The Sun.
London, England, 1823-01-18 00:00:00

MARINE HUMANE SOCIETY.

( From the Liverpool Courier of Jon. IL)
Yesterday a Aleeting"Of the Subscribers to.the
above Society wa... 'held in the King's Arms,
Wrr.m.tat BROWN, EsT. in the. Chair. The busi-
ness was opened by the reading of the following
Report of the proceedings of the Committee
" REPORT OF THE ORIGINAL FRIENDS Or THE MARINE
ittrmaar SOCIETY TO THE SUBSCRIBERS, IN GENERAL
MEETING ASSEM/MED, AT THE KING'S ARDIS, IN LI-
VERI'OOL, ON TUESDAY; JA.N. 14, 1823.
t " The Gentlemen who originally advocated the interests of
this Society have great pleasure in appearing before a, General
Meeting of the Subscribers, and in offering this public state-
ment of the progress they ,have made, of the obitacles they
have eucountered, and of the expecutions which may be
indulged with regard to the ultimate success of their exertions.
" It is, no doubt, well known, that the peculiar merit of the
fishermen who saved the crew of the brig Abbey was the first
subject of consideratiON and thatee particular circumstances
of humanity under which the preservation of those unfortunate
men was-efrected, induced the promoters of this Society to ex-
press their own approbation of Such exertions in the way that
appeared the most likely to be acceptable, •that of conferring a
suitable pecuniary reward,
" In.the-performance of this voluntary task, it was natural
that they should foresee the advantages which must resultfrom
the establishment of. a permanent fund that might secure the
judicious appropriatiOis. of similar rewards.
" For, although, anionst
_the boatmen of Liverpool, an
active spirit of humanity may sometimes be found to influence
their conduct, it must still be acknowledged, that the stern-

