The Express.
London, England, 1847-04-07 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 7, 1847.

That they are open to other objections may be true; but if
those specified were met, public opinion cad parliamentary
control might suffice in the judgment of many dissenters for
the rest. That it is no: fastidious in them to object to the
minutes's:l they stand, but that consistency demands their
olijectMns, is not their wn judgment merely, but that of
churchmen also. The Chards and State Gazette, referring
to the government plan, sass, If the dissenters reject it,
they lose their schools; if they accept it, they lose their
character.' "

the poor—they being of opinion that till this be
i accomplished, the ravages of fever will not be stayed.'
One of the fundamental rules is that no person be
lodged gratuitously.
Bread has fallen a halfpenny here today.
A large and respectable meeting of farmers was
held at lladdington on Friday, for the purpose of
opposing the erection of certain new toll-bars pro-
posed to be set up in that county, ar.d also for the
purpose of petitioning that roads be maintained by
assessment, and the toll system abolished.

"Ws, inc POOrLE or °hear BRITSTN.•• —A public
meeting of the inhabitants of Alva, a small village in Stir.
lingshire, was held on the 24th ult., for the purpose of
taking into eonsiderasion the fast-day proclamation of her
Majesty. The following resolutions were adopted unani-
mously: let. "That in the opinion of this meeting it is the
bad laws, institutions, and arrangements of society, that are
the causes of the present diaeresis." 2nd. " That in the
epinion of this meeting her Majesty's councillors are entirely
iguorant of the caues of the present distreet ra in manifest
arose the nature of the rem ,!y they proper, and that see
therefore memorialise her Majesty to dismiss her present ad-
yarn, and draw around her practical men more suited to the
wants of the age."
DAYNXISS AND Seeterea.—At Ktneries, on Tuesday
week, en extraordinary darkness occurred about half-past
twelve noon, the phenomenon lasting :dwelt a quarter-of-an-
hour. The growing darkness was most perceptible in the
south or south-went, acid about twenty minutes pant tivi
there were three short but loud claps of thunder. In less
than tee minutes front this eerierd the darkness came on,
hunieg for fully a quarter-of-as-heir. periel all
business was suspended, and in the sheriff court. sitting at
the time, the members, =cording to an eye-wanes, saw
each other indistinctly! In the banking-houses, to write
wag out of the question, and gas-lights had to lie used. " The
sky had • peculiar livid appearance," see. the Erlanfmres
Express, and " some even said that they fait veryp reeptibly
the smell es of sulphur burning at some distance."
PORT PATISICX.—CommusiCITION haiwnirN SCOTLAND
AND INPLAND (CousloNicATED.)—As it is possible that
this question will be again discumed, in consequence of the
receut improvements in locomotion, aml the present state of
the sister island, and being confident, also, that there are
few instances on record wherein goveeiment has been so
grimly misled by interesmeepersons, we fed inclined to re-
view and expose the circumstances which have led, and are
still likely to lead to *useless expt ndi tu re of the public money,
and also to point out the best mode of communication that
can now be adopted. About thirty years ago, when this
gentian wne agitated, Colonel James Hunter Blair was
Member of Parliament for the county of Wigton, and
proprietor of the village of Portpatrick, and the lime Mr.
Rennie, the eminent engineer, was employed by o-
vernment to ataertain the best position for a packet
harbour on the Scotch side of the Irish Channel, for
sailing vessels, as steam vessels were not then thought of.
In 1818, Mr. Ronnie produced two plans for the improve-
ment of Port Patrick harbour, which he had decided was
the beat, in opposition to the report of Captain MeKerlie and
Mr. Teller, who had been previously employed. The first
plan was to carry two piers out into the channel tide, and
into twenty-foar feet at low water, by which the little
sailing vessels could cast off, and with the wind westerly
on one tack or the other, dear the rocks to the north and
south, which before had been found Meth dangerous and
difficult. The second was to excavate a basin, by which
more room would be obtained. Both plans left the dis-
advantage of putting to era unremedicd. The estimate
of the first plan was 100,0001.: and the necond 50,0001. It
was but natural that the engineer, who was to he paid
by a per tentage, should recommend the former, which he
Was sure was to cost much more than the estimate, and
which has now amounted to nearly 300,000/. ! It is true
