AT the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, held at the London Tavern on Tuesday, the 15th day of March, 1870, His Grace THE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND, P.O., President of the Institution, in the Chair, the following Report of the Committee was read by the Secretary :— ANNUAL REPORT.

AT the close of one of the stormiest seasons that have ever tested the value of Britain's Life-boats and tried the mettle of her Life- boat men; the Committee of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION present to their countrymen, who have so nobly supported them, their Annual Report.

The continued confidence that has been reposed in the Committee, and the suc- cess that has rewarded their labours, have not only encouraged them to persevere in their great work, but have also filled their minds with gratitude, to God who has so greatly blessed it, and to those who have afforded them their co-operation and their pecuniary aid.

One of the principal incidents Which the Committee have to record in the history of the Institution during the past year is their voluntary relinquishment of the annual sub- sidy which for the previous fifteen years they had received from the Mercantile Marine Fund.

Finding that the generous support of their countrymen was sufficient to maintain and work their Life-boat Fleet, and to meet all other requirements, and feeling con- fident that they could rely on a continuance of the same; they felt it a public duty to decline any further assistance from funds raised by taxation; and they embrace the present opportunity publicly to thank the.

Board of Trade for the hearty co-operation which, it has always afforded to the In- stitution.

The year's transactions may be sum- marized as follows:— Life-boats.—Since the last Report twenty- one new Life-boats have been, or are about to be, placed on the coasts of the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands; eighteen of them being for new stations, and two taking the place of decayed boats.

They are stationed as follows :— DURHAM .

YORKSHIRE SUFFOLK .

West Hartlepool.

Whitby.

Corton.

Lowestoft.

KENT . . .

SOOTH DEVON.

Kingsgate.

Sidmouth.

Salcombe.

CORNWALL, Mevagissey.

Portloe.

Porthoustock.

Port Isaac.

NORTH DEVON Clovelly.

Appledore.

WALES.

Solva.

fishguard.

PEMBROKESHIRE .

CARDIGANSHIRE .

SCOTLAND.

WIGTOSSHJRE . . . Whithorn.

AYRSHIRE .... Ballantrae.

Troon.

Ardross&n.

BUTESHIRE .... Arran.

CHANNEL ISLANDS . Alderney.

Carriages and boat-houses hare been likewise provided at nearly all the above Stations.

and twenty Life-boats on the coasts of boat Without the hearty and courageous as- sistance of the fishermen, and other boatmen on our coasts, the Committee feel that the efforts to save life on these occasions stand forth as beacons on the way, guiding the Institution to pursue with unabated assiduity the path which Providence has clearly marked out for it, leading, as it does, to re- sults which have excited the admiration of the world at large.

The Life-boat services have, as usual, varied much in character. Some have been i performed during fierce gales of wind in the ! day; others amidst thunder and lightning and the midnight storm. But the same glorious result has usually followed them all i —a freightage of living men saved from an appal/ing death by Shipwreck. Moreover, all these great services were accomplished last year without the sacrifice of a single life amongst the bvave and determined men who work our Life-boat Fleet, and who have resolutely gone forth on their mission of mercy, often at such apparently fearful risk, that probably no impulse less stirring than the sight of perishing fellow-creatures three ships have been saved from destruction by the Life-boats, which have been signalled off' to them, and which have sometimes remained for hours together .by the dis- tressed vessels, thereby encouraging their crews to renewed efforts and skill to contend Looking to the circumstances under which a large number of vessels are lost—such as by collision witli each other, by foundering at a distance from the land, by being driven ashore amidst unapproachable rocks, and by grounding on out-lying banks or on parts of' the coast far from any Life-boat station, and frequently in the dark hours of the night— there is no room for hope that anv winter will pass without the loss of many lives on and around our shores. Nevertheless, there can be but little doubt that the present average number may be much further diminished, by more stringent mea- sures being adopted to prevent the sailing of tmsea"woithy, ill-fotmd, and half-manned The Committee would wish to direct at- tention to the continued efforts of the Board of Trade, in maintaining, and extending the Rocket Apparatus on the Coasts of the United Kingdom. This agency contributes every year, under the zealous manage- ment of the officers and men of the Coast- goard service, to the saving.of hundreds of | Life-boats to be rendered equally avail- lives from Shipwreck in places where, from the presence of rocks and other impediments, able.

