An especial feature of the National Ship- wreck Institution, is the establishment of Local Committees for the management of their boats. As stated in the first number of this Journal, the Parent Institution looks to earnest, hearty co-operation on the part of the several Local Committees, to ensure the effectual working of their system.

It is therefore of importance, firstly, that a clear and distinct understanding should exist as to the nature of those bodies, and their relative position towards the Parent Committee; and, secondly, that judicious and definite rules should, as far as the nature of the circumstances will admit of it, be laid down for their guidance on all occasions.

To assist in establishing this understanding with those Committees already in connexion with the Institution, and to afford informa- tion to such other bodies as may desire to associate themselves with it, are the objects of the following remarks.

Now it is evident that a Committee sitting in London, can of themselves have no satis- factory knowledge of the position of their affairs on the coast, unless they have some responsible and trustworthy agents there, to transact their business for them, and protect their interests. The Committee might build the finest description of life-boats, place them in the most appropriate positions, and even nominate crews, and appoint rules to guide them; and yet after a few years they might find their boats uncared for, fallen into disuse, and going to decay, from want of such a proper superintendence, as it is probable that a Local Committee of respectable persons would be best calculated to supply. They would, in fact, be a head without hands, or at least whose hands were paralysed, there being no connecting nerve between them; and in however healthy a state the head might be, and however wise might be its deliberations, it would be quite possible for the whole body to be in a sickly and inactive condition. As in the human "body, when, " if one of the members be sick the whole body suffers with it."; It is true that much might be done, and we trust will be done, by an active and in- telligent Inspector of Life-boats, but it is manifest that in so extended a sea-board as that of the United Kingdom, he can only occasionally visit each station. When, however, an Inspector is enabled to visit a station, it is desirable that the Local Com- mittees should take advantage of his ex- perience, gained by visiting various parts of the coast; that they should understand that it is the Inspector's duty to see that every thing is in good working order; and should he have occasion to call attention to points that might be improved, it is to be hoped that his remarks will be received, as they are intended, as the result of a desire to aid by every means in his power the cause which •we all have at Vieavt.

We are of opinion, then, that if the National Shipwreck Institution is to possess the advantage of being a united body, having many parts yet being but one, and under one head, it will be very desirable that, where their own interests will permit it, the Load Committees should be considered as but an extension of, or off-shoots from the central one, and not as distinct bodies, acting more or less in unison with it. That whilst, therefore, the London Committee would wish to sympathize with all bodies, whether County Associations or others, work- ing in the same cause, and would be ready to give them the benefit of their experience and advice when solicited; to provide them with designs for their boats, render them any other service which might be in their power, and, under certain circumstances, to give them pecuniary assistance ; yet that they should, as a general rule, require all bodies who might receive pecuniary aid from them towards the building and establishing life- boats, to become branches of the Institution, and to accept its rules and regulations for their guidance, modified where necessary to meet any local peculiarities.

It will be evident, we think, that such a bond of union would be most advantageous to all parties, if not indispensable to effec- tually carry out the objects of the Society.

We invite attention, then, to the fol- lowing Life-boat Regulations of the Insti- tution, in which the special duties of Local Committees are more particularly defined.

On that branch of our subject we think it sufficient now to state, that the Committees would be looked on as the sole responsible organs of the Institution in their several neighbourhoods—that the life-boats, their crews, and all belonging to them, would be entirely under their care and management—that the extent of coast over which they would have jurisdiction, would be in each case, as far as practicable, clearly defined—that all applications for pecuniary rewards, or medals for services performed within their several districts, would be re- ferred to them for inquiry and approval— and that the London Committee would always be desirous to treat them with that courtesy, and their decisions with that deference, which should ensure unanimity be- tween them, and which they would feel that a body of gentlemen, gratuitously devoting their time and attention to the affairs of the Institution, and to the objects we should all in common have at heart, would have a right to expect at their hands.