Thursday, Dec. 6, 1855. THOMAS CHAPMAN, Esq., F.R.S., in the Chair.' Read and confirmed the Minutes of the previous Meeting, and those of the Finance, Correspondence, and Wreck and Reward Sub-Committees.

Read and approved Captain WARD'S Report of his recent visit to the Isle of Man.

He reported that the Hon. CHARLES HOPE, Governor of the Island, and other influential residents, had promised their cordial co- operation to re-establish a Branch of the Institution on that island.—Decided that the thanks of the Committee be given to the Governor and to the other gentlemen of the locality, and that a boat-house be built forth- with for the reception of the life-boat and transporting carriage which the Institution had decided to station at Castletown.

Read letter from Mr. BUTCHER, of Great Yarmouth, of the 29th Oct., stating that the Gorleston boatmen had received their life-boat from the boat-builders, and that she gave them much satisfaction. The boatmen expressed their grateful thanks for the dona- tion of 501. granted by the Institution in aid of their boat.

Read letter from the English Commis- sioners of the Paris Exhibition, stating that it had been decided to give the Silver Medal of the Exhibition to this Institution, in ac- knowledgment of the model life-boats and other articles exhibited by it there.

Read letter from Captain MARTIN, stating the services of the Ramsgate life-boat, in conjunction with the Commissioners' steam- tug Aid, to two vessels in distress.

Read also a letter from Captain MARTIN, Ramsgate, of the 17th Nov., transmitting a contribution of 21. from himself and the men under his orders, in aid of a fund for the relief of the widow of THOMAS CABLE, who was drowned whilst engaged in saving life from shipwreck. The Earl of Clanwilliam was so pleased with the feeling exhibited by Captain MARTIN and his men in this case, that he added a donation of 51. to their con- iributions.—To be acknowledged.

Read letter from Captain KENNEDY, R.N., of the 13th Nov., transmitting a copy of a letter from the Inspecting Commander at Donaghadee, stating the necessity of a life- * boat at Groomsport.—Deferred.

Read letter from Mr. BRYANT, of Pad- stow, of the 29th Nov., forwarding replies to the life-boat querries, from which it appeared that a second-class 30-feet life-boat, on Mr. PEAKE'S plan, would be a suitable boat for that locality. A house would be provided for the boat by the Harbour Asso- ciation. A carriage would also be required for the boat.—101. and upwards would be raised towards the first cost of the boat, and about 30?. would probably be collected an- nually towards the support of the establish- ment.—Decided that a life-boat of the above description be built forthwith for Padstow.

Read letter from Mr. SHADWELL, the Secretary of the Royal Harbour Trust, Ramsgate, of the 20th Nov., relative to the loss of 3 lives from a Colchester smack, outside the harbour of that place, on the 26th Oct. last, and requesting the opinion of the Committee on the best plan for extending the Harbour Commissioners' means of saving life from shipwreck.—Decided that Captain McHARDY, R.N., and Captain WARD, R.N., be appointed to proceed to Ramsgate to report on the means in use at that place to save life.

Read letter from Mr. KITCHING, of East- bourne, of the 10th Nov., stating that, through the distribution of the circular letters supplied by the Institution to that Branch, he had succeeded in increasing the annual subscription of the Branch from 11?. to 25?.

per annum.—To be thanked.

Read letter from Messrs. TROUGHTON and BEVAN, of Gravesend, of the 16th Nov., transmitting a prospectus of Russell's patent davits for disengaging ships' boats.—To be acknowledged.

Read letter from Mr. G. HOLE, of Gravesend, of the 17th Nov., calling attention to his life-raft, and inquiring whether the Institution would purchase the same from him.—-To be acknowledged, and the pur- chase declined.

Read letter from JOHN JOHNSTON, Esq., of Ryde, of the 27th Nov., transmitting a pamphlet containing some description of a Cliff-crane, invented by him, for the purpose of saving life and property in cases of ship- wreck.—To be acknowledged.

Read letter from Captain EDYE, R.N., of the 23rd Nov., forwarding a sketch of his plan for conveying a line from a wreck to the shore.—To be acknowledged.

Read letter from the Secretary to the Fishguard Branch, transmitting an estimate amounting to 551. for building a transporting carriage for the life-boat at that place.— Ordered a carriage to be built accordingly.

Voted—one Silver Medal—twelve Thanks of the Committee — and 138?. 5s., as rewards for saving life from wrecks, as follows:— Voted a reward of 11. to the crew of the life-boat of the Institution, stationed at Aid- borough, in Suffolk, for putting off in the life-boat to the rescue of nine men of the crew of the barque Corregio, of Poole, which was wrecked opposite the Coastguard watch- house, during a heavy gale of wind on the 3rd Nov.

Voted also the thanks of the Committee, inscribed on vellum, to NEWSON GARRETT, Esq., Lloyd's agent at Aldborough; and a reward of 31.10s. to seven men who assisted him in rescuing, by means of a small rope thrown from the shore to the ship, nine out of eleven persons from the Swedish brig Vesta, which became a total wreck during the fearful gale of the 2nd Nov., near the Aldborough Low lighthouse.

Voted also 20Z. to the widow of an extra boatman in the Coastguard service, named THOMAS CABLE, who, having succeeded in saving the life of a lad from the wreck, was drawn by the under-tow under the ship's bottom and drowned, the rope that was round him having broken by the force of the wind and waves. The poor fellow had come a distance of two miles to render the assist- ance which cost him his life. He started in company with his officer, but being desirous to make his services available as soon as possible at the scene of the wreck, he out- stripped the officer, and ere the latter had arrived at the spot he was informed of the gallant man's death. He left a wife and five little children, who were entirely de- pendent on his exertions for their livelihood.

