So clear was this right, that resisting it by force subjected the resisting vessel and her cargo to condemnation.

The ships of war or public vessels of neutrals were not, however, subject to this right.

Public law prescribed that neutral vessels must in time of war be subject to this inconvenience, and it was sometimes hardship, but oftentimes neutral carrying ships wilfully broke the law, and so were justly amenable io it.

He had read in an American history that the United States, between the years of 1803 and 1811, had lost no less than nine hundred ships taken as prizes, he supposed chiefly by Great Britain, and no doubt for running blockades or carrying contrabands, as the United States were then at peace.

Phillimore was next quoted (vol. iii. p. 320) to show the mode of summoning the neutral ship to undergo visitation, by the firing of a shot on the part of a belligerent.

Mr. Becher next spoke of the difference of opinion that had arisen between England and the United States on the subject of the right of search. Those connected with the slave trade had been settled by treaty.

The right which England, in the time of her great peril, had asserted as a belligerent to search all public and private vessels suspected of harbouring deserters from her army and navy, and which was said to have been one of the causes of the last American war, had been incidentally discussed in 1842 between Lord Ashburton and Mr. Webster, in the correspondence relating to the boundary line of Maine, but no conclusion, as to it, seemed arrived at.

Mr. Becher then concluded thus:-What I have now said was intended by me as bearing upon the general principles and outline of the subject I have selected, not as applying to any particular case; but I am sure there would be disappointment if I said nothing about the case of the Trent, which is now occupying so much public attention, and which may, though God forbid it, involve two great nations What is this case?

in war.

It is this: the Trent, a British mail steamer, protected from molestation by a treaty between England and the United States, carrying mails and passengers, as I understand it, between the ports of Havana and St. Thomas in the West Indies, both neutral ports, is stopped in the Great Bahama Channel by the United States ship San Jacinto, and two Americans (Southerners), Messrs. Slidell and Mason, two of her passengers, who were, without metaphor, under the protection of the British flag, are by force taken out of her. If we stop here this is enough for the law of the case. But then in a popular view it is made worse.

Captain Wilkes, of the San Jacinto, is lauded for taking these parties prisoners in a way that would make one suppose he had done an act of the most wonderful heroism, instead of (supposing he was right) a mere act of police. Why is this, and am I uncharitable in attributing it all to the fact that he took his prisoners by force out of NO. 2.-VOL. XXXI.

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a British ship? What I am saying on this subject is not for the purpose of creating excitement on the topic,-I would rather allay it. The matter is not in our hands, it is in those of British lawyers and statesmen, in whose wisdom, justice, deliberate judgment and patriotism we all have the fullest confidence.

We know they will exercise these qualities in dealing with it, and that the honour of Old England is safe in their hands.

Whatever the result may be,-God grant it may be peace! we shall abide by it. We owe allegiance by duty, and we give it with all our hearts to our Queen; to that glorious old country from which we all spring; that country which we know to be the noblest, the freest, the greatest on earth; to that country whose "flag has for a thousand years braved the battle and the breeze," upon whose dominion the sun never sets; and if war there must be, if those who ought to be our friends will be our enemies, Canada will rise as one man to take part in the struggle, and prove herself no unworthy portion of the British Empire.

We find the foregoing in a Toronto paper, being a mere sketch of the principal points of the lecture, one the reception of which was gratifying both to the lecturer and his hearers, according to the remarks made on it as it was delivered. The concluding observations have been since well justified by the organization of a force of 70,000 Canadian Volunteers, showing that Canada, as was observed, is true to the core as to her allegiance to the British Crown. The occasion, however, which gave rise to this demonstration is happily passed over; it was justified by that occasion which is now gone by, and happily that peace which has been enjoyed for many years is not to be disturbed, sit perpetua.

THE COMPETITIVE TRIAL OF CHRONOMETERS-at the Royal Observatory.

The annual trial of skill among the makers of chronometers commenced with the year 1821, continues as usual, having been attended by the results that were anticipated. It has been the means of gaining a thorough insight to the best practical construction of the chronometer, the evils to which its derangement is most to be attributed, and the best mode of guarding against them. In the early days of these trials, when the chronometer was scarce and its makers few, the reward for improvement was considerable in amount. When the best chronometer gained a price little short of a hundred pounds, even although its performance then was not equal (speaking generally) to what it is at present, the premium of £300 was considerable,--but perhaps not greater than was justified by the then condition of the

art along with its importance. In those days there were two prizes, one of £300 and another of £200. In eight years, or in 1829, these two sums were divided into three prizes,-one of £200, a second of £170, and a third of £130; the excellence then attained not being confined to one or two chronometers, but participated in so nearly as to render the chronometer that was only a tenth of a second perhaps short of the second premium, as good a chronometer for real service as its successful rival. But that a certain degree of perfection had been gained, or that it was not to be surpassed, was shown in a few years, and with the trial of 1835 the premiums were discontinued, but competition went on; the government required chronometers for the use of our navy, the annual trial at the Royal Observatory went on, and the higher the merit of a chronometer the higher was the price it obtained for its maker.

