A DEPUTATION from the " Shipwrecked Mariners' Society," consisting of several noblemen and gentlemen, headed by his Grace the DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH, President of the Society, had an interview yesterday With the President of the Board of Trade.

The DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH, having introduced the object of the deputation by giving a concise account of the operations of the Society, then read the following state-ment:— To THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE.

" SIR,—WE have the honour to wait upon you for the purpose of laying before you the following statement, and to ask how far, in an object of such great public interest, we may hope for countenance and help from the Government.

"We premise, Sir, that, "THE SHIPWRECKED FISHERMEN AND MARINERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY,' of which we form part of the Committee of Management, was incorporated in 1850, by an Act of the Legislature ; by which Act (in addition to the original objects of the Society) power is given it to hold land, build Asylums for Seamen, grant Annuities or other benefits to Seamen, their Widows, Children, or Parents; establish Savings' Banks, and ' also any other objects, designs, or purposes of a benevolent character, for the benefit and welfare of all and every or any of the classes of men for whose benefit the said Society was originally established, or those dependent on them,' either* ' by the establishment of any Institution, or Institutions,' &c.

" In 1857, the Committee of Management, feeling the high position in which it Had pleased God to place this Institution in the sight of the country, considered that the time had arrived for endeavouring to carry out the Act under which it is incorporated, by endeavouring to establish a fond, onto which they shall voluntarily subscribe, for granting annuities to seamen in old age, or when disabled from further service; and also for building a hospital for the reception of such seamen, as from extreme old age, destitution of relative ties, or other causes, might be considered as needing such an asylum.

" Accordingly, in July, a Public Meeting was held at the Mansion House, under the presidency of the then LORD MAYOR, now ALDERMAL FINNIS, unto which a number of the leading gentlemen of the City gave their adhesion, and great sympathy with the undertaking was expressed. Consequent on the Indian Mutiny, followed by the late commercial crisis, it was considered wise not to take further steps until the excitement, caused by these events, had subsided.

" We hope that the country is now emerging from the depression caused by these two great disasters; and we feel that, both benevolently and politically, the work which we have put ourselves forward to do is a work of so much national importance, as to warrant the expectation of having the sympathy of the Government and the empire at large.

" We believe that if a liberal annuity for old age, and a comfortable Asylum, if needed, be provided for the officers and seamen of the Merchant Navy, it will not only be a graceful acknowledgment of the value their countrymen entertain for them as a body, but that it will be the best means of attaching them to their country, and of inducing respectable youths to enter the Mercantile Marine, as a service which that country duly appreciates, and thus give an esprit de corps to it which it has never hitherto had, but of which it is greatly in need. We refrain from using arguments on this occasion, knowing the interest of the Government respecting our seamen at large, by the fact that a Commission is at present sitting, to devise a plan for manning our ships of war.

" It is proposed that every master mariner subscribing 2s. per month, and every mariner Is* per month, shall be entitled to an annuity, to be calculated by an actuary.

We hope, by donations, subscriptions, and legacies, from the public at large, and any help the Government may be pleased to give to the fund, that the amount of annuity may be increased.

" That the subscription of a master mariner to the Hospital shall be 21., and that of of a seaman l*, which sum. paid at once, or by four instalments, either annual or otherwise, shall entitle the subscriber to admission, provided he be a fit subject, in which case his annuity will be applied to his support.

" We consider that a large number of seamen, from their migratory habits, may be found in the latter years of their lives, when aged and unable to help themselves, without any relative ties; for such the proposed hospital would be, in our opinion, an unspeakable blessing; but we do not think they will exceed, on the average, 3,000 at any one time, and for the present we judge an establishment for 500 will suffice.

" The cost of rearing and furnishing a building to hold this number is computed at 50,000?., and which, if full, judging from accredited data, would require, for its support, 13,000?. per annum.

" The greater part of this sum, however, will be met by the annuities of the residents, which will merge to the support of the hospital on their entry. If it should be found, that under the encouragement given by the Government, and the public at large, the merchant seamen subscribe in great numbers to the building fund, then any residue of their subscriptions may be added to the further sums which may be raised, and other hospitals built, at Liverpool, Newcastle, or in any localities that may in future be determined upon.

" We propose that the control of the hospital shall be vested in thirty-six Directors, twelve of whom shall be members of the Committee of the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society, a certain number named by the Government (if it affords help, and desires it), and the rest shipowners and master mariners, subscribers. That, with the exception of the members of the Committee of the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society, and any gentlemen appointed by the Government, the Directors shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Subscribers to the Hospital, where the Report of the past year, and statement of the accounts shall be read, every master mariner and mariner subscribing, and all Honorary Subscribers of a guinea or upwards, being entitled to vote.

" We respectfully submit, without intending to allow of a comparison between this important movement and any other, that the principle of Government help ha aid of private exertions, is admitted in the fact of its helping National Schools, Sailors' Homes, Life-Boat Institutions, &c- " In the event of the Government being disposed to help the objects we have in view, we respectfully remind you, that the claim of this Society to its confidence rests on the fact, that it is already authorized by Act of Parliament to carry them out, when funds can be obtained—that it is at the head, in round numbers, of 46,000 merchant seamen, upwards of 8,000 of whom are master mariners, and of which number 3,000 carry the flag of the Society at the mast-head of the vessels they command.