nest of' their habits cannot dispose them to make those gene-
rouri and disinterested sacrifies which might reasonably be
looked for from persons of more lenient and favoured occupations.
Indeed, it may, perhaps, with truth be stated, that humanity is
'a
virtue whichthey cannot, in general, afford to practise. 'l' he
oxtraordinary risk they must always incur in rescuing drown-
ing persons ; the great danger of approaching any vessels in
distress', the hazard of losing their boats, the consequent loss
of the only means they have of earning their daily bread, and
all the multiplied bereavements to which their families will be
exposed, are considerations too serious and too dear to them to
be disregarded, even when they may be stimulated by the
prospect of reward. But when their best and most .successful
efforts are certain to be unrequited, except by the fruitless
praises of spectators, or the unprofitable commendations of a
newspaper, it cannot, surely, be wondered at if they ehould
attend to the -suggestions of interest, and cling to the little
Property they possess, the only source and security of their do-
mestic comforts.
" Impressed with these acts, and reflecting on the peculiar
local dangers of the port? so much frequented and so difficult
of access, and remembering several recent occasions that have
supplied the most melancholy and distressing illustrations of
the foregoing remarks, the promoters of this society undertook
to make an appeal to the merchants and inhabitants of Liver:
pool, as well by means of the public press as by circular, en-
forcing the necessity and great value of such an ussociktion, and
soliciting assistance in flirtherance of its objects. They are
happy to state, thatthe subscription hooks represent a sum of
741. Gs. of. annual contributions, besides donations to the
amount of 34/. 16*. fid. : and they confidently anticipate, that,
when a Committee shall have been formed. and a proper con-
sistency given to the society, whereby the public at large may
be furnished with a guarantee for the proper application of the
funds, ,the subscriptions will receive so material an enhance-
ment as to place the character of the Marine Humane Society
on a footing with the best and noblest institutions of the town.
" In the course of those personal exertions which are neces-
sary in originating such a society, it was accidentally discover-
ed, that, in the year 1311, and Act Of Parliament was obtained
by the Conintissioners of the Docks, whereby they were em-
powered to enact by-laws and to impose fines, for the purpose
of regulating the shipping of the port ; and it appears by the
same Act, that two-thirds of the amount of such tines were i.e.
dered to be invested in trustees, • to be by them implied, from
time to time, in such a manner as they may think fit, in re-
warding any person or persons who may waist in the prteterva-
lion of the lives of the crew of any ship or vend wrecked in
the said port, (Liverpool,) or the coasts a.ljacent thereto; or in
the preservation of any ship or cargos or in the preserving, or
endeavouring to preserve, the life of any person from being
drowned in the said river Mersey, or any of the said docks or
basins ; or in the relief of any of the ?dee, disabled, worn-out,
superannuated men, in the service of the said docks ; or the
widows and families of such of them as may have been killed
in such service.' •
pe•
" The friendsof this society having, by accident, ascertained,
as befory Rated, that such an Act of -Parliament
.had been
granted, and knowing that, tinder the powers se given, the
tines on shipping tire still levied, were reasonably led to eon-
elude that a contiderable accumulation of the said fines must
remain unappropriated. And it appears to them, that the ob-
jects they had in view would be more tit:Totally promoted by
attetnptine to give publicity to this fact, and's° to render the
fund available, for the purposes enumerated in the Act of Par-
liament. It was also natural for them to perceive, that so long
as there was an impreision on the public mind that there ex-
isted a fund that had been virtually, if not in specific terms,
appointed by the legislature for the same objects as the public
were now called upon to support, it would he vain and useless
ttahrai,it
ctoliztiboubjtjeanctss solfunintlddhriestittives.any material aid front
thlheexvoPeltcust
" They, t curare, deemed it their duty to solicit, from the
Secretary of the Dock Committee, sable explanation with
regard to the amount of the funds, and the probable dieposition
of the Committee to concur with this Society. For this pure
pose they waited on Mr. Foster, the Secretary, by whom
they were informed that much misapprehension had existed
as to the amount of those funds, as the public was not aware
of the extent of annuities with which they had been made
chargeable; that there was, however, a moilerute surplus at
the discretionary disposal of the trustees ; and that the claims
of boatmen or others for remuneration, when sufficiently au-
thenticated, had always been allowed, anti would be more par_
ticularly attended to, if recommended by the Marine humane
Society.
" A certain extent, this statement must be very satisfac.
tory. It is, in the first place, of importance that every parti-
culardemand Will not he required to be disbursed out of the
'immediate funs'.: of the society; said, in a practical point of
view, it is of nuttrrial consequence that ever/ t,o4ttnan, who
honestly deserves to be rewarded, may hive his claims fairly
stated to the ,DoCk Trustees, through the tnediutti of dint
society.
" It now only remains, that the active friends of the. society,
having bud before the Meeting this imperfect sketch of their
'Firoceedings, should respectfully -entreat its approbation. A
little perseverance in the same objects- fluty, perhapa, lead to
-the most important public results. If, by. the vulgar inducts.
meet of money, poor men are urged with alacrity into humane
undertakings, they may, ultitnetely, leetti to pursue humanity
for its own sake ; and, if the preservation of self is justly held
to be the first principle of our nature, the desire of preserving
our own epecies now surely be titteemed the first and noblest.
sentiment of our hearts."
'When this document had been read, a short conversation
took place between Admiral Altirrity and several other gentle-
men. A, series of Resolutions were then t,Rivirtt to by the,
Meeting. Admiral illurray kindly accepted the office of,
President of the Society, and Williem grown, I.iq that of
Treasurer. A Committee of twelve ficrulettien was 440 ap-.
pointed.
NWe. congratulate the town on the establishment of this So-
ciety. &soh an institution hos loan* been *anted in this pora-e,
it cannot tua to be theiriStrUMerdof laving many of our fellows
creatures flOl3l an untimely grave. As, however, its obiels
cannot be effected without holding out fer4/11: ey rewards to
men who will r their own lives in the eraleavour to save thtle.
of others, it is obvious thou tonsisierable funds will be
u red for the purpose. We trust, therefore, that the Society
will not be permitted to remain ineetive from the want of funds r.
en the' contrary, we hope' that it will receive the pecuniary awl
octivd support of tte merchants, the thip-awnere, and el the
,rth,teitanta generally.