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him, during the later years of his life, they were 

 led to place entire reliance upon his judgment and 

 to adopt any suggestion that he might make. As 

 an example of faithful performance of duties volun- 

 tarily assumed and of active, yet unobtrusive, be- 

 nevolence wisely dispensed, the name of Edward 

 Hill stands pre-eminent among the many noble char- 

 acters whose presence have graced and whose deeds 

 have benefited humanity in general and the St. 

 George's Society in particular. 



R. J. CORTIS. 



Mr. Richard J. Cortis, the twenty-fourth Presi- 

 dent of the Society, was born in Hull, in the County 

 of Yorkshire, England, on March 7th, 1824. He 

 came to this city in January, 1855, where he has 

 since been successfully connected with the Liverpool 

 Lines of Steamers, and for thirteen years occupied 

 the responsible position of General Agent and Man- 

 ager for the White Star Line. 



Mr. Cortis, with others prominent in the work of 

 the Society, was largely instrumental, in the year 

 i860, in securing the passage of an Act of the Leg- 

 islature designed to put a stop to the operations of 

 swindling ticket agents in this city, who ruthlessly 

 robbed the ignorant and unwary passengers bound 

 for Europe from this port, and which Act completely 



