The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-10 00:00:00

LO.NDON, WED,YESDAY, MARCH 10, 1869

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution yesterday
again rallied around it, at itsannual general meeting, a
body of enthusiastic supporters. his Grace the Duke
of NORTIII73IBERLIND, as President of the Institution,
occupied the chair and opened the proceedings, the
principal point of interest in which was, as a
matter of course, the perusal of the riport, yearly
produced by the indefatigable Secretary. Every
successive assembly of this kind gives evidence of
the advance and development of the resources of
the Institution, and of the deep-rooted sympathy
entertained in its regard more or less by all
classes of the populaion. The only dis:inguishing
peculiarity of each occasion is this—that one is now
more, now less, proportionately in advance of its
immediate predecessor. Without directing attention
to the relative value of the good done by this last
year's doings of the Society; as compared with that
effected by means of the energetic labours of the in.
stitution daring tho preceding twelvemonth—we
would here more particularly bring under the con-
sideration of the general public the results of
the year last past regarded as a thing apart, quite
independently. Since the last meeting of the institu-
tion, which took place, according to annual usage,
in the City of London, about this time in the
early spring of 186.3—it is, first of all, especially
noticeable that Eighteen New Lifeboats have been
either provided or provided for along our storm-
beaten coastline under the direction of the Institution.
That, of itself, is matter rot only for congratal.ation,
but for exultation and profound thankfulness. For,
every fresh Lifeboat anywhere established becomes
from the moment of its establishment, as we all know,
a fresh central point from which benefic,mce radiates,
quite certainly, seawards, and to the right and left, in
the immediate neighbourhood. Besides these Eighteen
Lifeboats, it is worthy of remark also that wherever

they have been seen to be especially desirable
carriages and boat-houses as well have been provided.
Altogether, there are now, we find, as nearly as
possible two hundred, or, to be precise, exactly one
hundred and ninety-eight lifeboats belonging to
the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The in-
stitution itself at this moment is celebrating its forty-
fifth anniversary. So that, only forty-five years
having as yet elapsed, more than three times that
number of lifeboats have been provided under its
management, and judiciously placed along the coast of
the United Kingdom. With such appurtenances at
their command, the Institution has been the means
within the last twelvemonth of rescuing as many as
six ilundrel persons (1303 altogether) from otherwise
inevitable death by Ship wreck. And, as serving to
mark in a very particular manner the beneficence of
the association in its distinctive character as a " Life-
boat" Institution, it is observable that the majority
of the six hundred thus saved were saved under cir-
cumstances in which help could not possibly have
come to them by any other description of boat than
the lifeboat. No other boat could have lived iu the
raging surf around those poor sufferers. But for

it, but for the lifeboat, they must, for an absolute
certainty, have been swallowed up in Destruction.
Again, moreover, we have indications abundantly
given, and some of them very affecting, of the re-
markable heroism displayed by the gallant tars
manning these Lifeboats of the Institution. In
times of peace the prol:ssional heroes of a civilised
country are—on slrge the Firemen, the members
of our Fire Bcigad, s—and afloat the crews of our
glorious Lifeboats. Thanks to the Lifeboat Ili-

stitution two immense advantages can be secured :
Firr,t, those who arc Eavcd arc snatched
from destruction, and, secondly, those who arc the
means of saving them are perpetually being afforded
opportunities for dial layiug valour and humanity
und,:r the roost appalling circumtances—opportu-
tithes for di-Aiact tL,:t would not othcruiiic

present themselves. itieverthele6e, while " much
has been done',' alas more, far 6' more,
remains to do "--I.lore the country at large can in