IN the year 1824 was established, in the City of London, mainly through the benevolent and untiring exertions of the late Sir WM. HILLARY, Bart., Mr. THOMAS WILSON, M.P., and others, the "ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTION FOE THE PRESERVATION OF LIFE FROM SHIPWRECK." The objects of the Society were thus briefly but clearly defined by its title, and were intended to benefit all who, in war or in peace, were in danger from shipwrecks on the shores of the British Isles.

"With a very limited income at its disposal, the Institution pursued its career of usefulness for many years; and the community at large owe a deep debt of gratitude to the noble men who founded the Society, and who afterwards devoted their best energies to its management.

Matters continued in this state until the year 1851, when its Committee of Management renewed their exertions, and boldly undertook, with the aid of the British public, to establish and permanently maintain Life-boat Stations wherever they might be needed around the whole coasts of the British isles. And now, twenty-two years after the last- named period, the Institution finds that, with God's blessing and the liberal sup- port of that public to which it had confidently appealed, its task, so far as * This was in addition to the other rewards received by the crew, amounting altogether to about 4i. per man. the establishment of Life-boats on dangerous points of our coasts is concerned, approaches completion. It now possesses no less than two hundred and thirty-seven Life-boats; and at this moment its Man- aging Committee are unaware of any place where a Life-boat is needed, and a competent crew can be obtained to work it, which is unprovided. It is, nevertheless, ready to receive invitations from any part of the United Kingdom where, in the opinion of those locally resident, a Life-boat is required.

But it must be remembered that there are extensive lines of coast where, owing to the absence of trade, wrecks very rarely take place, and where, therefore, it would only be diverting money from more useful objects to establish Life-boats, whilst there are other localities at which, from the rocky or precipitous character of the shore, they could not be launched or hauled up in gales and heavy seas without certain destruction, or where there are no competent boatmen to work them.

The resources and energies of the Institution will no doubt, therefore, in future have to be chiefly, if not solely, devoted to maintaining in a state of complete efficiency and constant readiness for ser- vice the magnificent fleet of Life-boats which it now has under its management.

And it must also be remembered that Life-boats, and the various articles of their equipment, will wear out, and are con- stantly liable to injury, and that there- fore a large annual income* is absolutely needed to meet those contingencies, to reward the crews for their noble services, and pay the salaries of the coxswains of the boats and the permanent expense of the quarterly exercise of their crews.

Another source of expense likewise arises from encroachment of the sea, which in some localities washes away or injures slipways, roads cut through cliffs, and other approaches to the shore, thus cutting off the communication be- tween the Life-boats and the sea, and which therefore require from time to time * At least 20,0002. a year.

to be renewed or repaired, and occasion- | ally even necessitate the removal of the boat-houses to safer or more favourable positions.

Entering now on its jubilee, and, as it were, a new phase of its existence, a favourable standing point is arrived at whence to survey the past career of the Institution. As we said before, founded in 1824, the first phase embraced the time from that date until 1851. During that period, with a comparatively small annual income, it gave pecuniary rewards and gold and silver medals to boatmen and others for saving lives from shipwreck, and assisted local Life-boat Associations in the shape of donations, to enable them to pro- cure Life-boats and keep, them in repair.

In this manner it no doubt did its utmost towards effecting the object for which it was founded—the preservation of life from shipwreck—although its more active exertions towards effecting that object by the establishment and permanent supervision of Life-boat stations on the coast had not, from the want of means, then commenced.

The second phase, commencing in 1851,* may be said to have now terminated, or nearly so; and perhaps no human institution of modern times can show such a rapid development, or more splendid results. At its commencement, with some 8 or 10 comparatively inferior and ill-found Life-boats nominally in connection with it, at its conclusion with two hundred and thirty-seven va- luable and splendid boats, perfectly equipped, for the most part mounted on well-designed and admirably built car- riages for land-transport, and kept in solidly constructed and durable boat- houses, built according to the plans and specifications of a well-known London architect, and each establishment costing, on an average, 700Z.; with practised and willing crews, and local: committees of management, each with its honorary *

It should be mentioned that in 1855 the Institution changed its title somewhat, and became the " ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION FOR THE PRESERVATION OP LIFE FROM SHIPWRECK." 1

and hope in the future; the Managing British people.

secretary, and maintaining a constant communication with the central managing body in London. And above all, as a result, the preservation, on an average, of about six hundred lives annually.

And now, encouraged by the past, it enters on its third phase with confidence Committee firmly believing that so long as it can show that it is earnestly and efficiently carrying out the work it has undertaken, and to a large extent re- ducing the annual death-roll on our coasts, it will never fail to command and receive the confidence and support of the.