of velvet, firmly glued to it by means of strong glue, and whose tissue has been saturated with a kind of glue that is soft when cold. When the needle is fixed toward the north, the axis or diametral line of the compass-yard is placed in the line of the axis of the ship, and the punctures made every three minutes indicate the deviation of this axis.

JOURNAL OF INSURANCE.

THE NEW YORK CITY FIRE LAW.

We give below a synopsis of the New York City Fire Law in relation to the construction of buildings, passed April 14, 1856.

The fire limits are extended to 100 feet north of Forty-second-street, on a line extending from the North to the East river.

All buildings are required to be built of (three kinds of material, and no other,) stone, brick, or iron. Foundations must be stone or brick.

All buildings, other than dwellings, more than 30 feet in width, must have a partition wall not less than 12 inches thick, (the old law 8 inches,) or girders not less than 10 by 12 inches square, (no size was fixed by the old law,) sustained by pillars of stone, brick, or iron, not more than 10 feet apart, (old law was 15 feet.) Pillars, if oak, locust, or yellow-pine, when used, must not be less than 7 inches in diameter.

Buildings can be built more than 30 feet in width, but not more than 40 feet in width, if they are constructed with iron beams or girders of the proper size, and not distant from each other more than 15 feet.

All girders must rest upon walls at least 12 inches thick, and all posts or pillars must be started from a wall of stone or brick, at least 12 inches thick.

All buildings, other than dwellings, over 50 feet in height, must have walls, whether outside or party walls, at least 16 inches thick, to the under side of the second tier of beams; and if the under side of the second tier of beams is not 20 feet in height, to the under side of the third tier of beams.

No wall, after it is built, shall be increased in thickness, so as to be considered any thicker than it was originally; and all walls must be built with headers every five courses.

No wood or wood-work shall be placed within 8 inches of any chimney flue (old law only referred to discharging and arch-pieces.)

Where the breastwork of a chimney projects more than 4 inches, it must be started from the foundation.

All flues, without reference to the purpose for which intended, must have the joints struck smooth on the inside.

All buildings are required to be anchored with iron anchors to each tier of beams, and ends turned down 4 inches.

All buildings, other than dwellings, over 35 feet in height, must have shutters of iron or copper on all openings in the rear and sides above the first story, and all iron or copper shutters in front above the first story, must be constructed so

as to be opened from the outside, and all buildings must have scuttles, and be provided with a ladder on the inside.

Every trimmer or header used in any building, other than a dwelling, shall be hung in stirrup-irons of suitable thickness for the size of the timbers.

All openings in buildings, other than dwellings, not more than 6 feet in breadth, shall have a lintel of stone or iron, 12 inches in height and half the thickness of the wall upon which it rests. Openings exceeding 6 feet in breadth, shall have lintels 1 inch additional in height for every additional foot in breadth of opening. Openings must have a brick arch not less than 8 inches in thickness on the inside of the lintel.

Cast iron arched lintels, when used in any building, shall have a bearing upon the wall, on each side, of 24 inches in length, and be of the same breadth as the wall to be supported, and a brick arch must be turned over all such lintels.

Section 26 provides that the sections and provisions of this act shall be applicable to every brick dwelling-house, store, or storehouse, or other brick building-(nothing is said about iron or stone buildings)-hereafter to be erected or built in any part of the city or county of New York.

Section 31 provides that if cause of violation be not removed within 10 days after service of notice, the Supreme Court of this State, and the Court of Common Pleas for the city and county of New York, and the Superior Court, shall have power to enforce the penalties provided by law and this act, and to restrain, by injunction, the further erection, building, raising, altering, or enlarging of any building, whether erected, raised, altered, enlarged, removed, or built upon, or in the course of erection; and also, to adjudge and decree that such building or buildings shall be taken down and removed.

The forfeiture for a violation of any of the provisions of the fire law has been reduced from $500 to $100, and the limitation of time to bring an action, from 18 months to 12 months.

If, by a violation of any of the sections of this law, a building is considered improperly constructed or unsafe, within one year after it has been erected, it surely must be equally unsafe or improperly constructed after the expiration of that time. The limitation clause should be repealed.

DANIEL WEBSTER'S EXPERIENCE IN INSURANCE.

