WE believe that it will be both interesting and instructive to the readers of the Life- Boat Journal generally to have a brief account of the origin, objects, and functions of the Trinity House, London, which is one of the most ancient and useful marine corporations in the land. We trust that it will yet add to its reputation and increase its sphere of usefulness; and that deriving its charter as far back as the reign of Henry VIII., it will be handed down to posterity unimpaired.

Although there are now no records extant to show the original formation of the Society, there is no doubt that it existed as a religious institution, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, for a long period antecedent to the grant of its First Charter of Incorporation by King Henry VIII., dated 23rd May, 1514, the sixth year of the reign of that King.

That it was a charitable institution previously to the Charter of Incorporation, which however makes no mention of charities, is likewise evident from an allusion contained in the first bye-laws made a few months after the date of the Charter, in which the Society's " Bedfolks," or " Almspeople," are adverted to and regulations established in respect of them.

The Trinity House of Deptford Strond, thus shown to have pre-existed as a religious and charitable Society, was constituted by the Charter of King Henry VIII. a " Body Corporate of the Shipmen and Mariners of the whole Realm," and its functions, as described in early records, were " to examine into the qualifications and regulate the conduct of those who take upon them the charge of conducting Ships; to preserve good order, and (when desired) to compose differences in Marine Affairs; to consult the Conservation, good Estate, wholesome Government, Maintenance and Interest of Navigation and Seafaring Men; and (withall) to relieve decayed Seamen and their relatives." Many of these duties have, in course of time, and as navigation extended itself, fallen into desuetude, and in their stead have sprung up the more important functions of placing and preserving light-houses, buoys, and beacons, and the ballasting of ships in the river Thames.

The Trinity House, as such or by its intrinsic Constitution or Charter, has no right or authority to erect or place sea-marks or light-houses, but exercised the ample and extensive right thereto, under the provisions of the Act of 8th of Queen Elizabeth, and continue to do so under those of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1854.

At the Anniversary Dinner of the Corporation on the 3rd July last, His Royal Highness the PRINCE CONSORT, who is the Master of the Trinity House, thus alluded to some of its functions:—" You are well aware that my'duties with regard to this Corporation are merely those of a person who watches anxiously, and I may say with love, over the prosperity of the Corporation; but it is with you, the Elder Brethren and the Deputy-Master, that the whole of the labour and work remains, and to the admirable manner in which you have performed your duties I beg leave on the present occasion to refer. I think it may not be uninteresting to some of your guests, who may not have had an opportunity of knowing what the particular business is on which you are constantly engaged, if I were to communicate to them very briefly a few extracts which the Deputy-Master has put into my hands, showing the chief works which are now in progress, and at the same time a few statistics showing the real scope of the influence and the duties of this Corporation: —' The number of pilots holding licenses after examination, either personally at the Trinity House by the Elder Brethren or under their direction by the Sub-Commissioners of Pilotage at the outports, amounts at this moment to 981; for London and its approaches, 386; for the outports, 595.

Of these 90 were examined and licensed during the past year. The number of masters in the Royal Navy examined in the past year at the request of the Lords of the Admiralty by the Elder Brethren personally at this house, touching their qualifications to pilot Her Majesty's ships, was 24. The number of masters and mates of merchant vessels holding certificates of competency to pilot their own vessels after the like examination is now 124; of these 55 were examined and certified during the present year.

It is gratifying to be enabled to state that the legislative enactment by which the control of the Cinque Ports pilots was transferred to this Corporation has proved highly beneficial, not only to the shipping of the port, but also to the pilots themselves; and by this arrangement the shipowners have been relieved by the reduction of the rates of pilotage to the extent of 20 per cent., and yet the pilots have been receiving on an average 10 per cent, increase of their previous earnings. It is also gratifying to state that since the Cinque Port pilots came under the control of the Corporation there have been comparatively few complaints against them ; and, with the exception of three cases of intoxication, in two of which it was found necessary to dismiss the offenders, the charges preferred have not been of a serious nature. As to light-houses and light-vessels, the number of light-houses and light-vessels at present under the immediate management of the Trinity House, including the six new ones under construction, is 109—namely, 77 light-houses and 32 light-vessels—in attendance on which are employed nearly 700 persons.' " I will pass to works on hand, which are chiefly the Bishop Rock Light-house, of which you have seen the beautiful model and drawings in the other room,' ' the first stone of which was laid in 1852, and which is completed, and the light will be exhibited I on the 1st of September next. The erection of a light-tower in this position, exposed as it is to the whole weight of the Atlantic Ocean, may well be considered as a triumph of engineering skill and perseverance.'" SHALLS LIGHT-HOUSE.—For many years the light at this station has been exhibited from a small and inconvenient structure of wood erected on piles, in which the attendants have been confined frequently without communication for weeks together with their fellow-men. The foundation of a substantial granite tower was laid on Jane 27,1857, and the building is now rapidly progressing; but the period of the year during which work is practicable on this exposed rock is so short that the building will occupy a considerable time.

NEEDLES.—The prevalence of sea-fogs hanging on the high land of the Needles Point, on which the old light-house stands, has rendered it advisable that the light should be exhibited from a less elevated position, and the foundation of a granite tower on the outer Needles Rock was laid on the 2nd of July, 1857. These works have been pushed forward with extraordinary celerity and under most favourable circumstances of weather. The tower is now 68 feet high, and will (D.V.) be completed and the light exhibited therefrom on the 1st of January next.

WHITBY LIGHT-HOUSES.—The erection of light-houses on High Whitby had long been regarded as a measure likely to conduce much to the safety of the numerous vessels passing along the east coast of England to and from our important coaUports, and the erection of two towers on that spot was commenced in April, 1857. They are now nearly completed, and it is expected that the lights will be exhibited therefrom before the winter storms again bring danger to the mariner on that coast.

GODREVY LIGHT-HOUSE.—A new lighthouse is in course of erection on the Island of Godrevy, in St. Ives Bay, which it is hoped will be completed and lighted in the ensuing winter.' * * * ' As to BUOYS AND BEACONS, the number of buoys and beacons at present under the control of the Corporation is 420, all of which require to be constantly attended to and watched, lest by the accidents of weather or collision of vessels they may be moved from their position, and thus lead the mariner into danger rather than warn him of it. As to the BALLASTAGE, the superintendence of the ballasting of ships in the port of London, including the raising from the bed of the Thames of about 500,000 tons of ballast per annum, is also a duty of the Corporation. The important duty of assisting the Judge of the High Court • of Admiralty in the decision of cases in which questions of nautical skill are involved also devolves upon the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House. In 43 such cases, which were decided in the Admiralty Court in the past year, the Elder Brethren attended and assisted the Judge.' We have felt it appropriate to devote some space to a history of the formation and present duties of a Corporation, which has a claim to some account in the columns of the Journal of an Institution, towards the establishment of which, more than 34 years ago, it contributed the munificent sum of 500Z., and in which not only does its interest continue unabated even to the present day, but in the management of which its successive Deputy-Masters and some of the Elder Brethren, have always taken, and do now take a part. We, in common with the assembly at the Annual Dinner of the Corporation, deeply regret that ill-health has compelled Captain SHEPHERD, H.C.S., the late Deputy-Master of the Corporation, to retire from an office which, like all the important posts he has held, such as Chairman of the Honourable East India Company, Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, and a Director of other public bodies, he has always filled with honour to himself and advantage to the public. The NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has in Captain SHEPHERD a warm and liberal friend, who on suitable occasions pleads with a force peculiar to himself, its claims for support from the community at large.