AT the Annual General Meeting of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, held at the London Tavern on Thursday, the 10th day of April, 1856, THOMAS CHAPMAN, Esq., F.R.S., Deputy-Chairman of the Institution, and Chairman of Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping Society, in the Chair, The following Report of the Committee was read:— The Committee of Management of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION have the honour to present to its friends and the public the Annual Report of their proceedings.

In their last Report they drew attention to the important changes which had then recently taken place in the affairs and working of the Institution, namely, its change of title—the, transfer to it of the life-boats, &o., of the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society—and the assistance afforded by the Board of Trade in aid of the voluntary contributions of the public; by which latter the Society had until that period been solely supported.

The Committee have the satisfaction to report that they have not been disappointed in their expectations of the advantages which would accrue from each of the above changes. The alteration of the title of the Institution, and the transfer to it of the lifeboats of the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Society, have, to a great extent, removed the confusion in the public mind in respect to the objects of the two Societies, and secured to this Institution the cordial co-operation of that excellent Society ; whilst the valuable addition of the Board of Trade's pecuniary aid, has in no degree led to a diminution of public support.

The assistance afforded by the latter has been productive of the most beneficial results.

It has enabled the Institution to devote its funds to increasing the number of its Lifeboat Establishments, and to add to the efficiency of those previously in connection with it. By ensuring a higher rate of payments and awards to the coxswains and crews of its life-boats and to others who adventure their lives to rescue shipwrecked persons, a more zealous and energetic spirit has been awakened in the seamen round our coast, and new life has been instilled into the whole machinery in use for saving lives from shipwreck.

The Committee can indeed with confidence report that at no period since its foundation has the Institution been in such a practically-efficient condition, or has it had a more satisfactory prospect of usefulness before it.

Life-Boats. — During the past year branches of the Institution have been formed at Padstow, in Cornwall; Drogheda, Ireland ; at Rye, in Sussex; and at Castletown, in the Isle of Man—and life-boats complete with carriages and all necessary gear, are now ready, and about to be sup- plied to them. A new 30 feet life-boat has been stationed at Hauxley, in Northumberland, in lieu of the one previously placed there, which was too heavy for the locality, and which has been removed to Bridlington.

A tubular life-boat, 32 feet long, on the plan of Messrs. RICHARDSON, of Bala, North Wales, has been built, at a cost of 2001., by Mr. LEES, of Manchester, and stationed at Rhyl, instead of the life-boat previously there. A new life-boat, 40 feet long, at a cost of 200/., has also been stationed at Southwold. Four of the life-boats transferred to the Institution from the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Society, and the Dover life-boat, have had their fittings altered at an expense of nearly 100?.

each.

The life-boats in connection with the Institution have, during the past year, been the means of saving the crews of the following vessels:— Mar. 16 Southern Cross, of Liverpool. 17 Mar. 21 Albion, of Weymouth . . . 7 Oct. 30 Hebe, of Wisbeach . . . 6 Nov. 3 Corregio, of Poole . . . . 9 Nov. 2 Louisa, of Newhaven . . . 9 Dec. 18 Eliza, of Montrose. . . . 7 Dec. 20 Alexandre, of Nantes . . . 5 Dec. 20 AgenoHa, of Bideford . . . 3 Dec. 27 William, of Norway . . . 12 Total 75 In addition to the above-named services, the life-boats of the Society have, during the same period put off to many vessels which had made signals of distress, but which, before the arrival of the life-boats, had got out of danger or declined their services.

Carriages.—Four life-boat carriages have been built during the past year. One has been furnished to Appledore, North Devon; one is about to be sent to Dungeness; a third to Fishguard; and a fourth to Rye Harbour Station.

Several more carriages are required by different boats, which will be supplied as the funds of the Institution may admit.

Two new descriptions of carriage have been adopted, from designs furnished by the Life-boat Inspector; the one, a twowheeled carriage, carries the boat" suspended under the axle of the wheels, which is cranked upwards ; it is of light and simple construction. The other, also two-wheeled, carries the boat above the axle of the wheels, and is also of a simple and light character.

It is furnished with BOYDELL and GLASIER'S patent self-laying endless railway, and is chiefly intended for stations where the boat has not to travel a great distance, and where it will generally be drawn by men instead of by horse-power.

Boat-houses. — Boat-houses have been built during the past year, at Penzance and Fishguard, and others are in course of construction at Drogheda, and at Castletown; the former is being constructed by the liberality of the Drogheda Harbour Commissioners, Local Committees.—From the greater number of the Honorary Local Committees, the Institution continues to receive invaluable and energetic aid, alike by their zealous collection of local pecuniary support, and by their general satisfactory management of the several life-boat establishments under their charge.

Shipwrecks.—By the Abstract of Wrecks and Casualties for 1855, presented by the Board of Trade to Parliament, it appears that no less than 1,141 wrecks occurred on the coasts of the United Kingdom; about one-half of that number took place on the east coast of Great Britain. The loss of life from shipwreck, during the same period, was, however, comparatively small, being only 469, or less than one-third of the loss of the preceding year, and considerably less than took place in any former year of which we have a record.

As the number of lives lost from shipwreck in different years, is of a very fluctuating character, depending on many different causes, it would perhaps be premature to assign the decrease of the present year wholly, or even chiefly, to the salutary effects of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1854, yet it may fairly be considered that a portion of that decrease is attributable to it, and it may reasonably be hoped that a permanent diminution of loss of ships, and of lives, will be manifested in future years as its consequence.