He bore a good character, and was always foremost to assist in saving life from wrecks.

The Committee voted also their special thanks to R. C. ROWLEY, Esq., Captain MURRAY, R.N., Inspecting Commander of the Coastguard, Lieutenant RAMSAY, R. V. GORHAM, Esq., and to other gentlemen of Aldborough, in acknowledgment of their valuable services to many shipwrecked crews that were cast on the shore during the pre- valence of the storm. It appeared that great credit was due to Mr. GORHAM, who is the active and zealous Secretary of the Aid- borough Life-boat Branch of the Society, for his untiring exertions on those distressing days, the 2nd and 3rd November.

Voted also a reward of 111. 5s. to 5 fisher- men for putting off'in their boat to therescueof a lad from the billyboy Charlotte and Mary, which, during a fearful gale, went to pieces near Thorpe Haven, on the 3rd Nov., when a female, three children, and two of her crew unfortunately perished.

The thanks of the Committee, inscribed on vellum, were voted to Messrs. CARPENTER and WEATHERAL, lighthouse-keepers, in consideration of their laudable conduct in saving, by means of a line, the crew of four men of the ketch Albion, of Rye, which be- came a total wreck near Orford Low light- house, on the 3rd Nov. The lighthouse- keepers treated the sufferers with much kind- ness in their houses for two or three days.

The thanks of the Committee, inscribed on vellum, were also presented to JOSHUA RODWELL, Esq., of Alderton-hall, WILLIAM WILLIAMS, Esq., R.N., chief officer of the Woodbridge Coastguard Station, and to JOHN BUNGARD, chief boatman in charge of the Orford Haven Coastguard Station; and 8Z. 10s. to the men under their directions, in testimony of their valuable assistance to the crews and others of the numerous vessels which were stranded during the awful gales of the 2nd and 3rd Nov., at the month of Orford Haven, where 124 men, 5 women, and 3 children were cast on shore.

The thanks of the Committee were also presented to Captain JOACHIM, R.N., to whom the Medal of the Institution had been voted for previous services, and a reward oi 151. 10s. to the men who accompanied him in the Lowestoft life-boat, when she put off to the rescue of nine men of the crew of the brig Louisa, of Newhaven, Sussex, which, during a heavy gale of wind, became a total wreck on the Holm Sand, on the morning of the 2nd Nov.

Voted also a reward of 9Z. 10s. to the crew of the Pakefield life-boat, for putting off with the view of rendering some assistance to the crews of many vessels that Were wrecked in the neighbourhood of Kes- singland, during the heavy gale of the 2nd Nov.

Voted also a reward of 32Z. to the crew of a Lowestoft yawl, for their laudable conduct in putting off to the rescue of the sloop Union, of Portsmouth, which was wrecked on the Holm Sand, on the 7th Nov. On nearing the sloop, they found that they could not board her, as the sea was making a com- plete breach over her, and there was much danger of the yawl filling; the yawl's crew then hailed the shipwrecked men that they would return for the life-boat, but the former entreated them to attempt their rescue. The appeal was irresistible, and a gallant and successful attempt was made to board the sloop, and her crew were saved.

Voted also the Silver Medal of the Insti- tution to Mr. WM. GRUEE, of the Coast- guard, Lossiemouth, in testimony of tas gallant services to the master and boy of the schooner Thar, of Leith, which became a total wreck near that place, through the intemperance of the master and neglect of the crew. It appeared that in a pitch-dark night, Mr. GEUER swam on board the vessel with a life-buoy. The master was helplessly drunk in the cabin, in which he had locked himself. Mr. GEUER broke the door open, open, and took him on deck by force.

Having secured him to a life-buoy, he then dropped him into the sea, and he was thus pulled on shore.

Voted also 10Z. to the crew of 5 men of a fishing smack, for putting off and rescuing, at risk to themselves, the crew of 9 men and the master's wife, of the brig Hartle- pool, of Shields, which was observed in a sinking state, near Bridlington, on the 1st Nov.

The Thanks of the Committee, inscribed on vellum, and II., were also voted to Mr. G. ROSSER, master of the steam-tug Beau- fort, and 21. to his crew, for putting off in the steamer to the rescue of the crew of the brig Anna Catlterine, of Sunderland, wrecked in a gale of wind, near Swansea, on the 25th Nov.

Voted also a reward of 9L to D men of the lugger Eclipse, of Margate, for their praiseworthy conduct in saving the crew of the Dutch schooner, Jantje Meier, from New- castle to Genoa, wrecked in thick weather on the Long Sand Head, 'on the 26th Oct.

Voted a reward of 21. to a fisherman named JORDAN for rushing into the surf to the rescue of the mate of the barque En- chantress, which was driven on shore in a heavy gale on the western side of Dungeness Point, on the coast of Kent. The shore being there very steep, the ship came dose to the beach, and a line was thrown on board by a person on the spot. A stouter line had been previously fastened to it, which, if it had been hauled on board by the ship- wrecked crew, might have been made the medium of saving all; but, unhappily, the man who first caught hold of it, either from ignorance or from the selfish feeling of con- sulting his own safety alone, quickly secured it round his own arm, and then jumped overboard into the boiling surf, where, becoming entangled in some of lie floating wreck, he perished ere he could be drawn to the shore. All subsequent attempts to throw another line on board failed, and one man only was, by the daring act of JORDAN, rescued out of the surf.