The number of lives saved during the it would be absolutely impracticable for 1 forty-six years from the establislunent the Institution in 1824, to the end of the j-ear 1869, either by its Life-boats or by special exertions for which it has granted rewards, is as follows:— Who can contemplate this large number —nineteen thousand persons—saved from death by Shipwreck, without feeling that a great work has been done, and without de- siting to perpetuate and extend services which have resulted in such incalculable benefit to thousands of our fellow-creatures.' Rewards.—In the Appendix a summary is given of the cases in which honorary and other rewards have been voted. During the past year, 14 Silver Medals, 24 Votes of Thanks inscribed on vellum, and 2.705Z., have been granted for saving the lives of 1,231 persons by Life-boats, shore and fishing-boats, and other means, on the coasts and outlying banks of the United Kingdom.

These cases of Rewards continue to re- ; ceive the careful and anxious consideration of the Committee. They are each pre- I viously most minutely inquired into, through j the co-operation of the Officers of Coast- guard and Customs, the local Honorary i Secretaries of the several Branches of the , Institution, or other responsible persons; I and afterwards it is thoroughly sifted and considered by the preparatory Committee, previous to their being sanctioned by the General Committee at their monthly meet- ing.

The Committee have received the prompt and cordial co-operation of the Loyds Com- missioners of the Admiralty, Captain G. O. WILLES, R.N., C.B., and of the Officers and men of the Coastguard Service, to whom the best thanks of the Institution are thus again cordially rendered.

Since the formation of the Society, it has expended on Life-boat establishments, and other means for saving life from Ship- wreck, '240,OOOZ., and voted 90 Gold and 814 Silver Medals for saving life, and pecu- niary rewards to the amount of 32,3001.

Local Committees.—The Committee have again the satisfaction to acknowledge the valuabJe co-operation they continue to re- ceive from the Local Branch Committees, which constitute so important a portion of the machinery of the Institution for the supervision of its several Life-boat establish- ments, and they acknowledge the valuable and gratuitous services of the zealous Hono- rary Secretaries of those Committees.

Finances.—The total amount of receipts during the year 1869 has been 40,4 M.

15s. 3d; and the Committee are grateful to be able again to announce, that of this sum no less than 12,117L Os. 4d. were special gifts to defray the cost of the following 19 Life-boats:— £. «. d.

West Hartlepool—Ancient Order of Foresters 640 0 0 Wells—Penny Readings Life-boat Fund 500 0 0 Corton—Mrs. George Davis. . . 620 0 0 Lowestoft, No. 2—Miss Leicester . 420 0 0 Southwold. No. 1—Members of the London Coal Exchange . . . 703 10 0 Alderney—The Right Hon. the Earl of Strafford, P.C 450 0 0 Sidmouth—Mrs. Rimington ... 420 0 0 Salcombe—Richard Durant, Esq. . 640 0 0 Mevagissey—Sir Robert N. C. Ha- milton, Bart, K.C.B., and Friends 326 1 0 Port Isaac—Richard Thornton West, Esq., and Mrs. Richard Thornton West 700 0 0 Clovelly—Mrs. Boetefeur (In Me- moriam) 700 0 0 Sol va—Widow of the late Capt. C. R. Egerton, R.N. (In Memoriam) . 700 0 0 St. Justinian—The Eight Hon. the Earl of Dartmouth and his Ten- antry Fishguard, No. 2—Worcester Life- boat Fund Abersoch — Robert Barnes, Esq., IXL., through the Manchester Branch ........

Isle of Whithorn—A Lady, per M, Griffith, Esq Isle of Arran—Anonymous ...

Ardrossan, H.B.—Peter Reid, Esq.

Montrose, N.B, — Mincing Lane Life-boat Fund ...... 1,305 Corfe Church, Taunton, Collected in, per Rev. A. C, Ainslie .... 466 420 0 0 i Dane, Steamer, Proceeds of a Sermon ' preached on board the, by the Rev.

