The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-05 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

EMERIGON ON INSURANCES. Translated

from the French, with an Introduction and Notes,
by S. Meredith, _Esq. Butte? worth.
Tnii is the most comprehensive, able, and interest-
ing work upon the important subjects of which it
treats that has ever come under our notice. The
legal treatises extant on the subject of marine and
maritime insurance are very meagre, and we think
the present book calculated to supply a defect which
must be deeply felt in a country like England, whose
trade and commerce are of world-wide extent." The
ancient city of Marseilles was the scene of the success-
ful labours of the amiable and gifted Frenchman,
Balthazar Marie Emerigon, whose great treatise has
been so admirably translated by Mr. Meredith.
Emerigon was born in 1716, at Aix, in Provence,
and after the usual course of study was admitted an
advocate in the Parlenient of Aix, where he very soon
showed promise of his future greatness. But it was
at Marseilles, then the great maritime power of sou-
thern France, that he attained the highest point of
eminence. Here it was that in the exercise of his
profession lie was frequently brought into contact
with subjects connected with maritime law, and seeing
how little on this subject was contained in any system
of jurisprudence then known, be determined to fix his
attention upon this one point. The result of this
determination has been the production of the great
work, known and recognised by the members of the
legal profession in the old world and the new. The
translator has introduced a biographical sketch of his
author, which will be read with deep interest by the
aspirant to legal or literary fame, and while doing
justice to the brilliancy of the advocate and orator,
he does not forget the worth and virtues of the man.
We can excuse this agreeable episode even in a legal
work, and the more readily when we reflect how very
seldom eminent genius is crowned with its merited
rewards, and how, when sometimes men of splendid in-
tellect reach high points of worldly glory, their success
cannot be always attributed, as in the case of Emeri-
gon, to the inflexible integrity of their lives, as much
as to the brilliancy of their genius. The book is
divided into seventeen chapters, comprising the fol-
lowing subjects :—Contract of Insurance—Form of
the Contract—The Premium—Persons capable of
being Parties to the Contract—Parties Contracting—
The Ship—The Captain—Things that may be In-
sured—Value, &c., of the Effects Insured—Proof that
the Subject insured has been placed at Risk—Mari-
time Risks—Time and Places of the Risk--Proof of
Loss—lnsurance made after Loss or Safe Arrival—
Return of Premium—Abandonment. There are
three other chapters of the French author which Mr.
Meredith has not translated, viz., those on Payment
of the Sums insured, on Prescription, and on Judg;
ments, which, though their omission does not leave
this work, as far as he has gone, either imperfect or
incomplete, it would,yet be desirable to see added in
the next edition, which we have little doubt will be
speedily called for.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
THE GRAND NATIONAL CONCERTS.

In our advertising columns will be found the pro-
spectus of the Executive Committee of the above con-
certs. A perusal of its contents will at once convince
our readers of the unprecedentedly vast scale upon
which those concerts are to be. conducted, and the
great and highly beneficial influence they are calcu-
lated to exercise upon the progress of native art and
the musical taste of the British public in general.
The committee is, we understand, composed of
noblemen and gentlemen, who, uninfluenced by sor-
did motives, have, in entering upon this colossal un-
dertaking, been animated solely by an honourable
desire to encourage art and artists, and to disseminate
a love for the works of the best masters.

Such persons are, in our opinion, the most fit to
direct so important a movement. Placed by their
resources and position above the state of complete
dependence upon popular patronage in which the
mere speculator must necessarily be placed, and
equally removed from all professional tracasseries
and intrigue, they can proceed with confidence and
consistency in their important administration.
The programme presents so formidable an array of
distinguished names, so much that is novel and inte-
resting, that we cannot attempt to follow it through
all its details. Most of the artists are established fa-
vourites with our London public, and, with the names
of those who have not yet been afforded opportuni-
ties for becoming so, Fame's trumpet bas already
made it familiar.

......
The following particulars, which we extract from
The Builder, relative to the alterations taking place
in the theatre, may prove interesting to our readers :
" Considerable changes are being made in the interior,
to fit it for a series of promenade concerts. All the
seats in the pit have been removed, and the partitions
in all the tiers of boxes, with the exception of the grand
tier. The promenade will remain on the level of the pit
floor, and have a flight of steps on each side up to the
level of the stage. .The otchestra, to hold ninety musi-
cians, will be partly on the stage, partly in the prome-
nade. All the machinery over the stage, &c., has b.en
rt-moved, to admit a tentlike covering, to, form a grand
saloon, which will be adorned with statues, &c. Mr.
Johnson is the architect, and Mr. Wint the builder em-
ployed."
To this wo will add that the works are in a state of
great forwardness,'end that no doubt whatever is -en-
tertained -of the theatre being opened on the evening
announced, viz., the 15th of this month.
We heartily wish the directors success in their ar-
duous and liberal undertaking.

COURT CIRCULAR.
BALMORAL, OCT. 3.

Her Majesty the Queen and his Royal Highness
Prince Albert remained yesterday at " the Hut,"
Loch Muick.

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, the
Princess Royal, Princess Alice, and Prince Alfred,
attended by Mr. Birch and din Hildyard, drove
over to Invercauld.

