The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-15 00:00:00

royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Yesterday the annual general meeting of this in-
stitution was held at the London Tavern ; his
Grace the Duke of Argyll, K.T., in the chair"
The meeting was influentially and numerously
attended. There were present, Admiral Sir George
Rodney Mundy ; John George, Esq., M.P. ;
Thomas Baring, Esq., M.P., F.R.S. ; Sir F. Out-
ram, - Bart. ; Colonel Moore ; Admiral Sir 11.
Keppel ; W. H. Harton, Esq. ; Thomas Chapman,
Esq., F.R.S. ; Captain J. R. Ward, R.N. ; Colonel
the Hon. R. F. Rowley, M.P. ; George Lyall, Esq.,
M.P. ; Admiral Ommanney ; Major-General Nut-
hall ; Captain the Hon. F. Maude, R.N. ; Captain
Sir E. Perrott, Part. ; Admiral W. H. Hall, C. 8.,
F.R.S. ; Colonel Fitz Roy Clayton ; W. W. Car-
gill, Esq., M.P. ; Francis Lean, Esq., R.N. ; Col.
Shakespeare ; and many others.
The Noble DUKE, in commencing the business of
the meeting, referred to the great loss which the in-
stitution had sustained by the death of its late pre-
sident—his Grace the Duke of Northumberland—
who had been one of the most munificent and judi-
cious supporters of the institution. The Lifeboat
Institution was one of the most popular of what
might be termed the charitable institutions of the
country. Its income during the last year had
amounted to- not less than £32,000, comprising
in the valuable gifts made to the society
completely equipped lifeboats ; and from one

individual alone the society had received the
munificent donation of £5,000. Almost every day
they saw that hew lifeboats were being fitted out and
supplied at different stations on the coast. It was
not 'surprising that th,3institution should have grown
so rapidly in public estimation. With the exception,
perhaps, of the hospitals, there was no institution
which represented in a more typical form the great

characteristics of modern and Christian civilisation

He remembered some years since hearing a discussion,
in which the late Lord Macaulay took part, as to

what was the meaning of civilisation ; and he said
that if there was one feeling which more than another
was the indication of Christian civilisation, it was
that growing tenderness for human suffering, and
greater regard for the safety of human life. This was
not a sentiment connected with anything like weak-
ness or effeminacy of feeling. On the contrary, it was
connected with the most humane feelings, and they
would see that a large number of men who formed
the crews of the lifeboats risked their lives to

save those of one or two individuals from wrecks.

The sentiment, therefore, of saving life was one
which was not only Christian in its character, but
it induced the greatest amount of self-sacrifice and
heroic devotion on the part of those who so gallantly
risked their lives to save those of their fellow-
creatures. There was another feature connected
with the institution, which seemed to account for
the interest felt towards it by the public, and that
was its great success in the saving of human life
which had attended their exertions. The amount of
success daring the past year had been very large,
and not less than 430 lives had been saved from
shipwreck in a way and manner in which those
lives must have been lost had it not been for the
lifeboats. It was gratifying also to note that 280
other lives had been rescued by other classes of
boats, the services of which had been rewarded by
money,. medals, and thanks of the institution.
Looking at the wreck chart—that sadly interesting
record—it would be seen that an immense number
of the wrecks took place on the eastern as compared
with the western coast, and that arose from the
circumstance that the harbours were so very few,
and that they were narrow and bad in their
entrances as compared with those on the other side
of the island. As a consequence of this, almost all
the wrecks took place on the shores, and at the
doors of our harbours. (Hear, hear.) His grace
concluded by congratulating the society on the re-
sult of its operations during the past year, and stated
that among the many instances of heroic devotion
to the good work there was none in which more
heroism had been displayed than in the case of the
Stanley, which struck on entering the Tyne last,
winter. (Cheers.) His grace then read the list of
officers for the ensuing year, and proposed their
election, stating at the same time that the post of
president of the institution had been accepted by
Earl Percy, son of the present very aged Duke of
Northumberland.

The list of officers was adopted by the meeting ;
and at the suggestion of Thomas Baring, Flsq., the
name of the Duke of Argyll was added to the list
of vice-presidents.

RICIIARD LEWIS, Esq., the secretary, then read
the report—lt stated that the committee deeply
felt the greatness of the responsibility which
rested on them from the nature and extent
of the work which they had underken—
a work on which hangs the issue of life and death.
The great success, however, which Divine Pro-
vidence had granted to their exertions, and
the kind and liberal support which had been
accorded by their fellow- c,ouptrymen, had encouraged
the committee to renewed exertion, and had enabled
them during the past year to increase considerably
their life-saving stock, which now numbered 144
life-boats. It was with extreme sorrow that the com-
mittee had to advert to the great loss which the life-
boat cause had sustained by the death of their pre-
sident, Admiral the Duke of Northumberland. K. G.,
who for 14 years had actively co-operated with them
in carrying out the national and philanthropic ob-
jects of the institution. Earl Percy, M.P., the eldest
son of the present aged Duke of Northumberland,
had kindly accepted the office thus rendered vacant
by the death of the late esteemed president of the
institution. The most striking feature in the history
of the institution in the past year, as it was also in
the preceding one, was the large number of splendid
gifts--amounting to £8,077 11s. 10d.—of twenty-
five new lifeboats, which had been presented to the
institution by philanthropic persons and collective
ladies, headed by an anonymous donation from " A
Friend" of no less a sum than £5,000. During the
past year the institution had sent no less than 34
new lifeboats to the coast, and others were in course
of construction. Transporting carriages and boat-
houses had been provided, with few exceptions, for
the whole of the above-named lifeboats. The life-
boats of the institution saved no less than 432 lives
and 17 vessels during the past year, nearly the
whole of them under circumstances when no other
description of boat than a lifeboat could with safety
have been employed. For these various services,
and for the saving of 266 lives by shore boats and
other means, the institution had granted rewards
amounting to £1,539. The committee referred
with great satisfaction to the continued intrepid
services of the lifeboat crews, who were ever
ready, day or night, to man the lifeboats during
the fiercest storms. The lives of between 5,000 and
6,000 persons are placed by shipwrecks on our coasts
annually in jeopardy ; but happily, owing to the
prompt and unceasing exertions that are everywhere
made on occasions of shipwrecks, the actual loss o. f
life among* that large number of POrgells placed hi