The reductions in expenditure proposed at the last annual meeting have been carried into effect, and the Directors anticipated the pleasure of announcing a proportionate lessening of their liabilities, but on account of several of the country Associations not having forwarded their usual remittances until after the completion of the balance-sheet, they are prevented from doing so. Yet, the balance now in hand is considerably larger than that announced by the Treasurer at the audit of the accounts, and this will be immediately appropriated to the liquidation of the outstanding debt. The Directors have to lament the removal by death of two of their old and attached friends, the late Rev. W. Hordle, of Harwich; and Miss Parminter, of Exmouth; who have manifested their lively interest in the welfare of the Society by each of them bequeathing a legacy of £100 to its funds. One of these payments has been already received, and the other will be made in the course of a few weeks. It has been the intention of the Directors to make a vigorous effort to enlarge the number of annual subscribers to the funds of the Society, and they have for this purpose engaged the services of a gentleman, in every way qualified for the undertaking, to canvass the metropolitan district. They have thought it desirable, however, to delay the commencement of his operations until the College Committee were prepared with a definite plan relative to that undertaking, which might at the same time be circulated. This has been matured, and measures will immediately be adopted for carrying it into effect. PROPOSED OPERATIONS. The Directors feel persuaded that the friends of the Society and the Christian public will fully sympathise with them, when they state their conviction that more ought to be done to raise the moral, intellectual and social character of the mercantile navy of this commercial country, than has yet been accomplished. Under the conviction of this solemn obligation, they are prepared, if adequately sustained, to undertake and prosecute various plans, the results of which, they confidently anticipate, would not only place this Institution in a position of commanding influence, equal to the magnitude and value of the objects it aims to accomplish, but secure incalculable moral and religious benefits to a very numerous and long neglected class of our fellow-men. 1. One important desire they are solicitous should be immediately realised, is to increase the number of efficient agents. The number of missionaries is wholly inadequate to the 300,000 sailors belonging to the mercantile service; and to the peculiarly emphatic claims which every one of this large number of our fellow-men has upon our immediate and unwearied efforts. To enable them to make these efforts, the Directors intend to urge, by means of the press, sermons, public meetings, and personal appeals, directed to persons of all ranks and denominations, the claims of the Society; and they hope to be able to report that every principal town and district in the kingdom, not at present enlisted in our support, will shortly be visited, and brought into active cooperation. 2. Another plan relates to the issue of publications specially adapted to interest seamen and the public. The power of the press is all-important for every class, and for none more so than for seamen. The value of suitable books at sea can scarcely be overrated. The Directors believe that such books, in order to secure all the purposes designed, must be original productions, and embrace a class of subjects not yet taken up, but which have only to be prepared in a suitable form, and sold at a cheap price, and they would prove selfsustaining; while the direct influence they would exert upon sailors themselves, and the deep sympathy they would enlist in the public on their behalf, would open out an enlarged sphere of commanding usefulness, and hasten on the period when the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto God. 3. A third proposition is the establishment of a Nautical College, in which every branch of science connected with the professional improvement of masters, mates, and others may be taught; and where certificates of character and merit may be obtained. This truly national object has engaged a very large share of anxious deliberation, the results of which are stated in the following Report of the College Committee : "Your Committee having frequently met to deliberate on the best means of executing the work intrusted to them, found it necessary, prior to making an appeal to the public for contributions, to agree on the plans of collegiate operation, to define the principles on which the College must be founded, to discuss important topics connected with its government, and to secure the co-operation of such gentlemen JUNE. N The reductions in expenditure proposed at th meeting have been carried into effect, and the cipated the pleasure of announcing a proporti their liabilities, but on account of several ciations not having forwarded their usual the completion of the balance-sheet, Yet, the balance now in E doing so. SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. efits to a very numerous and long med men. desire they are solicitous should be increase the number of effiment veionaries is wholly inadequate to the mereantile service; and ow every one of this large in for immediate and Kors, the than that announced by the Tr It has been th respect ne Directors to ustaining in respect of .uer them an additional means religious improvement of seamen. an is completed, by which this long put into operation, the Directors feel that in every other department are constantly imtaking, to ot wholly defeated, while, if such houses were at once rous effort to e funds of the services of it desira tions T plan i be Ther hed, they would prove of essential importance in consoli and enlarging the general usefulness of the Institution. Directors have thus presented an epitome of their urs during the year; and in so doing they cannot deny themselves the gratification of again urging the continued sympathy and enlarged efforts of Christian philanthropists on behalf of British seamen. They are the main arm of the national strength. But for them, commerce would cease; and, with its interruption, all our national institutions would be placed upon the eve of destruction. But even this, their relative importance, resolves itself into the one essentially vital question of character. Impart to this the moral elevation of which it is capable, and not only will commerce obtain a permanent and all-pervading security, through which it may be enlarged, preserved, and honoured-not only will British seamen become examples of self-respect, intelligence, and personal piety-but while, through their exertions, our country will continue to receive the products of all other lands, in the purity of their