The Sun. — 1870-01-07 (London, England)

ARGYLE. Our Manchester friends have carried their energy into their support of the association, a fourteenth boat having been presented to it by Manchester men. Llandulas, on the Welsh coast, has been selected for the site in preference to Abergele, of the railway disaster memory. The merchants of Mincing-lane have also shown that those who " live at home at ease" have thought and care for those who incur the perils of the seas in carrying on their commerce and have perpetuated the not very euphonious name of their place of resort on the shores of Montrose, by the gift of an amphibious " Mincing Lane" and a sum of money for its maintenance. The Society has lost warm supporters in the late Earl of DERBY and the Marquis of WESTMINSTER, Lord DERBY having been indeed one of its presidents. We cannot doubt, however, that fresh assistants will come forward and give steady and liberal help to a work which has everything to recommend it to popular feeling. The Society has irresistible claims on those whose fortunes are due to commercial enterprise. It has two very powerful arguments for those who travel, as most Englishmen do, pretty frequently, across the Channel or the Irish Sea. The heroism displayed by the lifeboat crews on almost every emergency forms another invincible ground of appeal to all who can appreciate self-sacrificing devotion to duty. The old sturdiness and fortitude of Englishmen, are not yet extinct in spite of all modern effeminancy. 'When the case is most desperate, and any attempt at succour appears little short of suicide, volunteers are still ready ; and the disappointment which not unfrequently follows the noblest effort never damps the energies or chills the courage of the coast heroes on the next occasion. Take, for example, the record of the adventures of the Donna Nook lifeboat on the Lincoln coast during a fearful storm in last October. She bad succeeded in reaching the steam whaler stranded on the Slatekem, and had brought ashore 25 men. Soon after she returned another schooner was driven ashore. The lifeboat was again launched and the crew made a gallant effort to reach the wreck, but the force of the wind and sea was so great that the boat was beaten back. A second, third, and fourth attempt was made, but with the same result. The men were by this time nearly exhausted by their determined and gallant endeavours to reach the Wreck ; but a fifth attempt was being made to launch the life-boat, when the vessel began to break up, and in a few minutes was a complete wreck, and all on board unhappily perished. The oldest inhabitants on that part of the coast stated that they never remembered so terrific a gale. The beach was literally strewn with pieces of wreck, and the cargoes of these vessels and of others wrecked on that part of the coast. Of the heroism displayed at Ramsgate we have already spoken. Had the life-boats been less prompt or less efficient, it is certain that the loss of life would have been much larger than it was. But, in fact, the same story goes on all the year round, north and south, east and west, wherever the weather-beaten ship is driving on the coast, the shipwrecked sailor clinging to the spar, drifting in the oarless boat, or any other of the manifold perils of a sailor's career are threatening life and limb. We cannot hope by the utmost vigilance to reduce our shipwrecks to a very small amount, although there is no question that a better system of inspection would considerably diminish the disasters in the coasting trade. Our commerce is so vast, and the traffic on our coast so incessant, that were they less dangerous than they are, we must still apprehend a pretty long chapter of accidents. We should therefore congratulate ourselves that through the agency of this society there is help always at hand for the shipwrecked mariner, and that what human power and skill and devotion can do will be done for his rescue in the face of the most desperate peril.  Mr. CHARLES DICKENS, as President of the Birmingham and Midland institute, has been distributing the prizes and certificates awarded to the successful students of the year. The interesting ceremony took place last evening at the Town Hall, and the affair went off very successfully. Mr. DICKENS said that when Le last had the honour to preside over a meeting of the Institution he alluded to the superabundance of publiz speaking which distinguished the present time, but that it would not require much selfdenial on his part to practice what he then preached. Respecting the occasion which called them together, he remarked that there was success in all honest endeavour, and that there was a victory gained in every gallant struggle that was made. lie considered, therefore, that some honour was due to all who had struggled to obtain the prize, be they successful or unsuccessful candidates. He assured every " losing competitor" among his hearers that he had still won much, very much. Mr. DICKENS in this respect set a good example to those who distribute prizes and rewards on similar occasions, for it is too often the way to dwell with particular emphasis upon the merits of the triumphant candidates, and to ignore altogether the efforts of those who may in reality be more deserving in some particulars though chance or fortune has decided against them in the struggle. The prizes, as the President reminded the recipients, were called rewards, because they represented what was above all price what was stated in no arithmetical figure=, and what was one of the great needs of  the human soul " encouraging sympathy." All students present, or to come in the Institution, could feel certain that they did not work neglected or unfriended, but that they were felt for, stimulated and appreciated, and the tokens of approval bestowed upon their companions were proofs that they were cared for, and their services acknowledged. After the interesting ceremony of distributing the prizes had taken places, which Mr. DICKENS enlivined with characterist is adroitness, as in advising a young lady named " WINKLE" to change her name, after the distribution was over, some general subjects of importance were touched upon. Mr. DICKENS referred to a late confession of his political creed, in reference to some observations of Mr.