The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-25 00:00:00

THE RULE OF THE ROAD AT SEA.

Tne recent collision in the Irish Channel Las given rise to
an animated discussion respecting the rule of the road at sea,
and the frequency of these maritime disasters shows that
some definite understanding is needed. Admiral Sir John
Hay, M.P., one of tne naval Lords of the late Government,
discusses the 13th article of the international steering and
sailing rules, and states that it compels ships approaching
nearly end on even, when to starboard of each other, to turn
their bows at full speed to each other, so as to pass on each
other's left hand. Mr. Thomas Gray, of the Board of
Trade; declares this interpretation of the article in questson
to be altogether incorrect, and says that the Board of Trade
are anxious to prevent misapprehension by making the
exact wording of the article known. It runs as follows:
" If two steamships under steam aro meeting end on, of
nearly end on, so as to involve risk of collision, the helms
of both shall be put to port, so that each may pass on the
port side of the other." The regulations, of which this ar-
ticle forms a part, are contained in an Order in Council or
Jan. 9, 1863, promulgated in conse pence of an elaborate dis-
cussion between the Governments of France and England, the
Admiralty, the Trinity-house, and the Board of Trade. Owing
to misapprehensions on thepoint the discussion was afterwards
renewed, and all parties came to the conclusion that the mean-
ing of Article 13 was clear, and that the wording should not
be altered. To prevent any future mis•akes, however, an
Order in Council was passed on 00th J 1668, giving tome
fuller explanations of its meaning, and showing that it could
not apply to cases in which the two ships must pass clear of
each other if Loth keep on their respt ctive court es. So far
from the rule requiring ships " when tc the starboard of
each other to turn their bows at full speed to each other," as
Sir John hay states, Mr. Gray points out that the order, iu
express terms, provides that Article 13 dues not apply where
the green light of one ship is opposed to the g: e, n
light of the other. Rear-Admiral Sullivan also alludes
that Sir J. Hay has misinterpreted the rule of port value in
the new regulations. The old rules would, he thinks, have
been sufficient if the Admiralty Couit and Privy Council
decisions had not sometimes been mistaken. However clear
rules are, unless decisions of our courts of law are in ac-
cordance with them, they will never prevent collisions. The
Admiral thinks that the explanations issued in the order to
which we have just referred make the whole question so
clear that we may hope such errors will bo avoided in future,
but he is of opinion that in all such cases the views of
nautical assessors should be taken in preference to those of
civilians.

On Saturday last about 22,000 excursionists from
the manufacturing districts of Lancashire visited Liverpool.
The Countess of Derwentwater is still at Cor-
bridge. The Queen Las been petitioned in her behalf.
'The ship Bolingbroke, bound from Calcutta to
London with a valuable cargo, was totally wrecked off
Hooghly Point on tho 27th April. The ship Sarah Sands,
1,150 tons, bound from Liverpool to Bombay with coals, has
been wrecked at the Laccadives— crew saved.

An accident to a somnambulist is reported. Al
Framoie, Mr. Mandeville, a young Tipperary gentleman,
walked through a third-story window whilo in a ttate of
somnambulism, and was killed.

The fiftieth anniversary of her Majesty's birthday
was celebrated on Monday at Windsor with all the usual
demonstrations of loyalty. The mayor and corporation of
the Royal borough honoured the occasion by a great banquet
at the White Hart Tavern on Monday evening.

Corporal Peake, of the Ist Manchester Volunteers,
whose disappointment in the contest for the Queen's prize at
Wimbledon will bo recollected, carried off the Grand °hal-
lengo Cup of the County Association at Altcar on Saturday.
As at Wimbledon, the victor had to meet a protest, but on
this occasion with more success than lest year. The objec-
tion on Saturday was on the ground that Corporal Peako
had cut his cartridges, but it was overruled.
An extraordinary case of poisoning by misadven-
ture occurred on Monday in Liverpool. A man named Flan-
nery, a collector of herbs, rresclibed a ceitlin herb of his
collection to a woman as a remedy for rheumatism. She
took the medicine, and the man himself also partook of it.
The result was death to Flannery himself, and the jeopardis-
ing the life of the woman, who at a late hour on Sunday was
not out of danger. It is supposed that the herb partaken of
was of the hemlock family.

Air. R. 11. Knox, captain of the " Iriai Twenty,,,
writes from the War-office to several papers stating that he
has received so few applications from volunteers as candi-
dates to represent Ireland in the Internat!onal En-
field Match at Wimbh dun, ho fears it cannot be gene-
rally known that the nationality of the competitors is fixed,
according to the rules, by paternal descent, that is, by the
birthplace of their fathers. Mr. Knox hopes therefore that
volunteers, whose fathers were born in Ireland, will not any
longer hesitate to inform him of their qualifications to shoot
with the Enfield rifle, and also of what competitions they
have already been engaged in.

BETTING.—The Pall Mall Gazette gives some
advice to young men who are prone to betting :—" Like
the distemper, betting on what you know next to nothing
of is a disorder of puppyhood, which you may live through
or succumb to, as the case may be. Look at the hosts of
gentlemen, elderly or middle-aged, whose business, as it
chances, takes them to town or detains them there in the
end of May. They enjoy the racing and even the con-
comitant humours of the course and road nearly
as much as ever they did. But they never
hazard a shilling in a bet, and are rigidly
parsimonious even as to half-crowns in a sweep-
stakes. London was not so acci s,ible in their
younger days as now, but very likely thesa of them who
came up to it then used in their vanity to bore their
friends and burn their fingers just as their sons do now.
But although they know and care much more about
horse-flesh than they used to do—perhaps because they do
so—now they do not think it worth while to affect more
knowledge than they possess. We supposa it is in human
nature to prefer buying experience dear to borrowing it
of some one else for nothing ; but for our sakes as well as
theirs, we wish our young friends would economise their
own money and our pltier ci by leaving racing matters to
those whoAncluotattithem.