The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-17 00:00:00

RULE OF THE ROAD FOR STEAMERS.

A letter has appeared in the Standard, signed
H. D. G., drawing attention to the written opinion
of Mr. J. A. 'W. Harper, Secretary to the Associa-
tion for the Protection of Commercial Interests,
Lloyd's, on this important subject. .The writer
states that Mr. Harper, in the course of his duty,
has had to investigate most of the cases of collision
which have occurred on our coasts for some time past,
and has consequently given these rules his deepest
consideration, and he now proposes by a set of dia-
grams, geometrically constructed, to demonstrate
both positions of safety, and danger, and they may
be summed up in this. Positions of safety are-1.
A green light on the starboard side. 2. A red light
on the port side. 3. Either red or green right ahead.
4. Both side lights in any position but that of right
ahead. In all of which vessels may and should keep
their courses without risk of collision. Positions of
danger are-1. Both side lights right ahead. 2. A
red light on the starboard side. 3. A green light
on the port side. And of these, having the red
light four points or more on the starboard bow is
the one of the greatest danger. In all of these
three positions vessels are to port until they bring
their lights to correspond, bearing in mind that to
deal with the extreme case mentioned above, the
vessel having the other on her starboard side
is to stop. 'These are only intended to be gene-
ral rules, applicable under ordinary circum-
stances, as it is clear that in foggy or bad
weather a vessel may come suddenly on another,
when everything must depend upon the ability of
the officer in command. It is also suggested that if
it could be ascertained, many of the otherwise in-
explicable causes of collision would be attributable
to the very inferior lights used in all ships, whether
of the naval or mercantile marine. In many lamps
the ventilation is so imperfect that in two or three
hours the glass gets clouded with its own smoke,
the lamp has to be removed to be cleansed and
trimmed, very few lamps have the regulation arc of
ten points, or are of the brilliancy which
is of so
much importance.

IHE UNITED STALES AS REPRESENTED
IN IHE EXIIIBITION.

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The Commission are fortunate in the selection of
Professor Charles Joy, of Columbia College, as
permanent secretary. This gentleman, with his
large experience and practical knowledge, will be of
great service in the preparation of the practical
report. In connection with the hasty preparation
of the general catalogue our attention has been
called to the following correspondence which we
copy from the Pantheon :

" A Monsieur le Redacteur-en-Chef du Pantheon.
" Dear Sir,—l wish to call your attention to the
fact of your having forgotten, in your article
upon the French group, to mention the United
States. In spite of the enormous distance between
the two continents we have brought over and
erected in the Champs de Mars a schoolhouse, such
as there are, probably 50,000, in different parts of
our country. These schools are open, without dis-
tinction, to all children, whether whites or coloured ;
and a visit to the model schoolhouse in the Champ
de Mars will suffice to prove that no nation in the
world offers equal advantages with the United
States as regards liberal and popular education.
Trusting that you will rectify the errors I have
pointed out, I have the honour to remain, &c.,

"CHARLES B. NORTON,
" United States Commissioner."

While gladly accepting the communication which
Colonel Norton has bceu so obliging as to make to
us, we beg to assure him that the omission in ques-
tion did not arise from our fault. We copied the
table which we published from the official catalogue;
and the examination we have since made convinces
us that the name of the United States does not ap-
pear either in the nomenclature at the head of
group ten, or in the chapters devoted to foreign
countries.

We trust that the next edition of the catalogue
will repair this omission, but Col. Norton must feel
that we are not responsible for it. We were so fully
aware of the lead taken by the United States in popu-
lar education that we attributed the presumed omis-
sion of that country to the consciousness of its sure-
riority, as is proved by the last paragraph but one
of the observations we made upon the table of the
tenth group. _

Now that our attention has been drawn to the
school-house shown by the United States we shall
visit it with all the attention it deserves, convinced
that it will be, in many respects, worthy of praise.
CII. DELESCLUSE.

" Sanibo, whar did you suffer most in de war? "
" In (le-fmt, to be shua."
A waggiA journalist, who is often merry over
his personal plainness, tells this story of himself :
" I went to a drug store early the other day for a
dose of morphine for a sick friend. The night clerk
objected to giving it to me without a prescription,
evidently fearing that I intended suicide. Pshaw
said I, do I look like a man who would kill him-
self ? ' Gazing at mo steadily for a moment, he
replied—.' I don't know. Seems to me, if I lookel
like you, I should be greatly tempted to kill my-
self.' "

A farrier having facilities for renovating old furs,
advertised in a perfectly grammatical manner,
" Capes, victorines, made up for ladies, out 01
their own skins,"