Nearly or quite fifty per cent of the losses sustained by underwriters or insurance companies are caused by fraud on the part of the insured, or the torch of the incendiary. Companies not unfrequently pay losses, which they are satisfied, from circumstantial or other evidence, are fraudulent. The following authentic anecdote of Daniel Webster's experience, as an attorney in such cases, is given in a late number of Harper's Magazine :—

"Soon after I had commenced the practice of my profession in Boston," said Mr. Webster, "a circumstance occurred which forcibly impressed upon my mind the sometimes conclusive eloquence of silence, and I wondered no longer that the ancients had erected a statue to her as a divinity.

"A man in New Bedford had insured a ship, lying at the time at the wharf

there, for an amount much larger than its real value, in one of our insurance offices in Boston. One day news arrived in Boston that this ship had suddenly taken fire, and been burned to the water's edge. It had been insured in the Massachusetts Insurance Company, of which General Arnold Wells was president, and myself attorney.

"General Wells told me of the misfortune that had happened to the company, in the loss of a vessel so largely insured; communicating to me, at the same time, the somewhat extraordinary manner in which it had been destroyed.

"Do you intend,' I asked him, 'to pay the insurance ?’

"I shall be obliged to do so,' replied the general.

"I think not; for I have no doubt, from the circumstances attending the loss, that the ship was set on fire with the intent to defraud the company of the insurance.'

"But how shall we prove that? and what shall I say to Mr. makes application for the money?'

when he

was a

"Say nothing,' I replied, but hear quietly what he has to say.' "Some few days after this conversation, Mr. came up to Boston, and presented himself to General Arnold Wells, at the insurance office. Mr. man very careful of his personal appearance, and of punctilious demeanor. He powdered his hair, wore clean ruffles and well-brushed clothes, and had a gravity of speech becoming a person of respectable position. All this demanded civil treatment; and whatever you might think of him, you would naturally use no harsh language toward him. He had a defect in his left eye, so that when he spoke he turned his right and sound eye to the person he addressed, with a somewhat oblique angle of the head, giving it something such a turn as a hen, who discovers a hawk in the air. General Arnold Wells had a corresponding defect in his right eye.

"I was not present at the interview, but I have heard it often described by those who were. General Wells came out from an inner office, on the announcement of Mr. -'s arrival, and fixed him (to use a French expression) with his sound eye looking at him serious, but calmly. Mr. looked at General Wells with his sound eye, but not steadily-rather as if he thought to turn the General's right flank.

"They stood thus, with their eyes cocked at each other, for more than a minute, before either spoke; when Mr. thought best to take the initiative.

"It is a pleasant day, General Wells, though rather cold.'

"It is as you say, Mr. —, a pleasant though rather cold day,' replied the General, without taking his eye down from its range. "I should not be surprised, General,' continued Mr.

a fall of snow soon.'

in February.'

'if we should have

than a fall of snow

"Mr. hereupon shifted his foot, and topic. He did not feel at ease, and the less so from his desperate attempts to conceal his embarrassment. "When do you think, General,' he inquired, after a pause, that Congress will adjourn?'

when Congress will adjourn; per

"It is doubtful, I should think, Mr. haps not for some time, yet, as great bodies, you know, move slowly.' "Do you hear anything important from that quarter, General?' Nothing, Mr.

66.6

Mr.

by this time had become very dry in the throat-a sensation, I have been told, one is very apt to feel who finds himself in an embarrassing posi tion, from which he sees no possibility of escape. He feared to advance, and did not know how to make a successful retreat. At last, after one or two desperate and ineffectual struggles to regain self-possession, finding himself all the while within point-blank range of that raking eye, he wholly broke down, and took his leave, without the least allusion to the matter of insurance.

"He never returned to claim his money."

MARINE INSURANCE,

Marine insurance has been a topic of considerable discussion in several of the leading journals of New York and Boston. We copy the notes from a late number of the Boston Traveller, as germain to the subject:

The business of marine insurance, has, in the aggregate, proved rather unprofitable for several years past, and consequently premiums have been advanced, and restrictions imposed, until a state of things has been reached, when it will be found undoubtedly better for persons having good vessels, in the hands of good masters, who will see to it that they are well constructed, properly loaded, and suitably manned, in many cases to become their own underwriters, and invest the amount of the premiums which they may save annually, in a guaranty fund, upon which they may draw, from time to time, to make up the losses, which will occasionally occur, even under good management.

Some of the larger offices, particularly those on the mutual principle, have become so arbitrary in their restrictions, and so exorbitant in their premiums, on certain classes of risks, that we counsel every merchant who has an interest in three or four ships, which he knows to be staunch vessels, good sea-boats, and well manned, to keep clear of them, and try the principle which we have here proposed, and which we know has been very successfully acted upon in some instances.