230 001 W. Phillipson 403 ! Dartmouth, The Bight Hon. The Earl ; of, and his Tenantry, towards the 672 5 Oj support of their Life-boat "Augusta" 1 at St. David's ....... 360 4 3 620 1,000 1,030 0 i Deron and Cornwall Life-boat Bazaar, o per Messrs. T. B. Gibba and C. H.

0 | Edmunds 1,369 7 5 i DHton Marsh Church, Collected after 4 i the Hardest Thanksgiving Service i on 3rd Oct., per Key. F. C. Hyde . 2 14 10 • " E. B,, A Thank-offering for Mercies Since the last Report the Institution has | received," per Mark Whit-will, Es j. 100 0 0 received many gratifying donations, and ' Eas*and ~ est In Ua Doe3c Company, i- i i r T i- -i. L i ' per G. Collin, Esq., additional. , 52 10 0 particularly from latt, who have always [ E yjProceeaso? ReadjngandCon.

been foremost in their liberality towards j cert at, and other Contributions, Edinburgh Ladies* Life-boat Fund, per Miss Mary Oliver, balance . . 26 0 0 Gray, Bev. F. W., per Admiral Sir William Hall, S.C.B 100 0 0 Hasnbledon Chareh, Hants, Collected in, per Key. Thomas Fattesori . 870 Langton, "ff. Gore, Esq., additional . 50 0 0 " M. B. T. W." Donation, December, 1869 100 0 0 Mark Lane Life-boat Fund, per B.

1», Jadkias, and H. K. Jackson, Esqrs. ......... 71 4 1 Masonic Life-boat Fund, jier Messrs.

Clarke and Smith 52 18 6 N.R., on behalf of his Life-boat Fund 50 0 0 Newport (Monmouth) Kegatta, Por- tion of Surplus Funds of the, per Edward Wells, Esq. 500 Phillips, William, Esq., per Thomas Chapman, Esq., F.E.S., additional . 100 0 0 Portobello Juvenile Life-boat Society, per Mr. John Falton, additional . 4 18 5 Rodmell Church, Lewes, Offertory at, per Her. P. de Patron .... 1 14 0 T. W. D., per Messrs. Willis and Co. 1,000 0 0 Thurlow, Master Thomas, Collected by, per J. Thurlow, Esq., additional 500 ThrapstoB, Proceeds of an Amateur Concert at, per Samuel Eady, Esq.. HI 0 0 "Two Sisters" . 70 0 0 X. Y. Z., in aid of the support of the "Duff" Life-boat at Great Tar- mouth, additional 50 0 0 The Committee regret to have to record j the deaths of several valued friends of the | Institution daring the past year, and they would particularly refer to the MABQOTS OF ] WESTMINSTER, K.6., the EAKL OF DERBY, E.G., and especially to their late valued colieagues Sir WM. BOWLES, K.C.B., Ad-mira! of the Fleet, who was from its the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT IHSTITOTKE*. j per €f. Coieman, Esq. .... 10 i 6 Amongst the contributions received since the publication of the last Report, the fol- lowing are recorded;— £. s. d.

Asia, Ship, of Glasgow, Crew of the, per Captain Webster 7 I 10 "Benjamin," per Charles Few, Esq. 100 t! 0 Birkbeok, Edward, Esq., Y.P., ad- ditional 52100 Bombay Shipmasters* Association, per Captain John Boag ..... 12 00 Boys, the late Thomas, Esq., of Bright- on, Trustees of the Estate of, addi- tional Donation 250 0 0 Bradford-ou-Avon, Proceeds of an En- tertainment at, per Mr. C. W. B.

Bryant 1 17 6 Bristol Mercantile Marine Office, Col- lected in the, per Captain Thomas Smith, additional ...... 40 0 0 Sritat, B M.S.S., Collected OB board the, per Lieut, G. B. Vyvyan, B.K .H., additional ........ 45 10 0 Christ's Hospital, Boys at, per Key.

6. C. Bell 110 Church Lawford, Collected after the Harvest Thanksgiving Service at that Church, per the Key. 0. Wau- ehope 106 Civil Service Life-boat Fund, per J.

