The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-06 00:00:00

AMALGAMATED ASSURANCE COMPANIES.

The Solicitors' Journal, which is not very well
satisfied with Vice-Chancellor James's judgment that
a society cannot transfer its liability to pay an
annuity by amalgamation, makes a noteworthy com-
ment on the influence which this judgment is
likely to have. Some assurance companies have
inserted in their deeds of settlement a clause
providing for a transfer of the business to
some other society upon a dissolution, and it
has been held repeatedly that those who insure with
a society must be taken as having notice of the terms
of its deed of settlement. If, therefore, any of the
societies absorbed by the Albert had such a proviso in
their deeds of settlement, it would appear that it
would be fatal to any claims now made upon them by
their original policy-holders. A decision to that
effect has, indeed, been given once by Lord Romilly.

THE NEW MERCHANT SHIPPING BILL.
Mr. Lindsay, formerly M.P. for Tynemouth and
Sunderland, is devoting his retirement to good pur-
pose. He has written two excellent letters upon
belligerent rights, and he has just finished the task
of reading through Mr. Bright's new Merchant
Shipping Bill—that fearful measure of 733 clauses
and a score of schedules. Mr. Lindsay's labour has
led him to the conclusion that the Act is on the
whole a good one, embodying many reforms. But one
great defect is palpable. It is a fault in the
working of the local shipping offices that
they are now far too much under the corn, el of the
Board of Trade, and the new bill seeks to increase
that power. For instance, by clause 110, any
appointments or arrangements made by " any local
Marine Board," may be annulled, altered, or rectified
as the Board of Trade may think expedient;
and, by clause 13G, that Board takes the "imme-
diate control" of the superintendents, depu-
ties, clerks, and servants of those Sailors'
Homes which have become mercantile marine
offices. " These are powers over matters of detail
which Parliament never meant to place in the hands
of Government, and I think the time has arrived for
the President of the Board of Trade to consider if he
could not, with advantage to himself and the public,
dispense with many of them. Why not leave, subject
to approval, all such appointments and dismissals in the
hands of the members of the local boards, who are either
nominated by the Government, or elected by the
votes of the shipowners ? Surely these gentlemen,
who occupy high positions in their respective localities,
are much more competent to judge of what is
necessary for the efficient working of the offices at the
ports where they reside than any stranger." Mr.
Lindsay thinks that the meddling of Government
in matters of detail has already gone too far. The
Board of Trade is extending its jurisdiction so much
that it will speedily be unable to manage itself, much
less the commercial affairs of a nation. Mr. Lindsay,
it should be added, has long been a great shipowner.

EMPLOYMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN IN
AGRICULTURE.

The Somersetshire Chamber of Agriculture
has taken a very significant step. It has
passed a resolution to the effect that no children
ought to be allowed to do field-work without a cer-
tificate of their ability to read and write. Coming
from an ordinary meeting, an M.P., or a writer, this
expression of opinion would be only in the due course
of things. But coming from a body of farmers and
landowners, it is full of meaning.