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

LOIVDON, WEDiVESDAY, MARCH 10, 1869

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The Royal National lifeboat Institution yesterday
againrallied around it, at its annual general meeting, a
body of enthusiastic supporters. His Grace the Duke
of NORTH UMBERLAND, 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 report, yearly
produced by the indefatigable Secretary. Every
sucaessive assembly of this kind gives evidence of
the advance and level )pment of the resources of
the Institution, and of the deep-rooted sympathy
entertained in its regard more or less by all
classes of the population. The only distinguishing
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 during the 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 1868—it is, first of all, especially
noticeable that Eightee!! 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 congratulation,
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 benefic2nce, radiates, ,1
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 fins, 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
forty-
fifth anniversary. So that, o
nlyforty-five its
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 Hundred persons (603 altogether) from otherwise
inevitable death by Shipwreck. 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 in 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-
tnarkable heroism displayed by the gallant tars
manning these Lifeboats of the Institution. Iu
times of peace the p ofessional heroes of a civilised
country are—on shore the Firtnen, the membors
of our Fire Brigades —and afloat the cie‘‘..s of our
glorious Lifeboats. Thanks to the Lifeboat In-

stitution two immense advantages can be secured :
First, those who are saved are su:ttched
from destruction, and, secondly, those who are the
means of saving them are perpetually being afforded
opportunities for diipl tying valour and humanity
under the most appalling circumstances—opportu-
nities for distinction that would not otherwise
present themselves. Nevertheless, while much
has been done',' alas more, far
..." more,
remains to do "—before the country at large can in