A. Dow, Esq., additional ... 59 19 9 Collected after a Sermon preached in the Encampment of the Third Ad- ministrative Battalion, Lancashire Rifle Tolanteers, per Lieut-Col. Hargreaves, additional .... 21 3 1 Collinson, Miss M. L., 10i, and Miss M. A. Dillon, 11., "In grateful re- membrance of their merciful pre- : servation from imminent dangers by sea in 1862" 11 0 0 Cordwainers, Worshipful Company of, per H. D. Francis, Esq first establishment a firm and liberal sup- i porter of the Institution, and to ALEXANDER BOETEFETTR, Esq., one of its largest bene- | factors.

Legacies have been bequeathed to the In- stitution during the past twelve months by— s. d.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 £.

Miss E. S. Kemp, City Road . . 100 Mrs. Mary Ann Brodie, Harley-st.. 100 Thomas Brown, Esq., Ludgate Hill 500 Miss Lucretia Tuckett, Osnaburgh-st. ICO James Sturm, Esq., High Holborn . 500 William Mooney, Esq., Dublin . . 10 John Bewley, Esq., Kingsland-road 300 Samuel Scott, Esq., Cavendish-sq. . 1,000 Mrs. M. E. Clark, Addison-road, 500 50 400 25 200 110 100 100 50 200 Kensington Capt. William Julian, Aberystwith.

Dr. Mackie, Greenock ....

Miss S. C. Cbilders, Doncaster . .

Admiral Sir William Bowles, K.C.B. (reversionary) William M'Alley, Esq., Stirling, N.B.

Mrs. Eliza Doncaster, Winthorpe, Nottingham Miss Mary Ann Horton, Highbury.

Miss Frances Parnell, Warminster (reversionary) William Sinclair, Esq., Sowerby, York G. H. Stephenson, Esq., Ripon, 0 0 Possible Share of Residue . . .

Mrs. Harriot Richardson, Greenwich 2,000 Miss Charlotte Martin, Lowestoft 10 0 0 (reversionary) R. Brown, Esq., per Newcastle, Tyne- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 mouth, and Cullercoats Branch . 100 Benjamin Noton, Esq., Chichester . 20 Robert Fox, Esq., Falconhurst, Kent 100 Alexander Boetefeur, Esq., Moscow- road, Bayswater (reversionary) . 10,000 Mrs. Mary Ann Walker, Onslow-sq. 600 Arthur Berry, Esq., Liverpool . . 100 Stanton Meyrick, Esq., Brompton 0 0 0 0 (reversionary) 600 Mr. John Hardy, King's Lynn . . 10 d.

0 0 0 £.

25 500 500 Mrs. Mary Roffey, Gordon-square .

Miss Mary Walker, Coates . . .

John Legrew, Esq., Horsham Jewer Henry Jewer, Esq., Finchley New Road 10 10 0 R. W. Simonds, Esq., Winchester, annual subscription until his Son is twenty-one 110 Miss Mary Anne Wood, Bath . . 100 0 0 During the past year 13,469Z. 7s. lc/.

were expended on additional Life-boats, transporting-carriages, boat-houses, and ne- cessary gear; 6.809/. 2s. Od on the ex- penses of repairs, painting, refitting, &c.; and 7,123L 9s. 3d. in rewards for services to shipwrecked crews, coxswains' salaries, and quarterly practice of the Life-boats' crews; making altogether, including lia- bilities amounting to 4,089Z. 12s. Wd. for Life-boat Stations now in course of forma- tion, and other expenses, a total of 34.303/.

Os. 9d.

The items of receipt and expenditure are detailed in the financial statement annexed to this Report, audited by Mr. BEGBIE, public accountant.

Again, the Committee would remind the friends of the Institution of the noble life- saving fleet of 220 Life-boats which it has now under its charge, requiring as it does constant supervision to accomplish success- ful its great mission, and needing accord- ingly the continued sympathy and support of the public. The Committee confidently believe that this support will not be with- held from them so long as they are enabled to give a satisfactory account of their stewardship.