The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-31 00:00:00

LIFE-BOATS FOR SCOTLAND.

(From... the Northern Ensign.)
Second to the queqion of Harbour; of Refuge in
impoitance, that of Life-Boats seems to us to pre-
sent itself. It is armed with claims and advantages,
and presents arguments and facts from past history
and experience of a very important and convincing
character, and has by. no means been favoured
with the degree of public attention and supp n-t to
which it is fairly entitled. Up to a recent date
only one or two life-boats were to be fain I along
the whole Scottish seaboard ; even now their num-
ber is so most miserably small that nyt a single
port on the whole Moray Firth can boast of ono,
while Orkney, Shetland, Sutherland,
.Ross, and
Inverness are equally innocent of the invaluable
appliance for the preservation of life, mid frequently
of property. This is not as it should be, and ought
to be forthwith remedied. Even Peterhead, with
its thirty whalers, 250 fishing boats, and large num-
ber of shipping, is yet destitute of a life-boat, though
the means of supplying and maintaining one are
within its reach. A letter from the energetic Secre-
tary of the National Life-Boat Institution, writing
us the other day, says :
I need not tell you that, with the exception of
Wick and Aberdeen, there is hardly a suitable life-
boat along the whole of your north-east and south.*
east coast.

A suitable life-boat and transporting carriage
will be readily provided by the Society for every
locality where wrecks are frequent, and wh(re the
inhabitants will build a suitable house for their
reception, and contribute about 201. a-year for
their permanent efficiency. Indeed, the encloied
newspaper paragraph relative to the Groomtiport
boat tells briefly the character of our life-boats,
and the conditions on which the institution is pre-
pared to act in respect to planting life-boats on
the coast. I send you herewith our papers pre-
paratory to the placing of a life boat in a locality.
The paragraph referred to is as follows :
TIIE GROOMSPORT, NEAR BELFAST, LIFE-BOAT.--+
The distressing shipwrecks which take place some-
times in our vicinity must, we believe, convince
every one of the necessity of a good life boat with
a trained crew attached to her, being permanently
maintained at Groomsport. Although wrecks of a
distressing character fortunately do not often occur
in this locality, yet it is evident from recent oc-
currences that our best calculations on that point
are to be baffled, and that human life may be sacri-
ficed through an apparent apathy.
We are, therefore, glad to understand that the
Royal National Life-boat Institution has deputed.
its Inspector of Life-boats (Capt. Ward, R.N.) to
visit this neighbourhood, and to put himsc lf in
communication with our town authorities and the
I es:

lident gentry on the subject, and that it has
offered to station here an excellent new life-boat,
together with a transporting carriage, provided the
inhabitants of Belfast and its neighbourhood will
contribute the cost of the erection of a suitable
building fer their reception, and raise in annual
subscriptions from 201. to 301. towards the perma-
nent and efficient maintenance of the life-boat
establishment.

The character and peculiar qualities of the life-
boats now built for this valuable instit-utiou are
well known, for hardly a week passes in which
one does not see some record of their services in
saving the lives of poor shipwrecked sailors ; in-
deed, the testimony in their favour, from all parts
of the coast, is almost universal. We will name a
few of their remarkable qualities. Although un-
usually difficult to be capsized from their peculiar
build, yet, in the event of such an accident, they
have the power of immediately righting themseives
again. They also self-eject the seas they may ship
iu a few seconds, through relieving tubs in their
flowing. They row well against a heavy sea and
wind : and their inertia (or the force on them) is
so great that they shoot ahead in circumtances
where ordinary life-boats would be thrown back
considerably.
-

Each life-boat of the Institution has a cox-_wain
or master attached to her at a salary of 8/. a-year,
and a volunteer crew who are paid either ss. or 3s.
a man, according to the weather, every quarter
they are required to go afloat in the life-boat for
exercise ; and 10s. or 20s. each man for service in
the boat, in saving or attempting to save life from
shipwreck.
Such is the new class of life-boats of the Royal
National Life-boat Institution, and the mode of its
manning them.
We believe there will be no difficulty in this town
in complying with the terms of the Society. In-
deed, we may safely say that with ordinary dili-
gence the whole cost of a life boat station might be
readily raised at Belfast and its vicinity.
The Society has recently placed such life-boats at
Newcastle, Drogheda, Skerries, Arklovr, Wicklow,
Youghal, Cahore, and Westport, including expense
of transporting carriages and other charges, at a
cost of nearly 3,0U0/.
We understand that this Institution, which has

already done so much to provide efficient life-boats,
&c., for our iron-bound coast, has again, in a truly
philanthropic spirit, offered to station life-boats
and life-boat transporting carriages on every point
of the Trinh onani, whoro iL ...ix be milowii that they
are required from the frequency of wrecks in the
locality, and where the inhabitants will contribute
towards the erection of a suitable house for the

reception of the life-boat and carriage, and will
raise from 151. to 201. in annual subscriptions (to
be spent in th• neighbourhood) towards the effi-
cient support of the life-boat establishment.
Surely so generous and humane an offer will be
duly appreciated by our countrymen everywhere,
and will be cordially responded to. We may add,
that this valuable society is also constantly reward-
ing our fishermen and others for their courageoua
services in saving life from wrecks.

