THIS national and benevolent Institution held its Annual Meeting at Willis's Rooms on the 20th May. The Right Hon. EARL MANVERS, one of its Vice-Presidents, in the Chair. Amongst those present we observed Sir CHARLES ROWLEY, Bart., Admirals Sir GEORGE WESTPHAL, BERTIE C. CATOR, CHARLES R. D. BETHIINE, C.B.; Captains (Royal Navy) Hon. FRANCIS MAUDE, ,C. R. EGERTON, GAMBIER, WARD, HEASLOP, YOUNG, LEAN. Revs.

R. H. BATNES, AUBEKTIN, RAY, J. McCONNELL HUSSEY. J. T. FOSTER, Esq., R.N., WILLIAM STUART, JOSEPH PAYNE, THOMAS BERMINGHAM, RICHARD LEWIS, GEORGE A. BROGHAVE, Esquires, and others.

FRANCIS LEAN, Esq., the Secretary, read the Annual Report, which stated that year by year the Committee had to regret a growing increase of casualties among the shipping; last year no fewer than 3329 were -recorded by Lloyd's, of which 1170 had occurred on the coast of the United Kingdom. The Society, however, in the midst of this distress, had done everything that humanity required; thus 5037 shipwrecked persona had been clothed, fed, and forwarded to their homes, and 3168 widows and orphans, making a total of 8205 persons who had been promptly relieved in their extremity by the honorary agents on the coast (of which there are 500) during the past year, and 77,089 persons had experienced the blessings of the charity since 1839. The amount of relief had exceeded the income in the last two years by 21761.

The number of vessels now carrying the Society's flag amounts to 3035, and the number of fishermen and mariners subscribing had reached to 43,000.

The quarterly magazine, The Shipwrecked Mariner, which publishes its operations, continued to do good service. Legacies to the amount of 2315/.

had been reported. The Committee had awarded five gold medals and fourteen silver medals as rewards for praiseworthy exertions in saving life from shipwreck on the high seas, or on coasts of the British colonies. The interesting subject of a hospital, similar to that at Greenwich, for the aged, disabled, and worn-out sailors of the mercantile marine, towards which the Society had voted 5000/., had remained in abeyance, owing to various circumstances; the hospital committee were, however, ready to resume their labours upon the first favourable opportunity.

The Society was stated to have provided effectually against the benevolent public being imposed on by beggars professing to have been shipwrecked, as all genuine cases were promptly relieved by its agents. The Committee confidently appealed for increased support to Christian liberality to be enabled to carry out its benevolent designs on behalf of half-a-million of our maritime population.

The Report was then adopted, and various resolutions having been passed unanimously, the proceedings terminated, after the usual vote of thanks to the Chairman.