Exhibit 10(x)      
                                          


            Amendment to Employment Agreement of W. Marston Becker 
            ------------------------------------------------------
            
          THIS AMENDMENT ("Amendment"),  dated as of January 1, 1997,
amends the Employment Agreement, dated as of October 31, 1995 (the
"Agreement"), between Orion Capital Corporation, a Delaware corporation
(the "Company"), and W. Marston Becker ("Executive");

                             W I T N E S S E T H:

          The Agreement is amended as set forth below.
          1. Paragraph 6(b)(v) of the Agreement is amended in its entirety
to read as follows:
         "(v) pursuant to an election by the Company or by Executive under
          Section 6(a)(v) during the twelve month period following the month 
          in which a change in the effective voting control of the Company   
          shall have occurred, Executive (or his successors, representatives 
          or beneficiaries if Executive shall die or become incapacitated)   
          shall be entitled to receive his base salary (at the level in      
          effect on the giving of notice pursuant to Section 6(a)(v) for the 
          greater of (1) the remaining portion of the unexpired Term or (3)  
          three years after the date of such termination.  In addition,      
          Executive shall be entitled to receive a pro rata portion of such  
          bonus which would be payable to Executive, in respect of the year  
          in which notice shall have been given, if Executive had achieved   
          target performance for Executive's salary grade, as applied to     
          Executive's base salary on the date of the giving of notice by the 
          Company or Executive, as the case may be, plus such other          
          




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          benefits, if any, as may be provided to him or his successors,     
          representatives or beneficiaries under the terms of benefit,       
          incentive, option, stock award and other programs of the Company   
          in which he may be or have been a participant.

               IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment
as of the date hereinabove set forth.


                              ORION CAPITAL CORPORATION
                                                                            
                                                                           
                              By:
                                  /s/ Michael P. Maloney
                                  ---------------------------
                                   Michael P. Maloney
                                   Senior Vice President                    
                                                                            
                                                              
                                   EXECUTIVE

                                                                            
                                                                         
                                  /s/ W. Marston Becker
                                  -----------------------------------
                                  W. Marston Becker    
                                  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
                                   

                                   



         
















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