character we shall present to the world a living embodiment of the richer and imperishable blessings secured by the religion of the Son of God. ANNIVERSARY MEETING. Annual Meeting of the British and Foreign held on Tuesday evening, May 14th, at the very numerously and respectably attended. M.P., one of the Lords of the Admiralty, ety, occupied the place of the President, CIE, whose attendance was forbidden SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 137 to a very numerous and long neglected oy are solicitous should be the number of efficient wholly inadequate ile service; and f this large a and d the meeting with prayer, and gentlemen, I fear it will be a great not presided over by that noble lord (Earl st in the affairs of the Society, and who was is occasion. I know that no one can feel a greater es himself; and nothing but severe illness would have ending. At his request I have come to occupy his place, and ne great disappointment he feels at not being able to preside over I regret to say, that not being so well acquainted with the operations ciety as others, I shall not be able to say anything that can interest you this subject; but, in common with all who know the scope and object of this society, I could not but feel such a warm interest in it as to induce me at once to come, even at this short notice, although I am afraid that other business will prevent my remaining till the end of the proceedings. It seems that the object of your Society is to give spiritual instruction to a class of the community who, I think, are peculiarly in need of help of that description. The circumstances in which the seamen of our mercantile marine are placed are peculiarly unfavourable for that degree of spiritual instruction, and those means of spiritual improvement which other classes in the community possess. The fact of their being sent out upon the high seas, and at a distance from parish churches, and from schools, with little or no access to books, shows how few spiritual advantages they would possess but for the aid of this Society. With seamen, I believe, we must deal as with a class; they have their peculiar feel. ings and prejudices; and even when on shore, and away from sea-associations, they cling closely together. I have known cases in which they have felt that if they were to go into our ordinary places of worship, they would be going where they had no business--a --a feeling which is entirely removed when they go into a church filled with their own comrades and persons in the same occupation in life. I think there is no class of the community who, in this respect, more require assistance than the seamen ; and if so, this Society has strong claims amongst the many associations which are continually urging their claims upon us. Certainly, there are peculiar reasons why every Englishman should sympathise with sailors as a class-why no Briton should be indifferent to that profession which constitutes the peculiar pre-eminence of this country, which has given us our maritime superiority, given us the wealth that is so marvellously concentrated in this small island, and enabled our commerce to spread its ramifications over every part of the globe. (Cheers.) How much of the great destiny which Providence has intended this nation to fulfil may be owing to the fact of our maritime power? It is to the hardihood, to the energy, and to the zeal of our seamen that we are enabled, by English influence, to embrace every quarter of the globe-by which the name of England, its arts, its sciences, and its civilisation are known to almost every savage tribe throughout the world, and by which, also, missionary efforts have been so generally spread. Thus there is a peculiar reason why we should endeavour to leaven the seamen of England with a spirit of true Christianity. You can scarcely read an account of missionary efforts in which it does not appear that one of the drawbacks has been the very imperfect practice of Christianity among the seamen who come in contact with the natives. The natives are constantly comparing the practice which they see among the seamen who land of public eminence as would guarantee the expansive and catholic nature of the institution. The settlement of these objects, and the preparation of a prospectus, are all, therefore, that your Committee have been at present able to accomplish. Your Committee have been retarded considerably in making these requisite preparations by the accidental discussion of the proposition of her Majesty's Government to modify the laws affecting the maritime service, and to make obligatory higher degrees of educational attainment among seamen. And your Committee are confident that the result of any such measures must be favourable to the progress of maritime education." 4. Another equally important object, which the Directors are most anxious to secure, is to establish one or more model lodginghouses. They will immediately enter upon inquiries as to the best and easiest means by which to open places where seamen can obtain all the comforts of a well-regulated home; and where they will be secured from the injuries they now suffer, both in respect of morals and property. It will be the object of the Directors to make these model lodging-houses self-sustaining in respect of expense, and at the same time render them an additional means of promoting the social and religious improvement of seamen. Until some efficient plan is completed, by which this long required effort is put into operation, the Directors feel that their labours in every other department are constantly impaired, if not wholly defeated, while, if such houses were at once established, they would prove of essential importance in consolidating and enlarging the general usefulness of the Institution. The Directors have thus presented an epitome of their labours during the year; and in so doing they cannot deny themselves the gratification of again urging the continued sym-pathy and enlarged efforts of Christian philanthropists on behalf of British seamen. They are the main arm of the national strength. But for them, commerce would cease; and, with its interruption, all our national institutions would be placed upon the eve of destruction. But even this, their relative importance, resolves itself into the one essentially vital question of character. Impart to this the moral elevation of which it is capable, and not only will commerce obtain a permanent and all-pervading security, through which it may be enlarged, preserved, and honoured-not only will British seamen become examples of self-respect, intelligence, and personal piety-but while, through their exertions, our country will continue to receive the products of all other lands, in the purity of their character we shall present to the world a living embodiment of the richer and imperishable blessings secured by the religion of the Son of God. |