The Sun.
London, England, 1823-12-11 00:00:00

MEETING AT LLOYD'S.

A General Meeting of thl,Subscribers was held
yesterday in the great morn, for the purpole of electing two
Gentlemen to tyive as'illerrbers of kile General Committee, in
the room of tweGentlemtliVho go out by rotation, and for va-
rious other routine business.

Mr. Br,,,rsiatrx Slaw having taken the Chair, two Gen-
tletnen were put in nomination. The Honourable Chairman
then stated to the Meeting, that a letter had been addressed
to the Committee by Mr. Thomas King, Secretary to the Cor-
poration of the Marine Society, in the name and by the direc-
tion of that Society, which he, the Chairman would mail to the
Meeting. •

The Hon. CHAIRMAN then proceeded to read the letter,
which stated in substance, that during the present year there
had been upwards of 700 applicants to the Society for aid and
assistance, who had been receiyed and provided for. The re-
gular funds of the Society had, however, been found unequal to
the burden which had thus been thrown upon them. The
Members of the Committee had individually subscribed to the
fund with a view of meeting the demands made upon it;
however, it was insufficient to answer those demands, and, re-
, lying on the known liberality of the Gentlemen who formed the
Society of Subierihers to Lloyd's, they had been emboldened
to, apply to that Society for further aid and assistance. This-
letter had been submitted to the consideration of the CoMmit-
tee, and they had determined to recommend that agrant of 2001.
should be made from the funds of the Society in aid of the Ma-
rine Stitiety, 'and when he should haVe reminded the gentle-
men by whom he was surrounded, how intimately the mer-
=tile interest was connected with a Society which had for its
object the benefitting the navy, and reeling a supply of seamen,
he was persuaded the recommendation of the Committee would
not fail to be adopted by the General' Meeting. lie should
therefore move, that it is the opinion of this Meeting that a
sum of 2001. should be granted from the funds of the Society,
in aid of the funds of the Marine Society.

Mr. BLACK MIK N seconded the niotiom
Mr. URGUTHAUT, as a member of the society to whom this
proposition was made, and as a friend of the British Navy,
felt it, his duty to oppose this grant. Instead of the Marine
Sudety being, as it had been represented, beneficial to the Bri.
fish Navy, he considered it as Audibly, less than disgraceful
and mischievous to it. As a proof, it any were wanting, he
would read the account which this Society gave of itself and its
objects,- and who were ,the individuals selected by-them for the
supply of the nursery for seamen. The Society and the public
would judge of the usefulness of this Society by contemplating
• the several distinctions of the qualities and distresses of the
boys usually fitted out by it. 1.- Sent by various Magistrates
of the cities of London and Westminster. 2. Orphans lurking
about the streets, many of them recommended by Magistrates,
some by citizens of London, and others occasionally by gentle-
men who have been witnesses of their complicated distresses.
3. Apprentices, their masters consenting to their indentures
being cancelldhefore•Magistrates, under complaint of Petty
offences, disinclination, or total inability to follow their trades,
and requesting this society to tit them out for the sea-service.
4. Vagabonds, the major
.part of them overwhelmed with filth
and rags, in danger of perishing through cold, hunger, naked-
ness, on disease. • • • r
The CUAILMAN.—Mr. Urquhart, before you proceed, we
had better know on what authority your statement Is founded.
Mr. URQUnAIt.T.—On the best authority, Sir; on their own
printed and official account of their own proceedings, which I
hold in my hand. The fifth class is the only one which pre-
sents deserving o'ojFcts—namely, sons of poor widows and other
worthy poor labouring people with large families, being toys of
a hardy, bold disposition, and wanting employment, and ap-
plying to be fitted out, their parents consenting. But what
were the next class of persons ? Why, those recommended by
Magistrates front the country, as dangerous in civil. society.
All the Objects advertised for, and received by the society,
therefore,' with the exception of `lie Oth Class, were the refuse,
and the pest of the public—vagabonds and thieves, whom it
was found impossible to keep in' order on shore. Vet, if an
officer, when any one.of these was sent on board his ship, should
find it necessary to ptinish hint for his crimes% he Contrives to
get on shore, and getting: hold of the first unprincipled attorney
lw can meet with, proceedings are commenced against an ho-
nourable man for doing an unpleasant duty, and he is harassed
is ith law expences, for attempting to manage on board ship,
those who eatild-nut be kept in order.on shore. Tlibr was the
node by Whip!) our -navy, was to Le manned cud improved,: wit
ha, would ask,' was it possible that ancli a: result should-be at-
tained by such a system ? lie would ask any gentleman pm-
sent, whether he would consent to send his son on board a ves-
sel where be would run the risk of mixing with such a crew ?
This was in fact the reason why our Navy was not more re-
spectably manned—why merchants could not get men.. That
they could not., was a fact well known. Ile knew an instance
which occurred about six
,nionth.:. ago, in which a King's ship,
a frigate, not being able to get men, was obliged to tak,e out to
AMerica no less than 72 midshipmen, to make up a crew. So
far front agreeing to give MI. to such a society us that for
which it was now asked, he would with.: pleasure give his vote
for doing it away altogether. • -
Mr. Joitx Bi.aer.o (taw differed entirely from the worthy
gentleman who had addressed the meeting, in the view Which
ne took of the Society in whose aid the grant was proposed.
Thu object of the Society was chaiity.„ anti the more destitute
the unfortunate being to whom its attention was called might
be, 44-much the more powerful was the appeal. . lie denied,
however; that the majority or any great portion of the boys re-
ceived. by the Society were of the desperate descriptions stated.
The far greater. .portion of the boys fitted out by the Society
were taken from the 15th class-..-natnely, the sous of poor widows
and poor men with large families. The greatest attention was
paid by those indiViduals set over the boys to their morals, and
their general conduct was good. One thing he could assert—
certainly, the Society was no job. lie had been an attentive
observer of its progress. lie had constantly attended the
Committee, which met every Thursday, and generally to the,
number of 2U or 22. lie considered the Establishment as cal-
culated to do much good, and should sincerely regret to see it
fail for want of funds.—The motion now in the hands of the
worthy Chairman should therefore have his most cordialsupport.
Mr. UIiaUIIART, in explanation, declared himself as.much
the friend Of seamen, and the advocate of charity and humanity,
Honourable his oneurable Friend could be ; but if any gentleman
would take the trouble to bring the subject before Parliament,
he would undertake to prove the truth of his statement—that
instead of being beneficial, this Society was injurious to seamen
and the navy.
The vote was then put and agreedlo, and the Meting ad-
journed.