AT the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, held at the London Tavern on Tuesday the 14th of March, 1865, His Grace the DUKE OF ARGYLL, K.T., P.O., V.P., in the Chair, the following Report of the Committee was read by the Secretary:— THE Committee of Management of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION once again come before the tribunal of the British public, to render an account of their stewardship during the past twelve months, and to appeal once more to that public for its continued assistance in the performance of the important national duty which has been committed to them.

In rendering that account, and making that appeal, the Committee deeply feel the greatness of the responsibility which rests on them from the nature and extent of the work which they have undertaken—a work on which hang the issues of life and death.

The great success, however, which Divine Providence has granted to their exertions, and the kind and liberal support which has been accorded by their fellow-countrymen, have encouraged the Committee to renewed exertion, and enabled them during the past year to increase considerably their Life-saving Fleet.

It is with extreme sorrow that the Committee have to advert to the great loss which the Life-boat cause has sustained by the death of their President, Admiral the Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND, K.G., who for fourteen years had actively co-operated with them in carrying out the national and philanthropic objects of the Institution. His Grace's name will long be remembered in connection with the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, and as having, through his munificence, brought into practical use the Self-righting Life-boat, which is now placed in large numbers around the coasts of the United Kingdom; and which has contributed during the past twelve years to the saving of thousands of lives from shipwrecks, not only on our own shores, but also on those of many foreign countries.

It was only a short time since that the Committee had the satisfaction of presenting to their late valued President a beautiful model of the Self-righting Lifeboat mounted on its Transporting-carriage, which he ordered to be permanently deposited in Sion House, Isleworth.

The Committee have much satisfaction in being enabled to state that, at their invitation, the Eight Hon. EARL PERCY, M.P., P.C., has kindly accepted the office thus rendered vacant by the death of the late esteemed President of the Institution.

The most striking feature in the history of the Institution during the past year, as it also was in the preceding one, is the large number of splendid Gifts, in the shape of the entire cost of New Life-boats, which have been presented to this Society by benevolent persons and collective bodies, headed by an anonymous donation from a "A Friend " of no less a sum than 5.000Z.

The Institution during the past year has issued amended Rules for the Restoration of Apparently Drowned Persons, having, after obtaining the opinions of medical bodies and of a large number of professional men, in part adopted the Rules for Restoring Respiration, recommended by Dr. SILVESTER, combined with those of the late Dr. MARSHALL HALL.

In illustration of the general confidence which the Institution has obtained, it may be stated that three self-righting life-boats, fully equipped, and provided with transporting- carriages, have been built for the French Government, and others for associations at Marseilles, Bremen, and Holland, under the supervision of the Institution.

Naval officers from France, Russia, and Sweden have also been deputed by their respective Governments to visit England, for the express purpose of examining on our coast some of the life-boats of the Institution, and their system of management. Each of these gentlemen expressed his admiration of the completeness and efficiency of the establishments that came under his notice.

The general proceedings of the Institution may be thus epitomised:— Life-boats.—During the past year the Institution has provided no less than 34 new life-boats, and others are in course of construction. The stations to which they have been appropriated are :—Berwick-on- Tweed, and Alnmouth, Northumberland; Sunderland, Durham; Redcar, Bridlington, and Hornsea, Yorkshire; Donna Nook, Theddlethorpe, Sutton, and Skegness, Lincolnshire; Palling and Caister, Norfolk; North Deal and Dover, Kent; Poole, Dorset; Teignmouth, Devonshire; Penzance, Sennen Cove, Newquay, and Padstow, Cornwall; Ferryside, Carmarthen Bay; Cardigan and Newquay, Cardiganshire; Porthdinllaen, Carnarvonshire; Holyhead, Anglesey ; New Brighton, Cheshire; Blackpool and Piel, Lancashire ; Maryport, Cumberland; Girvan, Ayrshire; Dunbar, Haddingtonshire; Tramore and Ardmore, County Waterford; and Valentia, County Kerry. Of this mtmber, fifteen have been for new stations; the remainder having gone to replace inferior or worn-out boats.

Transporting Carriages and,Boat Houses have been provided, with few exceptions, for the whole of the above-named life-boats.

The life-boats of the Institution now number one hundred and forty-four. Through their agency no less than 432 lives have been saved during the past year, nearly the whole of them under circumstances when no other description of boat than a life-boat could with safety have been employed. They have likewise been the means of extricating from danger, or of conveying into ports of safety, 17 vessels; and on forty-nine other occasions they have been launched and have proceeded to the assistance of vessels showing signals of distress, or that were in evident danger, but which did not ultimately require their services. On many other occasions the crews of life-boats have been assembled in readiness to launch them, when it has appeared probable that their aid might be required. For these various services, and for the saving of 266 lives by shore-boats and other means, the Institution has granted rewards amounting to 1,539Z.