The number of lives reported as saved from wrecked vessels, was:— By luggers and other small craft . 439 By assistance from shore with ropes, mortar apparatus, &c 399 By ships and steam-vessels . . . 290 By life-boats 251 By individual exertion of a meritorious character 9 Total 1,388 The large number of lives thus saved from a watery grave is most gratifying; and particularly so to the Committee (some of whom have laboured unceasingly in the duties of the Institution for upwards of thirty years), the more so as this Society has granted honorary and pecuniary rewards for meritorious services in its life-boats and other boats for rescuing 406 lives during the past nine months.

Rewards.—During the past nine months, the Committee have awarded ten silver medals, seventeen honorary testimonials inscribed on vellum, and have granted 303Z. in pecuniary rewards to parties who have saved, or endeavoured to save, lives from shipwreck. Through the aid of the Board of Trade, the Institution has been enabled to make its pecuniary grants on a more liberal scale than formerly, which the Committee have reason to believe has been attended with the best results. Indeed, they have it on record, that their increased scale of rewards has stimulated fishermen and others on the coast, to make extraordinary efforts in their boats to rescue their fellow-creatures from the appalling death which apparently awaited them.

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 pecuniary rewards, is shown in the following list:— In the Year 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 No. of Live Saved.

124 218 175 163 301 463 372 287 310 449 214 364 225 272 456 279 In the Tear 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 No. of Live Saved.

353 128 276 236 193 235 134 157 123 209 470 230 773 678 355 406 Total . . 9,628 The operations of the Committee may be thus briefly stated:—Since the establishment of the Institution in 1824, 79 gold medallions and 556 silver medals for distinguished services have been voted for saving life, besides pecuniary rewards, amounting together to 9,631Z.

Publications.—The periodical called the Life-Boat Journal, which is published under the auspices of the Institution once a quarter, continues to be circulated by the Committee.

No effort has been spared to make it as instructive and interesting as the nature of the subjects discussed in its columns would admit. The useful information connected with life-boats and the means of saving life, which each number contains, has, by being copied into the newspapers and other periodicals, tended greatly to incite an interest in the objects of the Institution.

Finances.—In the annexed statement of the Income and Expenditure of the Institution, from the 1st April to the 31st December last, it will be seen that 2,045?.

has been laid out in the building, repairing, fittings, and exercising of life-boats; 5461.

on life-boat carriages; 187?. on life-boat houses; 339Z. on rewards and medals for saving life from shipwreck; being the principal and legitimate objects of the Institution.

The total expenditure having been 3,7267.—while the whole income from all sources did not exceed 2,0351. To meet so large an expenditure on life-boats and their appurtenances, as particularized above, the Committee have not hesitated to incur large liabilities, which, with a balance from the previous year's accounts, amounted on the 1st January to 3,065/.

This large item has since that period been reduced by the sale of 1,200?., from the small funded capital of the Institution, and by the receipt of several liberal contributions.

Still it must be evident that, if the Society is to maintain its present high position as one of the most important and useful of our national Institutions, the aid of the benevolent will further be urgently required.

The Committee venture to trust that the detailed account of the pecuniary state of the Institution, and of its proceedings herein given during the past nine months, will show that its funds have been judiciously administered, and that the amount of good it has accomplished has realized the expectations of its friends and supporters.

In exemplification of what has been done, the Committee would draw attention to the circumstance, that in the year 1851, the Society possessed only about a dozen lifeboats, most of which were old and imperfectly equipped, and the crews unprovided with life-belts; whilst, at the present moment, it possesses 48 life-boats, for the most part perfectly equipped (although several of them are as yet without car- It and the whole of the crews are provided with the best description of lifebelts, on which important item alone the Society has expended since the time above quoted not less than 2501. Since the year 1852, it has built no less than 23 new lifeboats, and several new carriages, and for most of them it has erected new and substantial boat-houses; whilst, above all, in .consequence of the superior character of the new boats, the care which the Society has evinced to supply their crews with every available security to their own persons, and the encouragement which the higher scale of payments and rewards has afforded them, it has secured the willing and efficient services of the boatmen on lie coast, who have perfect confidence both in their life-boats and in the Institution which employs them.

Notwithstanding, however, that so much has been accomplished, more yet remains to be done, to enable them to effect which, the Committee trust to continue to receive the liberal aid of the public. No less than 14 life-boats have yet to be supplied, with carriages, and some with boathouses.

The Committee desire to refer to the following munificent contributions which the Institution has received since the last report:—John Angerstein, Esq.,V.P., 1001; Charles Lombe, Esq., V.P., 100Z.; the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Society (chiefly collected in three-pences from its members and other friends), 300?.; the Indemnity Mutual Marine and Insurance Company, third don., 1051; Messrs. Baring, Brothers, and Co., 501., and 51. annually; the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, second donation, 501.; Messrs. J. E. and A. W. Jaffray, St. Mildred's Court, 201, and 10Z. annually; Captain Sir Geo. Brooke, Bart., E.N., V.P., 501., and also, in aid of three of its life-boat branches on the Suffolk coast, 15Z. annually. The Society has this year been deprived, probably by death, of an unknown benefactor's very liberal donation of 30?., which, for many years past, has been left for it at the Bankers.

It is hoped that his or her noble example will be followed by some other equally generous donor.

The Institution will be benefited by a legacy of 200/., left to it by the late B. Coles, Esq., of Tunbridge Wells, payable after the decease of his widow.

The Committee believe that an institution, having for its object '' the preservation of lives from shipwreck," has claims which come home to our hearts, and there plead for support and sympathy. It is evident that the augmentation of its pecuniary resources is alone needed to render the operations of the Institution co-extensive with the urgent requirements for life-boats on the coasts; thus assisted, it will be in a position to accomplish, in the fullest measure, the beneficial and sacred objects, for the sake of which it was established now more than i 32 years ago; and in the furtherance of which it has hitherto laboured, by the ; Divine blessing, with no inconsiderable amount of success, for which the Committee desire to be deeply grateful.