. This
institution can only deal with life. Whatever may be the
benefit which the country would derive from the existence
of well arranged harbours, there still can be no doubt,
that, looking to the enormous amount of the commer-
cial marine of England, the casualties of weather and the
uncertainty which attends sea life, there will be innume-
rable instances in which shipwrecks will occur, in such
positions as to make it impossible for harbours of refuge to
provide a means of escape. There will still, therefore, be
abundant room for the action of this society, by
datributing, as closely as possible along the coast,
efficient lifeboats. The objects of this association are
really more valuable, and the results are more gratifying
and delightful, to the benevolent mind than those of almost
any other of those numereus charities which do so much
honour to this great metropolis. Some of these are formed
for extending the benefit of good education among the
people, some to rescue our fellow-creatures from misery,
suffering, and destitution, others for the mitigation of those
various classes of disease to which human nature is sub-
ject ; but this institution aims at the actual saving of
human life, and the rescuing from premature graves hun-
dreds, and—looking to the schedule of the report—l may
say, thousands of these brave men who man the fishing
boats, merchant ships, and the various classes of
the marine of this country; and me must bear
in mind, also, that with this saving of human
life must also be connected the fact that we at the same
time rescue the wives and children from becoming
widows and orphans. This is a most blessed charity,
it has been rewarded with success, it is, as it deserves to be,
popular with the public, and it has received a large amount
of public support. I hope it will be extended and increased,
and that those who may follow me in this chair will always
be able to hold the same language of hear felt congratula-
tion; and look forward hopefully to its increasing success.
(Cheers.) I have great pleasure in calling upon you to
re-elect the officers of this institution fur the ensuing year.
MONTAQV GORE, Esq., moved the adoption of the report,
and referred to the great benefits which the society had
afforded to the mercantile marine of the country, and the
incalculable advantages which resulted from its action in
having human life. The society, by its life-boats, was the
means of saving life under circumstances in which no other
means could be made available. He concurred in the opi-
nion expressed by the chairman that the construction of
harbours of refuge would hot dispense with the necessity of
life-boats; and as evidence of this, he referred to the num- i
ber of lives which had been saved by the lifeboats of Rams-
gate and Holyhead, both of which were harbours of refuge*
He pointed out the imperative necessity which existed for
providing good lifeboats and lifebelts for the Canadian
lines of steamers. Scarcely a year passed without the
loss of some of the vessels on this line, and a good supply
of lifeboats and belts would no doubt be the means of
saving many lives in the casualties which occurred in the
dangerous navigation of these vessels. The extent of good
done by this instituticn was very great, and the association
was in every respect deserving of the liberal support of the
public. The Lifeboat Institution was a glorious monu-
ment of what could be done by the voluntary efforts of the
people of this country: (Cheers.)
JAMES WCANN, Esq., M.P., seconded the motion, and
also bore testimony to the valuable exertions of the society,
and its claim upon the public support.
The motion for the adoption of .the report was unani-
mously agreed to.
STEPHEN CAVE, Esq., M.P., moved the fello wing reso-
lution—" That this meeting has heard with the utmost
satisfaction of the great success which has attended the truly
important operations of the Royal National Lifeboat Insti-
tution during the past year, and would direct particular at-
tention to the fact that, although the very large number of
1,602 shipwrecks took place in that period on our shores,
yet, owing chiefly to the prompt and successful services of
the lifeboats, the rocket apparatus, fishing and shore boats,
and other means, 4,656 persons were happily saved from the
said shipwrecks; the number of lives lost were, however,
568. That this meeting, in possession of these important
facts, pledges itself to renewed exertions on behalf of an in-
stitution whose philanthropic objects have commanded uni-
versal admiration." He referred to the fact that on the coast
of Cornwall there were now nine lifeboats, and pointed to
the great improvement which had taken place in the feelings
and conduct of Cornishmen in the case of shipwrecks. The
wrovision for saving human life on board the merchant ships
was even at the present time most disgracefully deficient,
and he should be glad to see some steps taken for providing
efficient boats for the mercantile marine of the country. lie
also pointed out the necessity which existed for providing
trained crews for the lifeboats, and urged upon the meeting
the duty of providing the institution with increased means
of carrying out its invaluable objects. (Cheers.)

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COl. FITZROY CLAYTON seconded the resolution, which,
like the previous one, was unanimously ad&pted.
JOHN J. ROGERS, E5q.,M.P., bore his willing and hearty
testimony to the value of the services rendered to the county
of Cornwall by the action of this society. He expressed his
earnest desire to see some improvements made in the build
and sea going qualities of fishing boats.
Sir J. FAKINGTON react a letter from the Shipwrecked
Mariners' Association, enclosing a subscription of £l2O
raised by seamen, members of that society, and some of
whom had probably been rescued during the oast year by
means of the lifeboats of the institution. (Cheers.)
Adn.airal SARTORIUS moved the following resolution :
" That the thanks of this meeting be tendered to the Lords
of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade, and to the
Marine Department of the Board of Trade,fer the important
and cordial aid afforded by them to the Royal National Life-
boat Institution. Also to the Commodore Controller- Gene-
ral, the Deputy Controller. General, and the officers and