The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-02-05 00:00:00

SEAMEN'S HOSPITAL SOCIETY.
Yesterday the Friends of the above Institution held their
Annual Meeting, at the Society's Rooms in Bishopsgate-
street. At one o'clock the Chair was taken by William
Williams, Esq. M. P., the Treasurer.
Mr. HARLST, 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, previous to the formation of this Establishment,
and the great advantages a large portion of that industri-
ous and valuable class of men had derived from the Medical
assistance they had received. From the commencement
of the Institution, many Noblemen and Gentlemen of the
highest respectability had given their support to the un-
dertaking, and in the short period it has been instituted it
has acquired an accession of supporters which fully demon-
strated 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 valnable fellows,
who encountered dangers in all its various forms incident
to a sea life, and stated that the Grampus had been com mo-
diously fitted np as an hospital, into which every sick sea-
man, to whatever nation he belonged, was received on pre-
senting 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 let-
ter, or any other authority than that which the condition
of his health presented. fhe total number of patients who
had been received in the Hospital during the last year was
1021, and there now remained nearly 130, who were still
partaking of the benefits of the Institution. The sub-
scriptions which had been received in aid of theCbarity ex-
ceeded those of the former years, bat the relief afforded to
distressed seamen bad been so extensive, that the funds
were found to he inadequate to the growing demands that
were daily made on them ; and it was therefore necessary
that the friends of the Charity should unite their efforts to
advance and make permanent an establisiment had
been found to diffuse the most solid advantages tothat 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 productive
of the greatest advantages to those unfortunate seamen
whom it bad taken under its protection, and saved from
observed that sailors in general were bred up to their occu-
pation 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 re-
ceptacles only by extreme anguish and misery. Ile
intreated of every friend to the distressed seaman to visit
the Hospital, and was convinced that no visitor would
leave it without becoming a contributor to its funds.
Mr. URQU'II•RT said, 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 (icht to
be provided for our sailors in the time of sickness and dis-
tress. Ile was induced to hope that a Committee of the
11 ouse of Commons would take up the subject, and pro-
vide some efficient mode of relieving their distresses ; for
it nes well known that numbers of our seamen, during
the temporary agitations of the last two years, had left the
country rather than rick their health+, and then return to
England, where they would be unprovided for. He also
hoped that an appeal would be made to Lord Liverpool to
maintain those men, to whom we were all so much
indebted, upon some principle independent of that of
charity.
The Thanks of the Meeting were most respectfully
offered to his Majesty, for his continued patronage of the
Institution. Thanks were also voted to Lord Melville,
the Vice-Presidents, the Committee of Management, the
Treasurer, and many other lentlemen, who had d;stin-
guished themselves, for their seal in the advancement of
the objects of the Society.

COURT OF CHANCE RY.—Fga. 4.

WARD OP COURT.—TENANT V. VAUGOAN.
Mr. Hain. felt anxious that his Lordship would hear this
case in his ptiv4te room. Perhaps his Lordship would
take it after the rising of the Court.
The Lono CuiscittLott was very sorry to say, that be
could not comply with that request, as neither the private
room nor the Public Court could be occupied by him be-
yond a certain hour. lie confessed he heartily_iisliel that
the Court at Westminster would he speedily completed,
that this inconvenience might be remedied.
Mr. HART then proceeded shortly to state the contents of
the affidavits which had been directed to be tiled by the
Court. His Lordship would recollect that the petition was
originally presented on the part of the guardians of this
young lady, who, it appeared, was now only of the age of
fifteen. This young lady was certainly rather forward of
lice age, and bad eloped with a clergyman of Wales. His
Lordship had made an order inhibiting him from having
any intercourse with her, or contracting any marriage.
Notwithstanding this order, this gentleman, whose name
was James James, had eloped with Jar; and it had been im-
puted to his brother, Mr. John James, that he was privy to
this elopement. It appeared that Mr. Jn. James bad lent his
brother a horse to assist him in the elopement, and bad
been with the parties previous to the marriage. Mr.
John James bad now filed an affidavit, and the Learned
Counsel thought that be had completely exculpated him-
self. This gentleman stated in his affidavit that he had
been in the habit constantly of lending both money and
horses to his brother, and be admitted that he had on the
present occasion lent him a horse. He also admitted that
be was with the patties previous to the marriage, but had
remonstrated with thew upon the imprudent step they
were taking; and advised the young laity to return to her
guardian's house. The young lady, however, was deter-
mined to elope, and positively refused to comply with the
sequest. It was true that this gentleman's daughter bad
accompanied the parties, but she was t yoang lady only
14 years of age. and was met by her father, who bad
taken her away. The clergyman, who had married these
parties, had also made an affidavit, which the Learned Coun-
sel also thought completely exculpated him. The affidavit
stated that the parties lived openly in the parish over which he
was curate; that the young lady bad been represented to him
as being of the age of eighteen, and that she had had the
consent of her mother to marry ; banns were openly pub-
lished, and no objection whatever was raised by any party.
The witnesses who had attested the marriage were per-
sons Eifel& ntally present, and were, as well as the clergy.
man, wholly unacquainted with the real circumstances
under which the marriage was contracted. These being the
facto, sworn byaffidavits, perhaps his Lordship would not
feel it necessary that the parties should appear in
the Court. if his Lordship thought the parties who bad
thus filed these affidavits had exculpated themselves, it
would be needless to trouble them to travel so many miles
from the coontry where they resided, only to be sent back
again. The husband had filed no affidavit, and for his
conduct undoubtedly there was no excuse. He had put
himself out of the jurisdiction of the Court, and was now
residing in France. The wife was now domiciled with
her
Cr
LORD CHANCBLLOR asked if the mo-
ther was alive ? Mr. Hain. replied that the child was il-
legitimate.
The LORD CRANCILLOR.--BOt i suppose the young lady
either has or bad a mother ? (a laugh.)
Mr. Hass-thought his Lordship put the question in a
legal sense only. It was, he admitted, not usual for a
child to be born without a mother--The LORD CHANCRI;-
LOR observed that the mother had apparently given her
consent to the nuirtilige; with respect to the brother, and