It can be demonstrated as plainly as the simplest problem in mathematics, that the man who has an interest in four good ships, well officered and manned, can, under the present system, afford to let them run without insurance, and if he suffers a moderate partial loss on one of his ships every year, or one of a severe kind once in two years, or a total loss every four years, he will be better off than if he kept them all insured. Every one is aware, that with such vessels as we have described, no such run of ill luck as this ever occurs in a series of years.

The truth is, as things go now, the good have to come into the offices on a par with the bad, and the careful and capable are compelled to make up the losses of the careless and incompetent. A sound and wise system of insurance, is not one of arbitrary classification alone. This needs to be modified by mental discernment, which can understand the times and seasons; which watches the signs and portents of the day, and takes cognizance not only of inanimate matter, but of animate life and the power of volition.

The causes which have led to an unusual and unnecessary loss of property at sea, are obvious to every intelligent mind, and they may be guarded against, in a great measure. These causes have arisen in the rapid increase of our commercial marine, which has brought ships upon the ocean faster than competent seamen and navigators could be found to take care of them, and hastened the construction of many vessels of unfit models, and defective materials and workmanship. Anything in the shape of a man has been taken to make up the complement of seamen for a ship, and the incompetency of a crew has undoubtedly been the cause of the loss of many valuable ships.

One of the most frequent causes of the loss of ships, is improper loading; not so much overloading, as neglect of properly distributing the cargo on board, so as to bear in due proportion, and most easily upon the vessel. The new tariff bill recently before Congress, and which will come up again at the next session, if it is passed without amendment in regard to the restriction against carrying any cargo between decks, in passenger ships, will involve the loss of a large per centage of those vessels. The bill was evidently prepared by one who had no knowledge in regard to this subject.

In the rapid increase of tonnage, for several years past, ships have often been too hastily and imperfectly constructed, especially for carrying heavy cargoes; and when to this have been added the errors already spoken of, we shall cease to wonder at the extent of marine losses, and rather be surprised that they have not been greater.

Before concluding, we will advert to two more causes which have led to the loss of many first-class ships, in all other respects well constructed, and properly taken care of, namely, neglect of adequate caulking, while loading in hot latitudes, and the defective arrangement and breaking of water-closet pipes. From the discoveries which have been made, not unfrequently in season to apply a remedy, there is no doubt that this last cause has led to the abandonment of many ships in a sinking condition, which otherwise would have met with no accident. This is a matter most imperatively demanding more care and attention, alike from the builders, the owners, and the underwriters. Again, in the numerous instances in which our ships are now laden with heavy and valuable cargoes, in hot climates, it should be insisted upon, that every shipmaster should be abundantly supplied with the necessary material, and see to it, that each and every seam is thoroughly caulked and well payed, immediately before it sinks into the water.

COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS.

CONSULAR FEES OF THE UNITED STATES.

We publish below, from an official copy furnished to the editor of the Merchants' Magazine by the Department of State at Washington, the consular fees prescribed by the President of the United States, in accordance with the provisions of the acts of Congress approved August 18, 1856, regulating the diplomatic and consular systems of the United States :-

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, November 10, 1856.

The following is the rate or tariff of fees prescribed by the President to be charged by all consular officers for the services herein specified, which "shall be regarded as official services," and the fees therefor collected in American or Spanish silver dollars, or their equivalent.

At the expiration of each quarter the statement of fees must be rendered, pursuant to Forms Nos. 8, 33, 44, and 45 of the printed instructions, by all consular officers entitled to salaries residing at seaports, and pursuant to Forms Nos. 9 and 33, at inland places, to the Secretary of the Treasury, and the amount thereof held subject to his draft or other directions. If the consular officers are not entitled to salaries, the returns must be made to the Secretary of State.

RECEIVING AND DELIVERING SHIP'S PAPERS.

For receiving and delivering ship's register and papers, including consular certificates, as prescribed in Forms Nos. 38 and 39, half a cent on every ton, registered measurement of the vessel for which the service is performed.

DISCHARGING OR SHIPPING SEAMEN OR MARINERS.

For every seaman, from one to ten, who may be discharged or shipped, including certificates therefor attached to crew list and shipping articles, to be paid by the master of the vessel, 50 cents; but no additional charge shall be made for any number of seamen exceeding ten, who may be discharged from or shipped between the date of the arrival and departure of the vessel.

PROTESTS, PASSPORTS, ETC.

For noting marine protest...

$1.00

For extending marine protest

2.00

And if it exceed 200 words, for every additional 100 words.

1.00