Star.
London, England, 1824-02-05 00:00:00

SEAMEN'S HOSPITAL SOCIETS:

Yesterday the Friends of the above Institution held
their/Virtual Meeting at the Society's Rooms, in Bishops-
gate-street.. At one o'clock the Chair was taken by
WlLLtaats, Esq. M.P. the Treasurer.
Mr. HARLEY, the Secretary, read the Report for the
past year. It commenced by stating the distressed state
to which seamen were reduced by the want of medical
aid and attention previously to the formation of this
Establishment, and the great advantages a large portion
of that industrious and valuable class of men had de-
rived from the medical' assistance they had received.
From the commencement of *the Institotion, many
Noblemen and Gentlemen of the highest respectability
had given their support to the undertaking, and in the
short period it has been instituted it has acquired an ac-
cession of supporters which fully demonstrated its
value and importance. The Report enlarged upon the
necessity of affording an asylum in the time of sickness
and distress to those brave and valuable fellows, who
encountered dangers in all the various forms incident
to a sea life; *and stated, that the Grampus had been
commodiously fitted up as an Hospital, into which
every sick seaman, to whatever nation he belonged, was
received on presenting himself alongside the vessel, and
provided in every shape with such aid and relief as his
situation required, without being obliged to produce a
recommendatory letter, or any other authority than that
which the condition of his health presented. The total
number of patients who had been received in the Hos-
pital during the last year was 1021, and there now re-
mained nearly 130, who were still partaking of the be-
nefits of the Institution. The subscriptions which had
been received in aid of the Charity exceeded those of
the former years, but the relief afforded to distressed
seamen had been so extensive, that the funds were found
to be inadequate to the growing demands that were
daily made on them ; and it was therefore necessary that
the fiiends of the Charity should unite their efforts to ad-
vance and make permanent an Establishment that had
been bound to diffuse the most solid advantages to our
sick and hitherto neglected seamen.
Mr. Alderman VENABLES said, he had witnessed the
progress of the Institution, and had great pleasure in
informing the Meeting that he had ever found it pro-
ductive of the greatest advantages to those unfortunate
seamen whom it had taken under its protection, and
saved from becoming the miserable victims of neglected
disease. Ile observed that sailors in general were bred
up to their occupation from early youth, and attained
few of the habits of persons employed on shore. They
had no conception of the approach of misery ; and if
informed of or directed to hospitals or other places of
relief on shore, they were unwilling to approach, and
were to be driven to such receptacles only by extreme
anguish and misery. Ile entreated of every friend to
the distressed seaman to visit the Hospital, and was
convinced that no visitor would leave it without becom-
ing a contributor to its funds.
Mr. Umatilla ter said, from the observations he had
made since the establishment of the Institution, he was
quite convinced of its great importance and utility; in-
deed he thought it was a disgrace to the nation that the
seamen had been so long neglected, and suffered to pine
away their lives in pain and disease without having a
friendly hand to assist them. Opinions were various as
to the propriety of having the Hospital afloat or on
land ; but all were united in thinking that some place of
refuge ought to be provided for our sailors in the time
of sickness and distress. He was induced to hope that
a Committee of the House of Commons would take up
the subject, and provide some efficient mode of reliev-
ing their distresses; for it was well known that numbers
of our seamen, during the temporary agitations of the
last two years, had left the country rather than risk
their healths on their return to England, where they
would be unprovided for. He also hoped that an ap-
peal would be made to Lord Liverpool to maintain
those men, to whom we were all so much indebted, upon
some principle independently of that of charity.
The thanks of the Meeting stere most respectfully
offered to his Majesty for his continned patronage of
the Institution. Thanks were also voted to Lord Mel-
ville, the Vice-Presidents, the Committee of Manage-
ment, the Treasurer, and many other Gentlemen, who
had distinguished themselves for their zeal in the ad-
vancement of the objects of the Society.
At the close of the Meeting, the Chairman informed
the company that the Anniversary Dinner would be
held on the 26th inst. on w hich occasion the !tight
ilonourable Lot d Viscount Melville would preside.

Accounts from Rome of the 17th ult. state, that the
health of the Pore daily improves; the oppression on the chest and
the swellings have disappeared. It is reported he will go in May
to Civita Vecchia, from the air of which he once derived great be-
nefit, when Cardinal.
Sir Jolts SI Nt Eosr, one of the Masters of the Court of
Chancery, died yesterday mooring.
We ate glad to hear that Mr. SPANICIE, late Advo-
cate-General in India, is now on his return to England, with his
health much improved.
The following is an extract of a letter Flom a member
of the Levant Company, in Smyrna, to a relation in
London, dated December 1:
" The 'ruttish garrison of Corinth has arrived here, and the
Birnbachi, or Governor, on landing here, immediately addressed a
letter to Colocotroni and Nichitas, expressing his gratitude for their
honourable conduct towards him and the garrison. Reduced as the
garrison was, they uareti to surrender under any terms, and the
most !intone and honourable conditions were granted to them by
these Chiefs, and most strictly observed."