Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 16.djvu/482

* PBIVAS. 414 PRIVET WEBWORM. of Orange by rail (Map: France. L ,)• The town is built upon a ridge overlooking the valley of the Ouveze. at the foot ot the Coiron Moun- tains, and has a fine esplanade shaded with plane-trees, opening upon a panorama of great ex- tent and beautv. It has important iron mines,, the ore of which is exported, and it uianulactures silks, woolens, leather, and brandy. Its build- ings are unimportant. It was a Huguenot stiong- hotd and was destroyed in 1029 by order of Louis XIII. and Richelieu. Population, m 1901, loiil. PBIVAT-DOCENT, pre-vat' do-tsent' (Ger., private teacher). A private instructor in Ger- man and some other European universities. Ihe privilege to thus offer instruction is acquired by promising scholars, holding the doctorate, after having gone through the process technically known as -habilitation.' This process consists in publicly defending a scientific dissertation em- bodyin;:r the results of the candidate's original research. Usually the privat-doceiit draws his fees from the students. PRIVATE (Lat. privatus, individual, p.p. of priiarc to separate, from privus, one's own, from prcF, OLat. prai. before). In the United States Armv, all enlisted men. except the non- commissioned officers, are termed privates, bee Army Organization; and for pay, see Pat and Allowances. PRIVATE BILL. A technical term, em- ployed to designate a bill introduced into the English Parliament for the benefit of one or more individuals, corporations, cities, or a par- ticular localitv, as distinguished from a general bill or act atrecting the entire country or com- munity. In the United States a measure affect- ing individuals is usually called a special act. Se'e Bill; I.kgi.slatiox ; Statute. PRIVATEERING. One of the usages of -war according to which private individuals are authorized by the Government of one belligerent to fit out at their own expense vessels of war designed to prev upon the commerce of another belligerent. A privateer is an armed vessel fitted out lor this purpose, owned and officered by a person or persons acting under a commission usuallv called a letter of marque (q.v.). Before granting such a commission it is usual to require the lodgment of caution money or the execution of a bond by way of security against illegal conduct. Citizens" of the United States are forbidden by statute to accept letters of marque from powers at peace with the United States, and this is a general rule among nations. The com- mission is revocable upon proof of abuse, and according to English law the holder is liable in damages. As a further safeguard, a privateer is always subject to visitation and search by public vessels of war with a view to the verifica- tion of the genuineness of the commission under which it sails. The practice of privateering is an old one among nations. In Europe it runs back to the time when public navies had not come into ex- istence. Diriiig the iliddle Ages, European States havinc few or no ships of war hired merchant vessels for the uses of war. and event- uallv the practice of issuing commissions to persons who owned ships or could procure them, authorizing tbein to prey upon the commerce of the enemv. came into general use. By way of compensation the person so commissioned was allowed a share of the booty which he might capture. Such means enabled an inferior mari- time power to call into existence on brief notice and at little or no expense a temporary force sufficient to enable it to cope with a more power- ful rival. It was by this means that the Southern Confederacy during the Civil ^^ ar drove the merchant marine of the Unite<l States from the high seas and seriously crippled its commercial interests. The practice is still sanc- tioned bv international law. but it is rapidly falling into disfavor, and is not likely to be again extensivelv resorted to by any civilized nation. In the 'first place, a privateering force is never available for general naval oi)erations, being restricted to the caiiture of unarmed mer- chant vessels. Secondlv, the control over pri- vateers is at most slight. Those who engage in the privateering service are often bold, adven- turous, and sometimes lawless men, who tend to become robbers, since their motive is plunder and their reward boolv. The belligerent employer of such persons has but little or no security against their aggressions upon neutral commerce, al- thou"h he is held strictly responsible. As'^the rights of neutrals increase, the disad- vantage of einploving this method of naval war- fare beccnnes more potent. States having small navies find it possible upon the outbreak of war to increase their naval strength by purchasing or chartering ships. See Peclaeation of Paris. PRIVATE SECRETARY, The. A farce adaiited bv William H. (iillctte from Von Moser's Uei- liibliotheh-ar. produced as Dighi/'s Secretary in 1884, simultaneously with another adapta- , tion The Prieate Hccrctarti, by Hawtrey, under A. M. Palmer. The best parts of each were ; combined later in the present form. PRIVET (probably a corruption of primet, . apparcntlv from prbn privet, from Lat. primMi, first so called in allusion to its early bloom), Ligustnim. A genus of shrubs and small trees of the natural order Oleacea;. Common privet {Ligiiiilnim vuleioc). a shrub growing in bushy, places and about the borders of woods in the mid- . die and south of Europe, is naturalized in some , parts of Xorth America. It has half-evergreen, smooth, lanceolate leaves, and black, rarely white, yellow, or green berries about the size of pMS. The flowers have a strong and sweetish smell. The berries, which persist during winter, have a disagreeable taste, but serve as food for birds. They are used for dveing. A rose-colored pig- ment obtained from them is used for coloring maps The hard wood is used by turners and for making shoe pegs. Privet, though siuneless, is much used for hedges, since it bears cliiipmg well and withstands the smoke and shade of towiis It is not hardy in Iowa and adjoining States, though introduced Russian forms seem , able to withstand the winters. The so-called , California privet (Liniistnim ovahlohum), a native of Japan, is one of the best varieties for i hedges. Some species, natives of the East, have • been introduced into American shrubberies. All species grow readily from cuttings. i PRIVET WEBWORM. The larva of a | pvralid moth. {Hiaphania qmidristigmabs). w-hich feeds upon privet hedges in the LnitcQ States. The soft, light-green eggs are i^ffft to the leaf near its midrib in clusters of Wty or more. The light-green caterpillars hatch in