The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-30 00:00:00

vation of Life from Shipwreck ; most appropriately is
this institution named national, for an institution for
the preservation of life from shipwreck appeals more
peculiarly than perhaps any other to the national
sympathies of the island people who have for cen-
turies held the empire of the ocean, and who owe all
their greatness as a nation to the maintenance of
that maritime supremacy, which has been won and
can only be maintained by the patriotic exertions and
the fearless braving of " the perils of the deep" by
those hardy men, to save whose lives from shipwreck
is peculiarly the object of this excellent institution.
Founded in the year 1824, the object of this institu-
tion was declared to be the preservation of—without
distinction of country, in war and in peace—all who
may be i❑ peril of the seas by shipwreck on any part
of the coasts of the United Kingdom or the British
Isles.

In order to carry out this object the Committee, to
whom the executive management of the society has
been confided, have, after twenty-six years experi-
ence, come to the conclusion that the system chiefly
to he relied on is the following :
" I. The establishment of life-boats and other ap-
proved apparatus tor saving lives from shipwreck, on
the most dangerous parts of the coasts, under the charge
of the officers of the Coast Guard and other responsible
parties.

" 2. The incitement to exertion of seafaring persons
and others residing on the spot, by pecuniary rewards
for such services, and relief being afforded to their
widows and families, in the event of any accident hap-
pening to them; dependent of course on the nature of the
case, and the state of the funds of the institution.
" 3. The conferring honorary rewards of gold and
silver medals as au acknowledgment of efforts made in
saving the lives of shipwrecked crews or others.
" 4. Special consideration given to cases of extraordi-
nary enterprise and exertion; as also to cases in which
individuals may have more than once succeeded in saving
live?, or may have incurred some bodily injury."
The institution has established nineteen different
life-boat stations on various portions of the coast, and
has frequently contributed to various life-boats estab-
lished on other parts of the coast by private parties ;
they have also stationed the rocket apparatus and
MANBY'S mortar apparatus on various parts
of the coast, at a cost of nearly 5,500/. ;
they have awarded numerous gold medallions and
silver medals to persons whose humane and laudable
exertions in saving lives from shipwreck have been
deemed sufficiently conspicuous to merit that dis-
tinction, and they have voted considerable sums as
donations to boats' crews and to the widows and or-
phans of those noble fellows who are occasionally
lost by accident, in the praiseworthy attempt to pre-
serve lives i❑ peril from shipwreck. In consequence
of the exertions of this society, 7,072 lives have been
preserved from shipwreck between the Ist January,
1824, and the 31st December, 1850, and the total out-

lay of the society has been 13,6831. Since 1839 the in-
stitution has made no appeal to the public ; but now, in
consequence of the deaths of many of its early friends
and supporters, its funds are become inadequate to meet
the demands made upon them, and its career of use-

'lllness will be interrupted unless the public come to
.he rescue. In our advertising columns will be

found the appeal of the committee to the public for
assistance—an appeal that we feel convinced will be
responded to in such a manner as to render this
institution " national" in every sense of the word.