The Sun.
London, England, 1824-02-05 00:00:00

SEAMEN'S HOSPITAL SOCIETY.

Yesterday the Friends of the above Institution
held their Annual Meeting, at the Society's Rooms in Bishops-
gate-street. At one o'clock the Chair was taken by WILLIA3I
WILLLA 1,1 s, Esq. M.P., the Treasurer.
Mr. HauLET, the Secretary, read the Report for the past
year. It commenced by stating the distressed state to which sea-
men were reduced by the want of medical aid and attention pre-
viously to the formation of this Establishment, and the great ad-
vantages a large portion of that industrious and valuable class of
men had derived from the medical assistance they had received.
From the commencement of the Institution, many Noblemen
and Gentlemen of the highest respectability had given their
support to the undertaking, and in the short period it has
been instituted it has acquired an accession of supporters which
fully demonstrated its value and importance. The Report en-
larged upon the necessity of affording an asylum in the time of
sickness and distress to those brave and valuable fellows, who
forms encountered dangers in all the various incident to a seal
life, and stated that the Grampus had been commodiously fitted
into Which every sick seaman, to whatever belonged,na-
tion
was received on presenting himself alongside
up
pon as
he e an
hota
the vessel, and provided in every shape with such aid and re-
lief as his situation required, without being obliged to produce
a recommendatory letter, or any other authority than that
which the condition of his health presented. The total num-
her of patients who had been received in the Hospital during
the last year was 1021, and there now remained nearly 130,
who ware still partaking of the benefits of the Institution. The
subscriptions which had been received in aid of the Charity ex.
ceeded those of the former years, but the relief afforded to
distressed seamen had been so extensive, that the funds were
found to be inadequate to the growing demands that were daily
made on them ; anti it was therefore necessary that the friends
of the Charity should unite their efforts to advance and make
permanent an establishment that had been found to diffuse
the most solid advantages to our sick and hitherto neglected
Seamen.
Mr. Alderman VENABL'ES said, he had witnessed the pro-
gress of the Institution, and had great pleasure in informin
the Meeting that he had ever found it productive of the greatest g advantages to those unfortunate seamen whom it had taken
under its protection, and saved from becoming the miserable
victims of neglected disease. lle observed that sailors in ge-
neral were bred up to their occupation from early youth, and
attained few of the habits of persons employed on shore. They
had no conception of the approach of misery, and if intbrmed
of or directed to hospitals or other places of relief on shore,
they were unwilling to approach, and were to be driven to such
receptacles only by extreme anguish and misery. He entreated
of every friend to the distressed seaman to visit the Hospital,
and was convinced that no visitor would leave it without be-
coming a contributor to its funds.

Mr.—UnQuHART said, opinions were various as to the pro-
priety of having the Hospital afloat or on land ; but all were
united in thinking that some place of refuge ought to be pro-
vided for our sailors in the time of sickness and distress. He
was induced to hope that a Committee of the House of Com-
mons would take up the subject, and provide some efficient
mode of relieving their distresses ; for it was well known that
numbers of our seamen, during the temporary agitations of
the last two years, had left the country rather than risk their
healths, and then return to England, where they would be
unprovided for. He also hoped that an appeal would be made
to Lord Liverpool to maintain those.men, to whom we were all
so much indebted, upon some principle independent of that of
charity.
The thanks of the Meeting were most respectfully offered
to his Majesty, for his continued patronage of the Institution.
Thanks were also voted to Lord Melville, the Vice-Presidents,
the Committee of Management, the Treasurer, and many other
Gentlemen, who had distinguished themselves, for their zeal
in the advancement of the objects of the Society.
At the close of the Meeting, the Chairman informed the corn
pany that the Anniversary Dinner would be held on the 26th
instant. on which occasion the Right Hon. Lord Viscoun-
Melville would preside.

DRURY-LANE THEATIIE.-Mr. OXIIVRRY last
night returned to this Theatre in the part of
Mazeworm, in the Comedy of The hypocrite.---
Ile is so good a comic actor, that we wcnder he
was not required to return much sooner to the
Patent Boards. He performed the part, as he
has often done before, with ludicrous and most
effective simplicity, and was highly and most de-
servedly applauded. His manner differed mate-
rially from that of LisToN; but, though original,
it was not extravagant. The Cantwell of Dow-
TON would alone give attraction to the Play, but
it is altogether well sustained, and the audience
was numerous.

NEW CHURCH, ENNINGTON.—On Tuesday a
Meeting of householders was held in the district of Ken-
nington, at which the rector and the officers of the parish were
present. The Meeting was occasioned by a circular, invit-
ing the attendance of the inhabitants, stating that his Ma-
jesty's Commissioners for building Churches'did not feel them-
selves authorized to apply any portion of the funds placed at
their disposal to the purchase of organs or clocks, and there-
fore were destitute of the means of providing any of the new
churches of the parish with an organ or a clock.. Under these
circumstances the meeting was called to consider whether any
or what steps should he taken, for supplying the new church
at Kennington with an organ and a clock, previous to its con-
secration. After a discussion on the business, it was agreed
that a subscription should he opened for the purpose, when
3001. was immediately subscribed by the gentlemen present,
the estimated sum wanted being 8001. Committees were then
formed, and there is no doubt but the whole of. the sum will
be immediately obtained.