The Committee, believing that it would tend to increase the efficiency of the life-boat establishments of the Institution, have decided on paying each of the Assistant coxswains, hitherto unsalaried, a small annual stipend.

The Committee regret having to report that, in the performance of their dangerous and arduous duties, three men belonging to their life-boats perished during the past year, notwithstanding the care taken to provide for their safety; namely, JAMES GRANT and EDMUND ROBSON, from the Tynemouth life-boat, on the occasion of the wreck of tie steamer Stanley, and other vessels at the entrance of the Tyne, on the night of the 24th of November; and WILLIAM HUGHES, from the Holyhead life-boat, on the 14th of January last. Each of these men was provided with the usual life-belt supplied by the Institution, but one of them was supposed to have been crushed between the life-boat and the vessel's side, and the other two perished from the effects of cold and exhaustion before they could be picked up.

The Committee, however, feel that they cannot expect to engage in so perilous a work as the life-boat service without an occasional accident attended with loss of life; and they see much reason to be thankful that such accidents have been of so rare occurrence; in illustration of which the fact may be stated that during the last two years about 12,000 persons have been afloat in the life-boats of the Institution on occasions of wrecks and for practice, and that the three above alluded to are the only lives that have been lost during that period.

And here the Committee would refer with great satisfaction to the continued intrepid services of the life-boat crews, who are ever ready, day or night, to man the life-boats during the fiercest storms.

Shipwrecks and Loss of Life.—The field of the operations of the NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION stretches over the whole of the coasts and seas of the British isles, which are annually strewed with so large a number of shipwrecks that they average 2,000, arising partly from the great and expanding commerce of the country, and partly from the intrepidity and, it must be added, the carelessness of our seamen; and often, it is feared, from the imperfect equipment of our merchant-vessels, and from other preventible causes. The lives of between 5,000 and 6,000 persons are thus placed annually in jeopardy; but happily, owing to the prompt and unceasing exertions that are everywhere made on occasions of shipwrecks, the actual loss of life amongst that large number of persons placed in peril did not last year exceed 450 lives. Large indeed is this death-roll; but, as far as this Institution is concerned, no exertion, with God's continued blessing, will be wanting to diminish even that number.

Although the Committee lament to report the loss of so many lives in one year from various shipwrecks on our coasts, yet every friend of humanity must rejoice with them in the gratifying and encouraging fact that so many as 432 persons owe their lives immediately to the services of the life-boats of this Institution, as shown below;* in addition to those rescued by fishing-boats and other means, for which services the Institution has granted rewards. There can be no misunderstanding in respect to such happy results, which have elicited not only the heartfelt gratitude oi the wrecked men themselves and their families, but have also excited the sympathy and liberality of a large proportion of the British public, who now look upon the LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION as one of the most important establishments of our country.

The Committee feel that much credit is also undoubtedly due to the Board of Trade for their continued valuable and cordial cooperation with the Institution, and for the state of efficiency to which the Board have brought the mortar and life-saving apparatus, which is worked by the Coast-guard on the coasts of the United Kingdom, through which means a large number of lives have likewise been saved.

And here it may be distinctly stated, as a gratifying fact—that few lives are now lost on occasions of storms on our coasts that could possibly be saved by any efforts from the shore. No doubt many shipwrecks, with loss of life, will continue to take place .notwithstanding all the ingenuity and daring of man, for it is not in human power always to contend with violent gales of wind, such as are every winter experienced on these islands.

The total number of lives saved during the forty-one years from the establishment of the Institution in 1824, to the end of the year 1864, either by its life-boats, or by special exertions for which it has granted rewards, is as follows :— In the Year 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 124 218 175 163 301 463 372 287 310 449 214 364 225 272 45(7 279 353 128 276 236 193 235 In the Year 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 Total .

No. of Lives Saved.

134 157 123 209 470 230 773 678 355 406 473 374 427 499 455 424 574 714 698 . 14,266 The amount of happiness thus brought to this great multitude of persons saved from death in its most appalling form, and to many of those who would otherwise have been widows and orphans, can only be fully realized by themselves; but the British public in general entertains a deep sense of the national benefit thus derived from the preservation of 14,266 shipwrecked sailors and fishermen; and it must especially be a source of satisfaction to every patriotic person, who has either directly contributed by his own exertions or indirectly by his contributions, in bringing about a result which is without a parallel in the history of benevolent exertions of a kindred character in any other country.

Rewards.—In the Appendix will be found a summary of the cases in which honorary and other rewards have been voted by the Institution. During the past year 9 Silver Medals, 13 Votes of Thanks inscribed on vellum and parchment, and 1,5391. have been granted for saving the lives of 698 persons by life-boats, shore- and fishing-boats, and other means, on the coasts and outlying banks of the United Kingdom.

