The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-13 00:00:00

nib SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 13, 1864.

benefit far more by a judicious outlay of that sum
annually on her public works and similar under-
takings. It would certainly go a long way towards
the construction of the naval dockyard, about
which the good citizens of Cork expressed
themselves so anxiously. Lord FERMOY ob.
served, that he considered that the task of
advocating the employment of their noble
harbour in so useful a manner, had been greatly
lightened by the report of the Parliamentary com-
mittee, which had recommended, in the plainest and
strongest terms, the establishment of a dockyard at
Queenstown. After that decision being arrived at
by the committee, which has so fully entered into
the whole question of our dockyard a ccommodalion,
it is, to say the least of it, very unlikely that the
House of Commons would object to the necessary
rate. Those who know anything of the subject
would not, indeed, be likely to cavil at the selection
of a spot so admirably adapted by nature for the
purpose, while all must admit the desirability of
the establishment of a dock somewhere in the
south of Ireland. Mr. MAGuittE, in giving
a cordial Hibernian welcome to his dis-
tinguished guests, observed that they could
not fail when thus on the spot to appreciate
their noble harbour. "It was," he said, "easy of
access—it was one of the best, if not the best,
places of shelter for the fleet ; and there were times
when 500 vessels, armed and unarmed, found
anchorage within Cork harbour and the tributaries
which enlarged its extent." Of course it was natural
that on such an occasion a little discontent should
be expressed, and the Government were reminded
that while a million of money had been laid out in
the sister countries not a shilling had reached Cork
harbour. In answer to this the First Lord of the
Admiralty took occasion to remind his Irish friends
that the prosperity of a localitydepended on itself, and
was usually the reward of its own enterprise or exer-
tions. Portsmouth, despite Government aid, has never
rivalled Liverpool, where there are no public docks.
The Clyde, too, bore evidence of the same character,
and the noble duke, therefore, warned his hearers
not to hope too much from the erection of Go-
vernment docks in their harbour. These obser-
vations were just and prudent, and were not out
of place when addressed to his sanguine and en-
thusiastic audience, who probably partook of the
Irishman's favourite faculty of making theoretical
fortunes, But, however wise in tempering the
eagerness of the citizens of Cork, the Duke of
SOMERSET'S remarks do not in the least affect the
general bearing of the question. It is greatly to be
desired, indeed, that the trade of Cork may flourish
and What Irishmen derive full profit and advantage
from the construction of the Docks; but, after all,
it is a matter of Imperial rather than of local inte-
rest, and whether or not it fulfils the expectations
formed of it on land, it will still be admirably
adapted for the advantage of our ships. It is well
not to be too careful in regard to expense in mat.
ters of great national importance which may be
expected to endure through many generations;
but this is one of those cases in which no artificial
expense will atone for the deficiencies of nature,
and it is surely the height of folly to lavish the
public money in trying to overcome difficulties
when such harbours as Milford Haven and Queens-
town lie on cur own shores,

The trial which took. place at Liverpool on
Thursday, relative to the Foreign Enlistment Act,
exhibits the conduct of our Government in a most
unsatisfactory light. There is nothing that wins
admiration and commands respect more than con-
sistency ; but, on the other hand, there is nothing
that alieraecee aeetideeee cud craws au si a censure
more than uncertain and unfair line of action. The
manner in which the Ministers have acted in respect
to the various questions that have arisen regarding
the American contest has been quite unprecedented.
From the outset of the war they have been unjust
in the extreme to all persons nearly or remotely
connected with the cause of the Confederates, while
on the other side their prejudices and partialities
have been developed in favour of the Federals. It
is a most undignified position for a groat country
to assume, thus to sanction such an unworthy
course; but it is still worse to reflect upon that
English subjects shoutd be treated with incon.
sistency, and their rights made subservient to the
fantasias of the authorities who for the time being
mismanage the affairs of the State. Such a course
of proceeding is a perfect mockery of justice, and
cannot but redound to the discredit of all concerned
in the transactions. All that the Attorney-General
for the County Palatine deposed on behalf of the
Crown, might with great force have been applied
to the question relating to the Federal Enlistments
in Ireland, of which no notice is taken, or at least
only sufficient to disarm criticism. When we aro
told that the charge is preferred against the pri-
soner by her MAJESTY'S Government from a sense'
of duty, because he had been guilty of a trans-
gressioncommon sense may well inquire
the same principle does not
howit ofisthetlhaawt,
actuate and encourage them
to arrest illegal
courses towards the other belligerents engaged
in the contest across the Atlantic. One sentence
of the attorney's is a positive exposition of the pre-
sent state of the case as relates to our position in
respect to American dealings with our subjects.
" No one in the country could be ignorant of the
difficulties which were likely to arise if the Govern.
ment did not hold the scale of neutrality with per-
fect equality." This is perfectly true, But what
can be more clear than that they have not thus ful-
filled their duty, and great difficulties have arisen
in consequence. It is not in a court of law
that
such discrepancies can be taken hold of; because
there it is only possible for the judge and jury to
deal with the case immediately under supervision ;
but those who look on and scan the affair from a
distance must be deeply sensible of the egregious
errors of the prosecutors on behalf of the Crown,
and painfully convinced that in this affair the
country reaps no honour, and the subjects of the
realm are imposed on, Is it the way to impress other
States with an impartiality thus to curry favour
with one party in the affray, and to heap insults on
the other. In how many prosecutions regarding
the Confederates have we now been engaged, and
who can point to one prominent case in which the
Crown has appeared against the Federals i Is it
not monstrous to reflect upon that the havoc
wrought by the agents of the North is depopulating
a neighbouring country under the dominion of the
self-same Crown whose name appears in petty cases
like that of Liverpool, and yet that no steps are
taken of a nature that will stop the sacrifice of life
and arrest the flagrant course pursued. We are
told, indeed, that it is difficult to find out exactly
what is being done. There are none so blind as
those who will not see, nor so deaf as them who will
not hear, and this must account for the circumstance
that it is impassible to obtain that knowledge in
Ireland which seems to come as a matter of course
in England. It is an evil of the apathy of Perlis.
ment that the Government think they can do as 1
they like, and proceed from bad to worse in their ,
conduct in respect to American affairs. No fear of
public opinion appears to deter them in their in.
fatuated and mischievous course ; they follow the
bent of their own inclinations, quite impervious to
criticism and indifferent to reason, It is a sort of
satisfaction, at any rate, to protest against ouch in-
1