" That it is represented by 520 honorary agents, situate at convenient distances round the entire coast of the United Kingdom, and isles adjacent, who administer instant relief to all shipwrecked mariners, without reference to their being subscribers to the Society, clothing them, &c. and sending them home, the number of such being last year 4,133— besides being the channel of the Central Board of relieving 2,980 widows, orphans, and aged parents of mariners, who were subscribers, and thai; it is a well-ascertained fact, doubtless known to the Board of Trade, that the Society is eminently popular among the seamen, and therefore, in our humble opinion, best calculated as a medium for doing them good.

" We submit that we believe it would be considered by the seamen a great boon, if the Government were to carry out the suggestion contained in the Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the condition, &c. of the Merchant Seamen's Fund (1848), page xi., wherein they recommend 5,OOOL per annum, or more, should be contributed to any benefit society for widows and orphans of seamen*—-such help to the widows' fund of the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society would greatly enlarge the good it is at present doing, and enable it to go on with its annual grants to widows, which, from their increasing numbers, it is likely it will be obliged to circumscribe, except further support be afforded to that branch of the Institution, other than from the subscriptions of the seamen themselves.

" We respectfully draw your attention to the fact, that the Board of Trade, when undertaking to wind up the Merchant Seamen's Fund, withdrew the grants (allowed under the former management) of 10s. to each shipwrecked seaman, and 20s. to each master mariner, shipwrecked ; which at once burdened the Society's funds with an . extra outlay of upwards of 2,000?. per annum in the cost of boarding, lodging, and forwarding to their homes shipwrecked crews, and thus in the last eight years there has been taken from their widows and orphans 16,OOOZ.

" In conclusion, Sir, we beg respectfully to add, from the extensive knowledge we have of the minds of the seamen, through the Secretary of the Institution's constant intercourse with them in London, and visits to the coast, as well as through the travelling agents, and the 520 honorary agents, that we feel persuaded they may, by proper encouragement, be induced voluntarily to enrol themselves as subscribers to a fund which has been established for their benefit, by those in whom they have confidence ; and we instance this Institution, which, in the last seven years, has added to its members, of master mariners and mariners subscribing, 27,000 men! though its benefits, being temporary, are by no means so generally telling as that of a cer- * Vide " The Seamen's Fund Winding-up Act," clause 36, which appears to us likely to have been founded on this suggestion.

tain provision to keep them from the workhouse, whether in old age or prematurely disabled from further service; and we are equally persuaded that any attempt to coerce them, by making their subscriptions compulsory, instead of having the effect of binding them to their country's flag, will drive them to take service under a foreign one, in order to avoid the tax, and thus the forced register it will involve. Subjoined are our reasons for hoping the Government may render pecuniary help.

" We have the honour to be, Sir, " Your obedient Servants, " MARLBOROUGH, President, " Shipwrecked Mariners' Society.

" Signed on behalf of the Deputation." REASONS FOR HOPING THE GOVERNMENT MAY RENDER PECUNIARY HELP.

"1. That the Board of Trade has absorbed funds formerly held by the Trinity Board, the residue of which, after paying the expenses, were appropriated to the relief of worn-out seamen; and has now in hand from it and other sources, gathered from the mercantile marine, a balance of . . £449,116 13 6 " 2. That it has in the Merchant Seamen's Fund, as appears by the published account of receipt and expenditure, a balance of . . . 43,889 2 0 "3. That 'The Seamen's Fund winding-up Act,' (clause 36,) provides that the unclaimed wages and effects of seamen, under the provisos therein stated, shall be paid to a Friendly Society, and the Seamen's Hospital Society : and that the Board of Trade has on hand, arising out of the unclaimed wages and effects of deceased seamen, which appears to be increasing at the rate of about 12,0001. per annum, a balance at present amounting to £52,330 18 7 Total . £545,436 14 1 The Secretary, FRANCE LEAN, Esq., then stated that he had held his present office for near 14 years, during which time he had had great opportunities, from personal intercourse, of knowing the minds of the merchant seamen; that they were greatly averse to any compulsory payment, but had expressed themselves very desirous that an institution, under the guidance of the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society, for establishing pensions available when worn out or disabled should be founded, in proof of which he read a letter forwarded to him by DUNCAN DUNBAR, Esq., signed by the officers and crew of his ship the Minden, begging him to forward the establishment of such an institution, and he thought that the experience of the late Merchant Seamen's Fund would be fully available for calculating the amount of pensions which might be safely given on a subscription of Is. per month for mariners, and 2s. for master mariners. Besides their subscriptions, there would be a supplemental Benevolent Fund, to which it might be hoped that the public at large, as well as the Government, would contribute. After some further remarks upon the working of that fund,— Mr. HENLEY replied that it was a most important object that the Shipwrecked Mariners* Society had in view, and had occupied the attention of the present and late Governments. In whatever was done in the matter, it was very desirable that the large ports of London and Liverpool should be agreed. If the Society were right in the figures they had submitted, they might at once extend their Institution. But he trusted they would be quite sound in their figures, and that they would well calculate what they gave for the payment which was made. He thought as the Society had full powers to act, it should go on, when it would be seen by the numbers of seamen who were willing to subscribe, whether it assumed anything like a representation of the body, before the Government could pledge itself in any way respecting it; as for himself, whether in, office or out of office, he would be glad to help so desirable an object.

The DUKE OF. MARLBOROUGH expressed the thanks of the deputation for the kind manner in which they had been received, and his full persuasion that the Committee would follow his advice in going on with the project, and that he hoped they might goon have another interview to report their success, and that then they would obtain help from the Government.

A Paper on this important subject will be found in the 27th Number of this Journal.

We commend it once more to the consideration of our readers.