THE president's ADDRESS. 129 



Now, in my mind, this question resolves itself into two dis- 

 tinct parts, first in its national, and, secondly, in its local bearing. 

 Now as to the first, I look upon it as a national necessity, and 

 therefore a responsibility which devolves on the Imperial 

 Government to see to, that Harbours of Eefuge are provided 

 along the coast of the United Kingdom wherever it is found 

 that by nature's omission such a length of dangerous coast 

 exists as to lead to avoidable loss of life and property. As an 

 example of what I mean, I would say that the present condition 

 of our North Coast of Cornwall, without a good and easily- 

 accessible harbour for large vessels from the Land's End to the 

 Bristol Eiver at King's Road, is one which should be remedied 

 as soon as it is practicable for any Government to do so, whether 

 by convict labour or otherwise. 



But independent of this national view of the question, there 

 is the second or local bearing : and by this I mean that, in my 

 opinion, very great good is to be done by some well expended 

 thousands (whereas it might be millions in the other case), in 

 promoting and subsidising and encouraging the local efforts, for 

 creating along our coasts smaller harbours for the protection of 

 the lives and property of our hardy fishermen, and our small 

 trading craft. The more thought we give to this particular 

 question, and the more we hear of it, the more convinced we must, 

 I think, become of how much good can be done in this direction 

 by, say, even a few well-spent hundreds of thousands, which 

 have been often, and might be so easily again, wasted in some 

 ill-advised warlike expedition of our soldiers and sailors. lu the 

 one case lives may be expected, with a certainty, to be saved, iu 

 the other, with an equal certainty, precious lives are jeojiardiscd 

 and sacrificed. 



I must guard myself, however, against being misunderstood 

 in this matter of harbours of refuge, and leaving a too sanguine 

 impression of government help. I do not think that this or any 

 other government would be ready to incur a large expenditure 

 of the nation's money on the evidence now before them, but I 

 look with hopes to such a report from the select committee 

 which has been now sitting, as may lead to the iippointiueut of 

 a Eoyal Commission to proceed ax'ound our coasts and report on 

 the most urgent and desirable sites for harbours of refuge, both 