that an examination took place before a committee of
the House of Commons ; but we have strong reasons to
think that the question had nut fair play. The expensive
plan was ultimately decided upon, and in order to prevent
any alteration, the pier on the south side (contrary to all
precedent) was begun at the outer end! We know that
Mr. Rennie, in opposition to ethir opinions, stoutly main-
tained that he would construct piers that should withstand
any storm ; and we doubt not that he corocientiously be-
lieved what he then asserted, and that he could make •
' harbour for the small sailing-packets then employed, that
would efficiently remedy the evil, although that has not
been borne out by subsequent experience; but it cannot be
denied that both he and the hon. member for the county
were, in a pecuniary point of view, deeply interested, and
although the other position recommended by Capt. M'Kerlie
and Mr. Teller for a packet harbour, possemie e much supe-
rior advantages, was known to Mr. Rennie, it is but natural
that he should have recommended the most lucrative one,
and the one by which his fame for overcoming difficulties was
most likely to lie extended. Port Patrick harbour has indeed
been a good speculation, not only for him but for his son and
semester. The last improvements recommended by Sir John
will add largely to the public expenditure, and something to
hie own per centoge. The next proposition will be a rail-
road terminus, which will require several miles of tunnel, at
probably a guinea an inch, and after all he useless, for no
permit who has common sense will embark for Ireland in the
small steam packets that must he employed cm that station,
which are sometimes five er nix hours goine the nineteen
miles, and very often (as their lots, it called upon, will
show) unable to venture nutof the harbour for days together.
This last fact will satisfactorily account for their being so
seldom obliged to take refuge elsewhere ; for i' is manifest
that if they Is net venture out, they Cannot be driven back,
or into Loch Ryan. As no vented/ of a lancer size can pos-
sibly be employed in Pert Patrick harbour, it will never be
the route preterred by passengers. If there wee no other
place but Port I'atrick on the Scotch side of the Irish Chan-
nel, there might he some excuse for adhering to it. Sir J.
Rennie's objection to Stmnraer, Care Ryan, Troon, and
Ardrosean. that they would reader necessary an enormous
increase of sea voyage, is fatal. But there ta Port Messick
(rear Port Logan), of which be only saes, '• it was recom-
mended, but not acceded to." leaked; lie could say no
more, fur hie only objection to the rest could not be made,
because Port Logan being a little to the south, and Port
Patrick about as much to the north of the point nearest to
Ireland, they am equi-distant from Donaehadee—namely,
bath 19i miles; and we hare no hesitation iu declaring that,
if the late Colonel M'Douall's patriotic and liberal offer bad
been accepted, government would have saved 150,000!.
of the public money ! besides having not only an excellent
harbour for such packets as are absolutely necessaro in-
duce passengers to cram in them, but an excellent harbour of
refuge, in a position which we know to be more wanted than
any ether place or coast of Great Britain. But now there as
another circumstance which must, in the end, oblige govern-
ment to abandon Port Patrick for Port Logan, and that is,
the facility with which • railroad can be awned to the latter,
enmparatively with the former. The roads, both frog Ayr-
shire and Dumfriesshire, are nearly a perfect level to Port
Logan, while Port Patrick, losing itself at the bottom of a
steep hill, is surrounded fur miles by ground far above the
common level, so that the construction of a rails ay to it, if
not impractieable, would be ruinously expensive. The best
desieeption that can be given of Port Logan is, that it is
I'lymeuth Souiid( without Drake'. island) in miuiature ; this
specie= inlet has clean, good paling ground, deepens gra-
dually, and has on each side abundance of the best material for
the construction of a breakwater. The expense would run
from 50,0001. to 100,005/ , according to the space inclosed,
and the depth of water required, from 12 to 50 tee The
rise and fall of tide is 15 feet, and the ebb, on the north side,
runs oat eight hours; there is there a neat either, and •
pier giving sufficient protection for small craft, already built,
and we have no doubt that if the government will consult
those that are not interested, say Admiral Bowles and Lord
John Hay, they will throw no more public money into the
see, at Port Patrick, but immediately adopt Port Logan as
by far the most eligible and mom useful for every purpose.