In reference to these grants, the Committee continue to devote the most careful attention to this important and interesting part of their duties. Each individual case has been carefully inquired into, through the instrumentality of the Officers of Coastguard and Customs, the local Honorary Secretaries of the several Branches of the Institution, or other responsible persons; while each case has been thoroughly sifted and considered by a Sub-Committee previous to its being considered by the General Committee.

Our boatmen and fishermen, all over the coast, know now that their exertions in saving life from shipwreck will be promptly and liberally rewarded by the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, in proportion to the risk and exposure incurred in the service; and in this way a spirit of emulation and activity is fostered and encouraged on the coasts of tine British Isles, productive of the best results.

In this important work the Committee have continued to receive the prompt and cordial co-operation of Commodore A. P.

RYDEE, R.N., Controller-General, and Capt.

J. W. TAKLETON, E.N., C.B., Deputy-Controller- General, and of the Officers and men of the Coast-guard Service, to whom the best thanks of the Institution are hereby tendered.

Since the formation of the Institution it has expended on life-boat establishments nearly 120,0001, and has voted 82 Gold and 745 Silver Medals for saving life, as well as pecuniary awards to the amount o 19,800?.

Local Committees.—The Committee ac knowledge again the prompt co-operation o the Local Branch Committees, which consti tute so important a portion of the machinery for the supervision of the several life-boa; establishments of the Institution. They have also to express their sense of the valuable and gratuitous services of the zealous Honorary Secretaries of those Committees who conduct the correspondence with the central managing body in London.

Finances.—The total amount of receipts by the Institution during the year 1864 has been3l,917Z. 9s. 8 f.; and the Committee are' much gratified in being able again to report, that of this sum no less than 8,077?. lls. IQd. were special gifts to defray the cost of the following 25 lifeboats :— £. s. d.

Alnmouth—Miss Wardell . . . . 320 0 0 Redcar—Messrs. J. Crossley and Sons 300 0 0 Whitby, No. 2—Dr. H. W. Watson . 180 0 0 Donna Nook—Robert How, Esq., and Miss How 350 0 0 Theddletliorpe—Mrs. B. Caslakc . . 350 0 0 Sutton—Collected in Birmingham . 250 0 0 Skegness—Friends of the late Herbert Ingram, Esq., M.P. (additional) . 205 5 0 Dover—Collected in Wiltshire by Capt. N. J. JReed, E.N 435 10 9 Poole—A Lady 500 0 0 Penzance—J. C 250 0 0 Sennen Cove—Mrs. M. A. Davis . . 300 0 0 Padatow—Collected in Bristol. . . 570 0 0 Newquay (Cardigan) Ancient Order of Foresters 255 11 3 Porthdinllaen—Lady Cotton Sheppard and Friends 250 0 0 Holyhead—Joseph Leather, Esq., . 311 12 0 New Brighton—Ditto 351 3 0 Blackpool—Mrs. and Miss Hopkins . 250 0 0 Piel—Commercial Travellers' Lifeboat Fund 250 0 0 Girvan—Alexander Kay, Esq. . . 400 0 0 Londonderry—J. D. Allcroft, Esq. . 250 0 0 Tramore—Cambridge University Boat Club 250 0 0 Ardmore—A Friend 300 0 0 Valentia—A Lady 508 0 0 Cardigan and Carmarthen Bays- Collected in, by K.Whitwortb, Esq., Rev. E. Hewlett, and J. G. Bell, Esq., of Manchester (additional) . 690 910 In the event of life being rescued by any of these boats, the generous donors will have the peculiar satisfaction of feeling that the saving of such life had been the result of their individual gift to the NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION.

The Committee have also especially to express their gratitude to a benevolent lady for her very munificent contribution of 5,000?. received through Messrs. HOAEE.

They would observe that the donor has in no way restricted the appropriation of her gift; and that they are deeply sensible of the confidence she has thus reposed in them, and have decided to appropriate the amount as circumstances may require, in replacing some of the earlier and smaller life-boats of the Institution, and in maintaining life-boats on stations where little or no local support is received.

Amongst the many other gratifying and encouraging donations received by the Institution since the last Report, the following may be mentioned :— 500?. from the Hon. RUSTOMJEE JAMSETJEE JEJEEBHOY, of Bombay, per R. W.

CRAWFORD, Esq., M.P.; 51. 7s., from 150 employes of the West India Docks, by Mr.

