tence designed for the
benefit of railway _employes_, and may be said to represent
every line in the United Kingdom. It consists of forty-eight
districts at the present time, situated at the principal railway
stations throughout the country, from London to Inverness. In
addition to the usual advantages offered by friendly
societies--the ordinary sick and death benefits--this society
possesses two special features adapted to the requirements of
railway guards, who are exposed to very great risks from
accidents. These objects are: 1st, a liberal provision for life
for all those members who may become permanently disabled,
either from injuries or constitutional causes; 2nd, annuities
for the widows and orphans of deceased members. Other
institutions, if they attempt to provide these exceptional
benefits, only do so to a limited extent, and the members to
whom they are granted are elected as vacancies occur; but the
policy of this society has always been to provide these great
blessings for all who are so unfortunate as to require them;
and, notwithstanding that statistics show that guards run
greater risks than other classes of railway servants, the
contributions of the members themselves have been so largely
supplemented by the generous support accorded by the public
generally, that the society up to the present time has been able
to carry out this fundamental principle."

The greater portion of the speech of His Royal Highness consisted of
statistics of a most interesting kind, both as to the vast extent of
railway travelling, the number of trains, of passengers, of railway
_employes_, at that time numbering 357,650. All these statistics, as
obtained from the returns of the Board of Trade, and also the number of
persons killed or injured, especially those employed on the lines, were
presented with admirable clearness to the audience, and were heard with
great interest; but the statistics are not the same now, and are
therefore not here given. The Prince concluded with an earnest appeal
for help to the institution for which he pleaded. The appeal was
liberally responded to, the subscriptions amounting to L3383, including
a hundred guineas from the Royal Chairman, which has been his generous
custom at the close of most of the charitable meetings for objects which
have had the advantage of his support and advocacy.

It ought to be