THE Fortieth Anniversary of this excellent Society was held at the City Terminus Hotel on the 14th May, The EARL OF ABERDEEN, V.P., occupied the Chair on ' the occasion.

1 Amongst those present were— His Excellency the United States Minister ; Sir C. FARQUHAR SHAND, Chief Justice of Mauritius; the Hon. and Rev CARR GLYNN, Admiral Sir J. WALTER TARLETON, KC.B.; Captain the Hon.

FRANCIS MAUDE, R.N.; Captain VINCENT BUDD; Mr. T. R. WOODROW, R.N.; Mr.

J. K. WELCH, the Rev. E. MATTHEWS, several other gentlemen, and a number of ladies.

The CHAIRMAN, after a few introductory remarks commending the Society as a National Institution to the support of British public, and also from its cosmo- politan nature to the countenance and the support of the representatives of Foreign Governments, called upon the Secretary (Mr. EDWARD C. LEAN) to read the Report, which stated that although the Committee had much to be thankful for in having been enabled during the past year to relieve 11,032 shipwrecked persons, and the widows and orphans of those who perished, making a total of 285,814 thus assisted since the formation of the Society in 1839 ; still, the diminu- tion of the income by upwards of 3,0001.

had been a cause of great anxiety to them, as they had been compelled to draw on the funded property, the dividends from which are usually set apart for the pur- pose of giving small annual grants to widows with young children to support, or to those who are over 60 years of age, and the Committee trusted that the amount would not only be replaced, but added to this year.

Upwards of 50,000 sailors had shown their appreciation of the Society by volun- tarily subscribing a small sum annually.

One gold, nine silver medals, a handsome sextant, and 251. had been awarded for saving 51 lives on the high seas or abroad, under difficult and dangerous circum- stances. Various donations and subscrip- tions were thankfully acknowledged from HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN, and many others, and legacies announced or received during the past year were reported.

The Report concluded with an earnest appeal that prosperity would continue to attend the great and national work of the Society.

It was then unanimously adopted, and the claims of the Society advocated by several speakers.