J. BRADFIELD, in sums varying from three pence to five shillings; 59?. 13s.,from the Seamen's Association at Drontheim, Chris- ;iansund, and Nalesund, in Sweden and Norway; 15s. 6d., from LUCY PALMER and her three fellow-servants; 250?. from BURTON LE ON; 10s. 6d. from an Old Salt; 100?. (second donation), from a Sailor's Daughter, per Messrs. DRUMMONDS ; 500?.

rom an Anonymous Donor, by the hands of . H. H., per Messrs. Cotrrrsf41?. 12s. 6cf.

rom JAMES BRYANT, Esq., " being conributions from abroad;" 100?. (2nd donation) from a friend, "in gratitude to God or the preservation of his wife for another year ;" 5s., the savings of two little sisters; 4.1. as a Christmas Thank Offering from he parish of Little Easton, per Rev. V. K.

SHILD ; 1?. 5s., collected in St. John's Sunday Schools, Garside Street, Manchester; ?. 8s. from Lady MAXWELL, of Monreith, :ontributions dropped into a life-boat Conribution Box in the hall of her mansion ; ind 60?. collected from seamen and others y the agents of the Sister Institution—the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Jenevolent Society.

The grateful acknowledgments of the [ Committee are also due to the several gentlemen who had collected the cost of eight Life-boats amongst their friends and others in Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and Wiltshire. Although not on the coast, they have set a noble example to other inland towns and counties, in thus directly aiding to perform an important part in the national duty of preserving the lives of shipwrecked sailors.

The Committee have also to tender their sincere thanks to the important body of Commercial Travellers for collecting the cost of two Life-boats, and to the Ancient Order of Foresters, for subscribing the cost of one Life-boat.

The Committee regret to have to announce the loss by death of several valued friends and subscribers of the Institution during the past year. They would particularly refer to Admiral BERTIE C. CATOR, who for many years past had been an active member of its Committee of Management; and to MONTAGUE GORE, Esq., who was also a zealous member of the Committee. At the Annual Meetings of the Institution, and on other occasions, Mr. GORE pleaded, with an eloquence peculiar to himself, the claims of the Institution to public support. They would also allude to the late A. W. JAFFRAY, Esq., V.P., who had been for many years a liberal contributor to the funds of the Institution, and who had munificently defrayed the entire cost of three life-boats, which are stationed respectively at Whitby, St. Andrew's, and Thurso. In ROBERT RANSOME, Esq., of Ipswich, the Institution has also lost a zealous coadjutor and a liberal supporter.

Legacies have been bequeathed to the Institution during the past twelve months by DAVID CAMPBELL, Esq., of Rothesay, 120?.; NEWMAN SMITH, Esq., of Great Cumberland Place, 501; Admiral O. V.

HARCOURT, of Swinton Park, 1,0007. (free of duty); F. R. MAGENIS, Esq., of Grosvenor Place, 1,000?.; W. WEBSDALE, Esq., of Ipswich, 197.19s.; GEORGE WHEELHOUSE, Esq., of Deptford, 2507.; Captain M.

MONTAGU, R.N., of Bath, 1007. (free of duty); WILLIAM JACKSON, Esq., of Henshaw, Northumberland, 501. • JOHN.KITCHING, Esq., of Stamford Hill, 1007. (free of duty); JOSEPH CUPIT, Esq., of Danesmoor, Derby, 10?.; JAMES MACNAB, Esq., of Guildford, 100Z. (free of duty); EDWARD KING, Esq., of the National Debt Office, 19?. 19s.; Hon. Mrs. FiTZ-RoY, 400?.; JOHN APPLEYARD, Esq., of Halifax, 2,0007.; THOMAS STUBBS, Esq., of Chester Road, Hulme, Manchester, 5007.; Miss BRODIE, of York Place, Portman Square, 4007.; and Mrs. MORGAN, of Cheltenham, 2007.

During the past year 11,6667. 11s. 3d.

were expended on additional life-boats, transporting-carriages, boat-houses, and necessary gear; 5,2147. 12s. lOd. on the expenses of repairs, painting, refitting, &c.; and 4,194/. 12s. 2d. in rewards for services to shipwrecked crews, coxswains' salaries, and quarterly practice of the boats' crews; making altogether, including liabilities amounting to 6,3377. 9s. for Life-boat Stations now in course of formation, and other expenses, a total of 29,0347.9s. 5d.

For a considerable saving in the item of transport to their stations, of new life-boats and carriages, the Committee have again to express their thanks to the several Railway and Steam Packet Companies, who have most liberally conveyed them to all parts of the United Kingdom, free of charge.

The items of receipt and expenditure are detailed in the financial statement annexed to this Report.

The Committee have had on former occasions to refer to the magnitude and costliness of the extensive operations of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION ; and last year they have been greater than at any preceding period during the past forty-one years; but they are happy to say the benevolence of the public has been proportionably large and liberal.

Thus supported and encouraged to conduct the affairs of the Institution on principles which have proved by experience to be sound and practicable, the Committee feel assured that it will never be allowed to languish from the want of funds to perpetuate, and extend as occasions may require, its merciful work on the coasts of the United Kingdom..