AT the Annual General Meeting of the ROYAL NATIONAL SHIPWRECK INSTITUTION, held at the Offices of the Society, John Street, Adelphi, on Tuesday, the 11th day of April, 1854,, CAPTAIN SHEPHERD, H.C.S., Deputy Master of the Trinity House, VICE PRESIDENT, in the Chair, The following Report of the Committee was read:— IN presenting their Annual Report to the subscribers and the public, the Committee of Management have the satisfaction to state that, in no former year in the annals of the Shipwreck Institution, now extending over thirty years, have its life-boats been so successfully used in saving the lives of shipwrecked persons as during the last twelve months.

Notwithstanding, however, the success that has crowned their efforts,—and it is with a deep feeling of gratitude to the Giver of all Good that they acknowledge this success,—and notwithstanding similar efforts on the part of several local Committees and sister institutions, the lamentable fact remains that many hundreds of our fellow-creatures have perished from shipwreck on our own coasts during the late autumn and winter—yet another proof, if any were wanting, of the imperative need of increased exertions in the sacred cause in which the Institution is embarked.

General Proceedings.—As usual, the attention of the Committee has been directed to rewarding acts of gallantry for saving life, and for this purpose they have had the gratification of bestowing nearly 200?. On courageous pilots, boatmen, and fishermen; a sum they would gladly have doubled or trebled had the state of their finances admitted their doing so.

They have, also, taken into their very serious consideration the necessity that exists for an increased number of life-boat stations; and their Inspector of life-boats has visited various localities on the coast, and furnished a detailed report on the state of the several existing life-boats. The Committee hope to be enabled gradually to replace the boats which have become old and inefficient, and, with the assistance of the public, to establish additional stations.

The past year has deprived the Institution, by death, of several of its oldest and most attached friends, amongst others, of its esteemed and valued Chairman, Mr.

Alderman THOMPSON, M.P.; and also of Mr. GEORGE PALMER, its late much respected Deputy Chairman. The Committee are glad, however, in being enabled to state that Mr. THOMAS BARING, M.P., has accepted the former vacancy, and Mr. THOMAS CHAPMAN, F.R.S., that of the latter office.

Life-boats.—In the last Annual Report it was stated that a life-boat was ready to be sent to Barmouth, and that others were in a state of forwardness for Aldborongh, in Suffolk; Lyme Regis, in Dorset; and Sennen, in Cornwall. In addition to the above, new boats, on Mr. PEAKE'S design, have been stationed at Dungeness; Afdrossan, on the west coast of (Scotland ; Newcastle, Dundnim Bay; and at Skerries, in the county of Dublin. Life-boats on the same plan have also been built under the direction of the Committee for the Prussian Government, to be stationed at Stettin; for the Harbour Commissioners of Aberdeen; and for the Corporation for improving the port of Dublin. The Danish Government, who were about to build three additional life-boats, and were desirous to have the ad- vantage of examining a plan of Mr. PEAKE'S life-boat with the latest improvements, have also been furnished with a design of the same.

Several of these boats, have already proved useful, and won the confidence of their crews. In particular, they may quote that at Lyme Regis, which, under extraordinary circumstances, showed itself to have, in an eminent degree, all the qualities which it has been considered desirable that lifeboats should possess. The Sewell life-boat on the Suffolk coast has been transferred to Thorpe, two miles father south, where there is greater facility for manning and launching her; and where she is placed under the supervision of the Aldborough Committee, The life-boat stationed at Eastbourne by the late Mr. FULLER, of Rose Hill, has been liberally presented to the Society by Mr. A. E. FULLER, M.P.

The life-boats in connexion with the Institution have been the means of saving the lives of the crews of the following vessels during the past year : — Earl of Jfewburgh, of Shields . . . .

Tonton Pierre, of Nantes . . . .

Margaret, of Bideford Robert Nicol, of Perth Banger, of Jersey .

Compeer, of Salcombe La Jeune Sose, of Monarch, of Guernsey 10 Heroine, of Burnham 4 Canadian, of Shields. 9 Olinckn (passengers), of Liverpool . . 17 Penninghame, of Belfast 11 Total . 97 Although some steps in advance have been made towards completing the coast with life-boats, the Committee have been reminded by the numerous wrecks of the last year, that much more still remains to be done.