Still, although continuing to purchase chronometers on this principle of merit and fair competition, the distinction gained by the best chronometer is seen to be more deserving of an honorary character than it had hitherto gained. The merit of the chronometer in a good or bad trial was always acknowledged, but whether the good trial had found its winner, or whether that winner had surpassed those of former years, remained unknown. And looking on the subject in all its importance to the sciences, it seemed to be the part of the first maritime power of the day not only to keep alive the spirit of competition in the art, but to mark the successful efforts towards surpassing the perfection already attained in it by an honorary acknowledgment of that perfection in the offer of a corresponding price for the purchase of the chronometer which had gained it. Thus PROGRESS in the art would be indicated, while at the same time it would receive its reward -and not only this, but the state of the art for any year would be at once apparent by the prices awarded by the government in that year. This will at once be evident when it is considered that there will be four leading points for guidance. 1. That no honorary price has been gained. 2. That one honorary price only has been gained. 3. That the two honorary prices have been gained; and 4. That the differences in relative merit have been so small as to justify three honorary prices. Hence, besides the consideration that the first honorary price may be considerable on account of preeminent merit in any year, there are these steps to decide the character of the art in that year. It may be so low that no honorary price has been awarded; again, it may be an ordinary year in which one or two honorary prices have been given; or again, it may be an extraordinary year, in which the chronometers have gone so well as to claim three honorary prices. Thus progress in the art will be encouraged,-thus the persevering painstaking maker will be rewarded, and thus the public service will be benefited and the public served by the improvement of the art.

Under these considerations, the following notice has been sent to about 150 chronometer makers of the kingdom, including all who have desired to place their chronometers on the trial, and from which no chronometer maker is excluded. Thus the competitive trial is really

now again established by the annexed notice on a fair and liberal foundation of obtaining public favour by the actual merits of the chronometer which proves the best practical skill of its maker.

Notice to Chronometer Makers.

It is the intention of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty at the conclusion of each of the annual competitive trials of chronometers at the Royal Observatory, in future, to offer honorary prices for the two chronometers which may stand first in the order of merit, provided that their performance during the trial be not below the standard of merit established in former years. But as that standard of merit may not always be obtained by chronometers on trial, their lordships in such cases reserve to themselves the power of withholding the honorary prices for that trial; and in other cases of repeated excellence of the chronometers on trial, they may extend those prices to the three best. The prices offered on all occasions will be determined by the absolute merits of the chronometers.

2. Chronometers intended for the annual competitive trial which is always to commence in January and terminate about the following August of each year, will be received at the Royal Observatory on the first Monday of the year, or on any day of the preceding week, by the usual mode of letter from the hydrographer, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. But no chronometers will be received for the competitive trial later than that day on any account whatever.

3. Chronometer makers are at liberty to annex a price to their chronometers when placing them on the competitive trial.

We annex in conclusion the first purchases of chronometers made from the last three annual trials.

It thus appears that 1859 produced a superior chronometer to either 1860 or 1861, while the former of these had no chronometer of particular merit.

A NIGHT ON THE GOODWIN SANDS.

"Heaven have mercy on the poor fellows at sea!" Household words these in English homes, however far inland they may be said, and although near them the blue sea may have no better representative than a sedge-choked river or canal along which slow barges drag

on a lazy way. When the storm darkens the sky and fresh gales are abroad, seaward are the sympathies of English hearts, and the prayer is uttered with perhaps a special reference to some loved and absent sailor. It is those, however, who live on the sea coast, and watch the struggle going on in all its terrible reality,—now welcoming ashore, as snatched from death, some weather worn sailor,-now mourning over those who have found a sudden grave almost within call of land,that learn truly to realise the fearfulness of the strife, and to find an answer to the moanings of the gale in the prayer, "The Lord have mercy on the poor fellows at sea!"

This lesson is perhaps more fully learnt at Ramsgate than at any other part of the coast. Four fifths of the whole shipping trade of London pass within two or three miles of that place; between fifty and a hundred sail are often in sight at once,-pretty picture enough on a sunny day, or when a good wholesome breeze is bowling them along; but anxious withal when the clouds are gathering and you see the fleet making the best of its way to find shelter in the Downs, and a south-westerly gale moans up, and the last of this fine weather fleet are caught by it, and have to anchor in exposed places near the Goodwin Sands.

Let us look back a short period, and select the events of that night for consideration, because, perhaps, never before or since did men and boat live through such perils as the Ramsgate lifeboat crew then encountered; and because, moreover, they seem to illustrate well the danger connected with the lifeboat service on the Goodwin Sands. The day in question had been very threatening throughout; it was blowing very fresh with occasional squalls, from the E.N.E., and a heavy sea running. The boatmen had been on the look out all day, but there were no signs of their services being required. Still they hung about the pier till long after dark. At last most of them were straggling home, leaving only those who were to watch during the night, when suddenly some thought they saw a flash of light. A few seconds of doubt and the boom of the gun decided the point. At once there was a rush for the Northumberland lifeboat, which was moored in the stream about thirty yards from the pier. In a few minutes she was alongside, her crew being already more than made up. She was overmanned, and the two last on board had to turn out. The cork jackets, in accordance with the regulations of the National Life-Boat Institution, were on each man in the lifeboat, the men were in their places, and all ready for a start in a comparatively few minutes. They had not been less active in the steamer the Aid, which was to tow the lifeboat out, and in less than half an hour from the firing of the gun she steamed gallantly out of the harbour with the lifeboat in tow.

Off they went, ploughing their way through a heavy cross sea, which often swept completely over the boat. The tide was running strongly, and the wind in their teeth; it was hard work breasting both sea and wind in such a tide and gale; but they bravely set to their work, and gradually made headway. They steered for the Goodwin, and having got as near to the breakers as they dared take