Meetings of the Metropolitan Local Commissioners
accompanied by Secretaries of the Local Committees,
took place yesterday with the Executive Committee
of the Exhibition of 1851. Colonel Reid, Mr. Cole,
Mr. Dilke, Colonel Lloyd, and Dr. Boyle were pre-
sent on the part of the Commission. The following
Local Commissioners assembled :
As representing Paper, Paperhangings, Bookbind-
ing, Leather, and Straw—Mr. R. Horne, Grace-
church-street; Mr. W. Haselden, Whitelands, Chel-
sea ; Mr. IV. Faxon, Hampstead ; Mr. S. M. Hu-
bert, Marylebone-lane ; Mr. G. H. Drew, secretary
of the Westminster Committee; Messrs. E. IV.
James and C. H. Hopwood, honorary secretaries to
the Finsbury Committee ; Mr. H. G. Bohn, York-
street; Alderman Sidney, M.P., Ley ton House,
Essex ; Mr. W. Hickson, Smithfield ; Mr. H. Vyse,
Wood-street ; Mr. A. Wilson, Queenhithe.
As representing Furniture, Metal Work, Glass,
and Pottery—Mr. W. Smee, Finsbury-pavement ;
Mr. J. Bettridge, Halkin-street Nest; Rev. S. R.
Cattley, secretary of the City Committee; Mr. J. G.
Grace, Wigmore-street ; Mr. T. B. Simpson, South-
wark ; Mr. Apsley Pellatt, Southwark ; Mr. C. Red-
path, Poplar ; Mr. W. De la Rue, Bunhill-row ; Mr.
W. J. Rogers, Carlisle-street; Mr. W. B. Simpson,
West Strand ; Mr.. W. Binn, Poplar ; Mr. E. Cole-
man, Poplar ; Mr. E. Cowper, King's College ; Mr.
C. Cowper, Southampton-buildings ; Mr. E. Sayer,
Clifford-street ; Mr. S. Gerraud, Penton-street ; Mr.
J. Evans, King William-street; Mr. H. Spicer,
Bridge-street.
As representing Raw Materials in the Mineral
Kingdom—J. Spurgin, M.D., Guildford•street ; Pro-.
fessor D. Ansted ; Professor Brande, Royal Mint ;
Mr. W. Freeman, Millbank-street ; Professor Gra-
ham, Gordon-square; Mr. H. Roper, Spital-square ;
Mr. J. Casey, Spital-square ; Mr. R. Hunt, Museum
of Practical Geology ; Mr. J. A. Phillips, Greenwich ;
Mr. J. J. Bunning, Guildhall ; Mr. W. Baker, Bat-
tersea; and Mr. C. Francis, South Lambeth.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has returned to
his seat, Hickleton Hall, Yorkshire.
Dispatches from the Lord High Commissioner of
the lonian Islands, and also from the Governor of
li Malta, were received yesterday at the Colonial-office.
Dispatches were sent off last evening from the Co-
lonial-office for the Governors of the North American
colonies.

if di

o) leer-
DEBE-STALKING. The exciting sport
stalking increases as the season draws to a close.
We
have
seen a number of beautifully antlered beadsaent in from the
forests lately, fit companions to the.trophies of former years.
Mr. Mackenzie and a friend have closed their sport at Tor-
ridon ; nine good deer have fallen to their rifles. At Inver-
broom, A. K.. George, Esq., and Mr. Blackburn, have shot
five; the last was shot by Mr. George on ' Ben-Darig on the
30th September, has a noble head of ten points. Mr.-
M GI.P., has shot five good-headed stags in Glenquoich. In
the Island of• Harris, Mr. Campbell, of Jura, has killed
forty-three deer, mostly stags. In the corries of Strathco-
non, Mr. Balfour shot five stags last week in four days—one
of them had 14 points ; two of 12, or royal ; one of 11; and one
of 10 points, all heavy deer, and the five counting 59 antlers.
One of the royal heads is•the finest of the season. The horns
are 334 inches long, 64 in thickness, and the brow antlers
6.i thick. At Ilalladale S. E. Colby, Esq., has shot several
good deer ; the last was a heavy stag of 25 stones clean, with
a handsome head of ten antlers, those at the brow double and
spreading in a half-circle. Mr. Ross of Cromarty killed a
stag. with a neat head ; and in the Forest of Inchnacardoch
E. Digby, Esq., shot a very heavy stag, with a splendid
• royal head. At Invetlail the Messrs. Pryor hare had ex-
cellent sport, having killed a stag on each day of stalking.
At Dunbeath John La Touche, Esq., shot a good stag and
hind last week. John M. li, Jones, Esq., and S. D. Pen-
roso, Esq., have killed 7 stags at Achintoun. At Corriemony
the Hon. Captain Gough got a stag with a neat head of
horns. From Leith Hall, Old Rain, we learn that partridge
shooting had afforded good sport, and that from 20 to 30
brace had been obtained per day. —lnverness Courier.
STRANGE DETECTION OF SMUGGLING.—On Friday
evening as the Enterprise steamer, which plies between
Rotterdam. Ipswich, and Yarmouth, was entering the latter
harbour, she ran against the pier, and carried away part
of the woodwork of the paddle-box, discovering to the asto-
nished Custom-house officers about 1601 b. of manufactured
tobacco dangling down among the paddle-work machinery,
in such a position as no mortal would have ever dared to
search. Bradley, the engineer; is now in custody, on the
charge.—Esses: Standard.