The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-30 00:00:00

The Alabama and the Kearsage.

The France publishes the subjoined correspon,
deuce :--

"The captain of the Kearsage has just addressed the fol-
lowing letter to M. Buntils, commercial agent of the Ala-
bama. claiming as his prisoners the persons belonging to
the latter vessel who were saved by pilot boats, The appli,
cation raises a question of international law which would
not be one according to the principles adopted in Franco.
A prisoner of war who escapes and succeeds in touching the
French soil is undoubtedly free ; neither can a foreign vessel
of war have prisoners on board when she is in French waters.
But it appears that the Washington Cabinet does not admit
those principles ; at least that would seem to be the case
from the letter of the captain of the Kearsage. The reply
made to him appears to us to be decisive. The following
are the letters which have been exchanged on the subject.
The first is that addressed to M. Bonfils

" 'United States Steamship Kaarsage, Cherbourg,
June 21.

" Sir,—Certain pilot boats which out of humanity I
allowed to save several prisoners when the Alabama sank
carried them to Cherbourg. Those officers and seamen are
not the less subject to the obligations imposed by the laws
of war ; they are ray prisoners, and I demand that they
should be sent as such on board the Kearaage. In case they
should endeavour to escape those obligations under favour
of the means which have been employed, they must not in
any similar case expect mercy.—l am, Zoe.,

" J. A. WrNsLow.'

The following reply was sent :

" Sir,--I have received your letter of 21st; the object of
your claim is one of those over which I can exercise no con-
trol, and I must observe that your application ought to
have been addressed to the French Government, with whom
those unfortunate men have found refuge. lam not aware
of any law of war which world prevent a soldier from
escaping from a field of battle after defeat, even should he
have been already made prisoner; and I do not see why a
sailor ph, uld not be able to do the same by swimming. I
must refuse to act as your intermediary with certain persons
whom you do not even name, and whom you nevertheless
claim as being your prisoners. Neither can I comprehend
how the United States authorities can pretend to retain
prisoners within the limits of the French Empire—l am,
&c., " BoNrim,' "

ABOLITION OF TURNPIKES.—Toaday, at noon, the
new Act 26 and 27 Vic., cap. 78, came into opera-
tion, and London has been relieved from an intolerable
nuisance iu the shape of the toll •bars which arrested the
traveller in whatever direction he might happen to be going.
For some years past Mr. J. E. Bradfield, the Parliamentary
agent, assisted by many of the large firms engaged in com-
merce, has directed his artillery against those ugly struc-
tures, and at last they have laden before the heavy firing.
The Act, at one fell sweep, abolishes 81 gates and bars. These
comprise those of NV alham-green and Earls-court, and all
gates and side-bars in the Fulham district; Hammersmith,
Notting-hill, and all side-bars in Kensington and Hammer-
smith; Harrow-road, Kilburn, and all gates and side-bars;
King's-road gate, Camden Town; High-street, Chalk
Farm; Haverstock-hill gate, and all gates and side-bars
in the Camden Town district; Brecknock gate, and all
gates and side-bars in the Camden•road ; the gate in
Kentish Town-road, and all gates and side bars near and at
Gloucester-place; Holloway-road, Balls Pond, and all
gates and side-bars in that district ; Kingsland-road, Cam.
bridge Heath, Hackney, and all gates and side-bars in
Hackney, Clapton, and Stoke Newington; and all
gates and bars in Twickenham and Teddington ;
the City-road, and all gates and side-bars. Under the Act a
great reduction of tolls will take place in the several dis-
tricts of Hounslow, Brentford, Ealing, Uxbridge, Harrow,
Edgeware, Tottenham, Enfield, Edmonton, Lea Bridge-
road, and other places. The attention of Mr Bradfield and
the abolitionists is now directed to the toll gates on the
Surrey side, and they are in communicationhawanrielhettnTe.aunGrd:
Grey, the Home Secretary, on the subject. Sam.e.o.l these
tells, especially in Itotherhithe, Bermondsey,
rounding districts, are of a most vexatious c
are a great impediment to the operations of the large firms
carrying on business there.
For some time past Mr. H. P. Chandler, of
Berners-street, has called the attention of the medi-
cal faculty, and such portion of the public as it may concern,
to his improvements in surgical appliances for the treat-
ment of spinal and other deformities. Mr. Chandler has
for some years devoted his entire study to this most im-
portant branch of surgery, anal if we may judge from the
testimonials from the most eminent of the faculty, as also
from patients who have been treated on his plan, hie
labours have not been in vain. No disease is more
afflicting than bodily distortion, and from the vast
number of deformed persons to be met with, it is
evident that this important matter has been much neglected
both by parents and the faculty, doubtless from the ineffi-
c'eLoY of the surgical appliances and the complicated cha-
racter of the iron instruments which were in use until the
past few years to remedy such bodily deformities, far which
Mr Chandler's scientific and anatomical appliances are
specially designed sad so successfully applied. The chest
expanding brace is an excellent invention, and is designed
to correct stooping habits, applicable to both sexes from the
most tender age, and is recommended to all who would
acquire a ccrrcot carriage and a graceful figure.

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