Among other points, new life-boats are wanting, or old ones need replacing, at the, fallowing stations,:—at the Orkney an(| Shetland Isles; a.t Fraserbuvgh and Peterhead, on the east coast of Scotland ; at Berwick, Holy Island, and Tynemouth; at Robin Hood's Bay and Spurn Point, Yorkshire; at Hunstantau and Winterton, Norfolk; at Deal, Kent; at Brighton and Rye, in Sussex; Portland, Dorset; St. Ives, Scilly Islands, and Padstow, Cornwall; at Penarth, Swansea, Carmarthen, Fishguard, Aberystwith, Penrhyn Du, on the coast of Wales ; at Clogher Head, Arklow, Rosslare, Blackwater, Tramore, Youghal, and Courtmacsherry, on the east and south coast of Ireland.

The Committee have to. express their thanks to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, for conveying the Dungeness life-boat to her station free of expense, immediately on application being made to their Lordships.

Life-boat Carriages.—In consequence of the lamented death of Colonel COLQUHOUN, R.A., the late Chairman of the Carriage Sub-Committee, and other causes; the construction of these important adjuncts to lifer boat establishments has not been proceeded with during the past year, but the Committee have instituted inquiries at Liverpool, Hartiepool, and elsewhere along the coast, with the view of obtaining designs for the best description of carriage. The subject is now before Colonel TULLOH, R.A., at the head of the Carriage Department in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, who will turn his attention to it as soon as the pressing exigencies of the public service will admit of it; and the Committee hope, during the present year, to furnish with one of the best descriptions of carriage, every life-boat on their establishment which is in need of one.

Jfoqt - Onuses. — Boat-houses have, been built during the past year, at Lyme Regis; Newcastle in Dundrttin Bay ; Ardrossan ; and one removed from Aldborough, on the coast of Suffolk, to Thorpe. Others are in course of construction at Skerries, Dungeness, and Penzance.

Local Committees.—Branches of the Society have been formed at Ardrossan, Eastbourne, and Skerries, with Local Committees of the resident gentry and others, through whose instrumentality the Committee hope to ensure the efficient management of the several life-boats committed to their charge. At page 117 after the general list of Subscribers to the Institution, will be seen some lists of those who are so through its local branches at Aldborough, Bridlington, &c.

Shipwrecks.—The Committee lament to state that the destruction of human life from shipwreck has been very large on the coasts of the United Kingdom during the past year. It is, however, a source of satisfaction to the Committee to find that public attention, as also that of Her Majesty's Government, has been directed to this important subject, and to the consideration of means for preventing shipwrecks, and for saving life on occasions of disasters at sea. They believe that, by the introduction of improved descriptions of life-boats, and their general adoption on the coasts; an increased number | of life-boat, rocket, and mortar stations; greater liberality towards those who risk their lives to save those of others; and especially by the use of suitable measures on board ship, such as the being furnished with the means of effecting communication with a lee shore, to diminish the danger on those occasions—that this frightful loss of life may be materially lessened in future years.

The Committee had occasion to observe in their last Report that the year 1852 had been the most disastrous as respected shipwrecks on record; the large number of 1100 wrecks, with the loss of upwards of 900 lives, having taken place during that period, on the coasts of the British isles. And they regret to have to state that, as far as could be ascertained from "Lloyd's List" and other authentic sources, nearly 800 wrecks, with the loss of about 870 lives, occurred on the coasts and within the seas of the United Kingdom in the year 1853. In the awful gale of last January, 257 wrecks occurred on our coasts, accompanied by the fearful sacrifice of 486 lives. Who can contemplate the vast amount of misery which such a loss of life must necessarily entail, without asking himself the question—" Can I not, directly or indirectly, assist in lessening or mitigating such calamities, by contributing towards providing means for saving life from wrecks ?" The aid solicited is comparatively small, and the recompense, if but one life be saved, is incalculably great.

Rewards.—As has already been stated in the preceding remarks, nearly 200Z.—little, indeed, but all that the Committee could with prudence afford to give—including one gold medallion, fourteen silver medals, and ten other honorary rewards, have been voted during the past year, a detailed account of which will be found in the Appendix. Feeling the importance of a judicious and impartial distribution of the funds applied to this object, the Committee have devoted much time and careful attention to the subject; and they have in no instance granted either pecuniary or honorary rewards without minute inquiry into the circumstances attending the several services performed. In this, as in other respects, they have been materially assisted by the Comptroller-General, Deputy Comptroller- General, and the officers of Her Majesty's Coast Guard-Service. With reference to the rule by which these rewards have been made, the Committee would remark, that the amount has been in each case proportioned rather to the degree of risk incurred and intrepidity displayed, than to the number of lives saved. Indeed, in the distribution of the limited funds at their disposal, they in no case pretend to give an equivalent for the risk of life incurred by the salvors, or the value of the lives saved, since human life is ablessing' above all pecuniary consideration; but all they profess to offer is an acknowledgment, in proportion to the means at their command, of the value and meritorious character of the services rendered.

