THE question may be asked, what hare the com- munities living incur large commercial centres, and the large inland towns of the United King- dom, in common with the work of the life-saving apparatus on the sea coast ? Why should they be appealed to for subscriptions to support a Society, even though, it inaybe National in cha- racter, whose operations are almost unknown to them, and who, if it •were not for the improved means of tra¥elling developed in the present day, would be utterly ignorant of the sea in all its aspects of calm and storm, and would there- fore fail to appreciate the great value of the services performed by the Life-boats of this Institution? Many excellent reasons may bo advanced in reply to saeh a mode of reasoning, for though the residents in the inland cities and towns may be ignorant of the perils and dangers of the sea to which the crews of the mercantile marine and the large fishing fleets are continually ex- posed, no hesitation is felt in appealing to their sympathies oa behalf of the Life-boat cause, which hag brought relief to go many thousands of men, employed not oaly in bringing to our country raw material, the luxuries of foreign lands, most of the necessaries of life, fish for our consumption, etc., but also in exporting the manufactured goods, the making of which has given employment to such numbers of the poorer classes, Week after week steamers laden with emi- grants may be seen leaving our shores for America and our distant colonies, and many of the wealthier classes, taking advantage of the luxuriously- fitted - up steamers built to make rapid passages, are constantly making trips to India and America; and, further, there are but few families who are not in a greater or less degree connected with the sea, either through a father, a brother, or a son, or even a friend whose business is on the great waters, and there is no knowing when any one of these may be in need of the services of the Life-boat.

W0F8 the Life-boats to receive support only from the communities who by force of circum- stances live on the sea-coast, the income would be altogether inadequate to meet the expenses of the Life-boat stations. Many of the sub- scribers to the local Life-boat funds have ceased to contribute since the introduction of the Plim- soll Shipping Act, which condemned wholesale the enormous class of sailing vessels engaged in the coasting trade in which they wore inter- ested. Large steamers now-a-days being built, and launched without intermission, have taken the place of such vessels, and persons owning shares in these may be found all over the king- dom, BO matter how remote may be the district in which they live, It is therefore n»t wonderful that in the year 1860 the attention of several influential gentle- men resident in Manchester should have been drawn to the vigorous efforts made by the NA- j TIOSAL LIFE-BOAT ISSTITCTIOJT in the direction 1 of saving life from shipwreck. Manchester, the first manufacturing city in the world, and second only in population to London, situated close to the important port of Liverpool, with its mag- nificent Town Hall, erected at & cost of above a million of money, its palatial warehouses, and wealthy merchants, many of whom have been i obliged to become shipowners to satisfy the j demands of their business, may be considered i directly interested in all eitbrts made to promote | the means of safety for those who minister to our I wants, and who are certainly particularly neces- j sary for tlie welfare of a city which has become I the one great cotton market of the world.

A public meeting having been called in aid of the philanthropic objects of the LIFE-BOAT j INSTITFHOS, was presided over by Mr. MAOKIK, i and resulted in the formation of an influential ! committee. By this means £250 was soon col- lected. It becoming necessary in 1861 to re- i organize the Branch, the Rev. E, HEWLETT, 1 Rector of 8t. Paul's, Brunswick Square, was ! appointed Hon. Secretary, ami Mr. ROOT. WHIT- j WOSTH, Treasurer, In the short space of twelve j months a sum sufficient to build four Life-boats | had been collected, mainly through the exertions of Mr. WHITWOBTH. The success of the Branch since that time has been great, seventeen Life- boats in all having been presented to tha Insti- tution, which have saved 729 lives.

In 1881 the Parent Committee decided to present a model Life-boat to the Corporation of Manchester, to be placed in the Town Hall, with a suitable tablet, as a recognition of the great and valuable support the Institution had received from that city. The time wag aiso considered a good opportunity for reconstituting the Branch, and giving the public a brief out- line of the work which had been done. The Hon. Secretary wag accordingly communicated with, and arrangements were at once made for the presentation ceremony, which took place at ' the Town Hali on January iilst, 1882, under | the presidency of the MAYOR, The BISHOP of MANCHESTER, who consented to becomePresideut of the Branch, Mr. GHABWICK, and oilier leading gentlemen, were present oa the occasion, and addressed the meeting, after which the Model "was presented to the Corporation, and accepted by the Mayor, and it may now be seen in the Town Hail.

The work of the Branch is still being carried forward with unabated activity, Mr. COKBBTT, jun., and Mr. S. L. HEM, having respectively joined Mr. HEWLETT and Mr. WIIITWOIWH ia performing the onerous duties of Hon. Secretary and Treasurer. It is earnestly hoped therefore that with so worthy an object, and with the help of the several gentlemen who compose the Committee, all well known in connection with, ! the charitable institutions abounding ia MaB- ! Chester, a more general and widespread com- I pensation may be looked for from this great city, j so closely allied to the mercantile and shipping 1 interests of the country..