We trust the leading inhabitants of the various
northern districts still destitute of life-boats will
bestir themselves in taking steps for securing such
a valuable boon, obtained so easily, and so fre-
quently required wherever vessels and boats plough
the main. It iA by no means creditable to Serab-
ster, Helmsdale, Cromarty, Inverness, Banff, Mae-
da, Peterhead, Stonehaven, and other small ports,
that neither of them has yet taken advantage of the
facilities which the Life-boat Institution offers for
obtaining one of their boats on so cheap and easy
terms.

The Bologna to Ancona Railway has been commenced
at several points, but progresses slowly for want of

bands.

THZ WISTERN BANK OF SCOTLAND.—We have heard
from authority that the leading banks in Scotland, oath'.
fled of the perfect stability of the Western Bank, have
offered the directors of that establishment any msi- Lance
they may require in the present monetary crisis. In the
meantime the directors of the Western Bank have tem-
porarily closed their transfer books, in order to con-
tinue to the publ'o the full assurance which the wealthy
list of their prestat shareholders affords.—Giasgozo Daily
Mail. . .

MINES.—The aspect of commercial affairs continues
rather gloomy, although within the last day or two
money appears to have been easier, and more abundant.
The mining market this week has partaken of the general
dulness to a greater extent than we had noticed Worts,
and when sales have been pressed prices have given way,
and lower quotations given ; and for this reason, with,
one or two exceptions, quoted prices have been difficult
to obtain.—Mining Journal of this dog.
The Vienna money market is stilt in a very sickly
state, and there is but little prospect of its speedy
recovery. The proprietors of the great Eggendorfer
cotton-spinning factory suspended their payments on th•
27th, and a day seldom passes without one or two
failures.
BELGlUM.—Letters from Brussels bring news of ex.
traordinary success obtained by the Liberal party in the
communal elections of Oct. 27. The Jesuitical Bill on
the Charities, which was adjourned last year oa account
of its unpopularity, will now doubtless be withdrawn
altogether.

OPEN SCHOLARSHIP AT OXFORD.—There will be an
election to an open exhibition (besides the two scholar-
ships announced) on Saturday, Dec. 5, of the annual
value of about 401. and will be tenable for seven years,

:f the exhibitioner shall be so long resident ; candidater,,
if members of the University, must not have attained to
their degree. Certificates of baptism and testimonials of
good conduct to be presented to the Provost of Oriel,
on Monday, Nov. 80. i
THE AMERICAN MONEY MARlZET.—Although the Ful.:
ton, from New York, has brought 10,0001. in specie for
London, it appears that some amount—perhaps to the
extent of 150,0001., chiefly in sovereigns—will be die.
patched from Liverpool to-day by the Arabia. Anoint*.
toils movements of this kind may be expected during the
next week or two, and they show the total derangement
of all the usual modes of action. Gold is sent from New
Yorkt
this
i s side, because
andpe persons n
iss
sent
afraidth enecenogetuosbif
detbcouas billsytueiffislnelegcpbteer
ps::
makinghouees
payments
tattle advi cae sr ey
easwtearrdea°y,
an exchange of 101, and the extraordinary
good
nhoviosedge tesmni
distrust.geehrnattisboilrl h ao vni oLgt
fore exhibited of the inconvertible currency
York suspended banks being actually at a bfiaochrftcthihrsaeestmelNdieuerai
as compared with the specie currencies of of high
dpebr cootie
tries ; that is to say, bill
chased in the notes of the New York banks at at aepprti:
which, atter allowing for interest and all charges, would
bring back iu gold a larger sum than had been paid for
it. Of course this state of things can last but a very
short time, and it may still be surmised that even the
totals already forwarded from England will involve a
loss to the remitters. The leading lions is were unwilling
to draw at all at existing rates, and one firm on being
pressed to do so for a small amount, reluctantly accepted,
105. Since the last dates the only failures of importance
had been those of Winslow, Lanier, and Co., Western.
P.,
sbankers,jon
andmerchants.
b days had averaged from
advanced from 8 to 118,
Reading from 31 to 36, Panama
York Central from 55 to 664, aria
Frost
The
haen and i s Fie
ooi Forrest,
itr
oe
tshtl,osNs
stock
Orleans Oemer
cent. Erie
ci ou mt
hmhriaesi
Illinois Central from 70i to WA.
. from 65 to 71i, New