The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-02 00:00:00

THE LAW OF PRTALOGENMTRE.

" L." has a letter in the Times, honoured with
large type, on the law of primogeniture. " L."
points out how loosely this subject is discussed by
politicians who profess to attach importance to it.
For instance, Mr. Dixon, M.P. for Birmingham,
declared that among the first objects of the new
Legislature would be to "abolish primogeniture,"
which means, grammatically, abolishing the pro-
creation of eldest sons, and, practically, the abolition
of children altogether. Even if we substitute for
this expression " the law of primogeniture," we are
still far from exactness. There is no such law, i.e.,
no general:law enactingthe descent of landed property
to the eldest son. :The law permits such descent, and
there are two cases in which it does something more—
in that whereby it is provided that the land of a man
dying intestate shall descend to his eldest son, and in
the ease of the law whereby entail is limited to a life
in being and twenty-one years afterwards. The second
is rather a restricting law than otherwise, since
it is only recently that the right of imlirnited entail
existed in Scotland. The first is that which Mr.
Locke King and the Radical party wish to abolish.
"L." does not believe that if they succeed they will
effect much practically. The first result would be
an enormous reduction in the number of intestacies.
But the principle of Mr. King's bill " L." believes to
be thoroughly unjust. A law ought to represent not
an ideal state • of things, but a condition which the
people themselves wish to establish. "L." thinks
there can be no doubt but that the people generally
prefer the present arrangement, and this is proved
by the fact that directly a man becomes possessed of
1,000 or even 100 acres of land he "makes an eldest
son." The truth is, this crusade against the law of
primogeniture is only a portion of the Radical cam-
paign. The ultimate object of the Radical party is a
pure democracy. They mean to abolish the House
of Lords, the Established Church, the unpaid magis-
tracy ; and if they think that they can Continue to
maintain the Crown they are very foolish. Already
they complain of the only overt act of Mr.
Gladstone"s—zthe constitution of his Cabinet--
as not democratic, enough. "L." thinks that this
discontent " may perhaps point to a serious diver-
gence of principle, and chew that Mr. Gladstone is
not the democrat or revolutionist which he is in so
many fond and so many terrified imaginations." "L."
goes on to say : "My belief is that the aristocratic
feeling in this country is still one of.. the strongest
things in it. As long as it is so, mighty little will
be done by such file-nibbling or tinkering over law
of entail,- of •which, were that feeling to change, the
force would be imperceptible."

INSURANCE OFFICES. I
It is stated
_that the income_ eleVen insult&
offices is over £13,700,000, that the invested funds
in 110 arc nearly L 87,000,000, and that the 4unls
assured in 107 offices are over .-C338,000,000, or a
little less than half of the national debt. There are six
offices which decline to make any return to parliament:
the London Assurance, the Royal Exchange, the Sun,
the United Kent, the Nottinghamshire and Derby-
shire, and the Royal Farmers.' Eight others have
neglected' to: make any return during:the last few
years. The Government Registry costs £2,000 a
year, and has published once during twelve years the
accounts of twenty-six offices doing business, 3s. 2d.
being charged for each copy. Rather a costly
department this, considering that a private publisher
brings out a register every quarter at the price
of id.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)

The Java arrived yesterday at Queenstown with
intelligence from New York to the 23d December
as follows :—Mr. Sumner has presented to the
Senate a' memorial asking that the word << white"
be struck out of the naturalization laws. A special
Congressional Committee has arrived in New York
to investigate the alleged election fraud. The
Arkansas refugees allege that the State Militia
pamper the negroes and murder and plunder the
whites. General Upham, Commanding the
Militia, asserta that the Militia only enforce
the laws, and quell rebellious demonstrations.
Martial law continues in several counties: Mr.
M'Culloch has instructed the Collector of New Or-
leans not to 'seize or detain Peruvian ironclads, as
their transfer to the Peruvian flag had been properly
made. Mr. Raasloff, the Danish Minister of War,
has arrived at Washington, and has been cordially
received. The Governor of British Columbia has
announced to the Legislature that the confederation
project will be held in abeyance pending the set-
tlement of the Hudson's Bay question. The Cana-
dian Assembly has adjourned until the 6th. of Ja
nuary. The Toronto Court of Queen's Bench has
refused to grant Whelan a new trial. Anti-Con-
federation leagues are being organized in Nova
Scotia. General La Tree .and General Esping, with
Spanish reinforcemenis. have arrived at Havana.

It is reported that Mr. Caleb Cushing has Jeft for
New Granada to negotiate on behalf of the United
States GoverUment for a grant of the right of way
for the purpose of making an interoceanic canal.
General Grant has sent two members of the staff
to investigate the late disturbances in Louisiana and
Arkansas. From Alexico the news is that President
Juarez has vetoed the bill permitting the free ex-
portation of Mexican ores. The news from Cuba
is that the Spanish troops arriving at Havana are
immediately despatched to insurrectionary dis-
tricts.

We are happy to say • that the Columbia has
safely arrived at Queenstown with her hundred
cabin and siecrage passengers, wbom she forwarded
to their- destination. She bad a full cargo o
merchandise, none of which appears to be in-
jured, 'tior was any discharged while under-
going th'e necessary repairs on the bank oppo-
site Spike Island. These were so promptly executed

that the vessel proceeded to her destination on Wed-
nesdays 'or' Thursday. A very high testimony is
borne to the conduct of Captain Carnaghau as the
same accident happened to the Columbia as to the
Hibernia, and probably in the same gale. The im-
mense strength of the vessel resisted the heavy
blows struck upon her stern by the propeller. The
captain seems to have been more favoured by the
woittlicrila the delicate operation by which the three.