Since the commencement of the present year an exceptional case to the general rule of the Society, which confines its operations to the coasts of the United Kingdom, has occurred, by the presentation of the gold medallion of the Institution to Captain ISAAC LUDLOW, of the American whaling-ship Monmouth, in testimony of his gallant and persevering conduct on the occasion of the wreck of the English emigrant ship Meridian, on the island of Amsterdam, in August last; and the Committee have the gratification to add, that Her Majesty's Government have marked their approbation of the gallant conduct shown on this occasion by offering to Captain LUDLOW a present of 100 guineas and a gold chronometer by DENT.

The total number of persons saved from shipwreck since the first establishment of this Institution, and for rescuing whom the Committee have granted honorary and pecuniar}' rewards, is shown in the following list:— In the Tear 1824-5 1825-6 1826-7 1827-8 1828-9 1829-30 1830-1 1831-2 1832-3 1833-4 1834-5 1835-6 1836-7 1837-8 1838-9 No. of Lives Saved.

124 218 175 163 301 463 372 287 310 449 214 364 225 272 456 In the Year 1839-40 1840-1 1841-2 1842-3 1843-4 1844-5 1845-6 1846-7 1847-8 1848-9 1849-50 1850-1 1851-2 1852-3 1853-4 No. of Lives Saved.

279 353 128 276 236 193 235 134 157 123 209 470 230 773 678 Total ... . 8867 The operations of the Committee may be thus briefly stated:—Since the establishment of the Institution in 1824, 79 gold medallions and 539 silver medals for distinguished services have been voted for saving life, besides pecuniary rewards, amounting together to 8,974?.

Publications.—The Committee have continued to publish the Life-Boat Journal at quarterly intervals, although at a considerable cost to the Institution, owing to the limited circulation, which is, perhaps, inseparable from the character of the work.

In the January Number of the present year an engraved wreck chart for 1852 has been inserted, which has been a source of great attraction, and has directed the attention of many persons to the subject.

finances.—In the .'annexed balance-sheet will be found a'Statement of the income and expenditure of the Institution for the year ending 31st March, 1854 f from which it will be seen that 1,831?. has" been expended on life-boats, and on objects immediately connected with them ; and 1821. on medals and rewards for saving life. The total amount expended has been 2,482?.; while the income from all sources was 1,885?.

Thus, notwithstanding that the Committee have to thank the contributors to the Institution for the large amount of support received in the course of the past year, it is yet seen that their expenditure during the same period has considerably exceeded their income, and that they have been compelled again to trench on the funded capital of the Society. This necessity cannot but be regretted, inasmuch as it is evident that the permanent prosperity of the Shipwreck Institution can only be secured by the possession of a funded capital, to which recourse may be had in seasons of extreme severity.

But extraordinary exertions have been, and will still, for a time, be necessary, to completely furnish the most dangerous parts of the coasts of the United Kingdom with lifeboats, &c.

The Committee have the gratification to announce that the past year has been distinguished by a donation of 100?. from Her Majesty the QUEEN, who, a few months after Her Majesty's accession to the throne, was graciously pleased to honour the Institution with the same patronage that had been extended to it by Her Majesty's illustrious predecessors.

The Committee have also to report the munificent contribution of 210?.

from the Corporation of the City of London, which the Committee appreciate the more, as coming from a body fully competent to judge of the merits of the Institution. 'They would acknowledge here the liberality of an unknown benefactor, under the signature of "A Friend" and the letters "A. B.," who for the last four years has generously paid to the bankers 30?. per annum in aid of the funds of the Society.' Liberal, however, as has been the assistance which the Institution has received during the past year, the Committee desire once again to point out that its annual expenditure has, during the last three years, of necessity much exceeded its income; they, therefore, to enable them to continue their hitherto successful exertions in the cause of humanity with unabated energy, confidently appeal for a yet greater amount of public support.