The Sun.
London, England, 1869-11-01 00:00:00

BELLIGERENT RIGHTS.

" W. S. L.," under which initials it is not difficult
to recognise Mr. W. S. Lindsay, formerly M.P. for
Southwark, contributes a very careful expression of
opinion to the old, but far from settled, controversy
touching belligerent rights. The Paris Congress in 1856
agreed upon three resolutions, to the effect that pri-
vateering was to be abolished, that a neutral flag covered
such of the enemy's goods as were not contraband of
war, and that neutral goods on their part were not
liable to capture if under an enemy's flag, unless they
were contraband of war. When the Con-
gress submitted its decisions to the United
States, the second and third were agreed
to; but the first—that privateers be abolished—was
rejected. It was argued on behalf of the
American Government that to put down the
capture of private property by individuals
who, under licence of their Government,
fitted out privateers, and leave the practice to be
still perpetuated by national ships of war, would be
only a simulated act of humanity and justice on the
part of the great naval Powers. The proposal was
the more unfair to the Americans as they
have been in the habit of doing much of their
warfare by private vessels. They offered to abolish
the capture of private property under any circum-
stances whatever—by privateers or regular men-of-
war—prowled such property be not contra bandof war.
Nothing was done in the way of accepting this offer.
Mr. Lindsay thinks that progress suggests some further
steps in this matter. Private property should be held
inviolable under any conditions. It ought not to be
irregular
vessels. to capture either by regular or
vessels.

INSURANCE COMPANIES.
A short time ago one insurance company wisely
,00k pains to allay public disquiet by adver-
ising all the leading figures of its business
—the amount of insurances, annual income,
and a detailed statement of the accumulated funds.
Several companies have since followed the example,
whilst, as a further improvement, others have sent
circulars to their policy-holders and members, con-
taining both these particulars and other information.
The Economist, in addition, recommends a spe-
cial reference to some eminent actuaries, with
instructions to make the fullest investigation.
"More than this, looking to the diffbrences of opinion
among actuaries as to the method of investigation,
they should be required to explain the principles they
act upon, and say whether these are the ordinary
principles or departures from them. This would be
the next best to compulsory Government inspection,
and would even be as good i the practice became
general, so that companies which avoided special in-
vestigations would become unable to do business."

HORSEFLESH FOR CRIMINALS.
A. fine idea has been started by a correspondent of
Land and Water. The question is often asked
whether we do not keep our criminals too well;
whether when people have to choose between the
workhouse and the gaol, they do not usually pro-
nounce for the latter. Why not, asks this correspon-
dent, feed criminals on horseflesh ? It is whole-
some and it is cheap, for though it might
be difficult to supply the whole population
with dead horse there will be plenty for gaol-birds.
Moreover, the change would -be an excellent social
expedient ; for good food as horseflesh is, the poor will
starve rather than eat it

I am certain that many of the criminals now filling our
gaols would bo iudustriously at work earning their bread
by the sweat of their brow, had they thought or suspected
that the allowance of animal food supplied in prison was
horseflesh. Be assured these fellows who would garret you,
murder your wires and children, or commit the most
fearful crimes, would shudder at the thought of dining upon
hcrsefiesh. \o! they or most of them would die of starva-
tion rather than he reduced to this dreadful necessity.

is it quite certain, however, that this result woula
? Considering the quantity of diseased cow
non, consumed by an .untortunate public, we may all
take to horSeflesh presently as the only refuge.
NAMES FOIL LOCOMOTIVES,

The taste of -"railway authorities in the selection of
titles for their locomotives seems to be entirely of the
" savage " kind. The names of monsters, furies,
fates, heathen deities, wild beasts, and burning
mountains supply almost the whole nomenclature
of railway engines. Of two hundred locomotives on
the South-Western line, only one is baptised after an
engineer—Locke ; and only one after a British
warrior—Havelock. There is a Tiger, a Leopard, a
Panther; a Fireking, Firefly, and Wildfire ; an Acheron,
Railway. News protests against
a Plutus, and a Charon ; a Stromboli, Heels,
Vesuvius, &c. The
these unnerving and disquieting designations. Goths,
Huns, and Vandals, are unpleasant associations.
The name of Milton would look at least equally as
well as " Rhinoceros. on one of our locomotives.
Passengers would travel equally as safely and quite
as comfortably if they knew they were drawn by a
" Wellington' as by a " Serpent." Why should the
lives and safety of the public be entrusted to such a
i
monster as " Herod " n preference to a statesman like
Peel or a public benefactor like Cobden ? The rivers
of our country are very good names, and yet they have
not been generally adopted.
TRANSIT AND COIIIITJNICATION.

The Anglo-American Company has recovered
the cable of 1800, which was broken about
forty miles from the Irish coast. The flaw
arose from some foreign substance having pierced
the covering during the process of manufac-
ture or in its submergence, and thus affected the in-
sulation of the conducting wire.—The Railway News
understands that influential parties are engaged in
promoting the establishment of a new line of commu-
nication, for the Australian trade, between Milford
Haven and a North Atlantic port, vid the Union
Pacific Railway to San Francisco, and thence by a
new line of steamers to Australia, China, and India.
The Great Western Railway will actively aid in
promoting this traffic.