The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-29 00:00:00

iITST.

LORD PAL

THE HOUSE,

Lord Palmerston has just come in,
9walking
rather stiff in the limbs, but planting his feet firmly
on the ground and looking like an honest, sturdy
Englishman, as he is,who would make a fight of it,
if necessary, even at seventy eight. On sitting
down he pulls his hat well over his yes, folds his
arms, and waits to be spoken to. Presently some
member asks a not particularly bright question
upon foreign policy. The Premier is on his legs in
a moment, with hat in hand, and says with perfect
gravity half a dozen words which make the House
laugh immoderately. But there is seldom any sting
in what he says. His good-humour and unwilling-
ness to offend ore taken for granted, so the member
who has been put off with an evasive answer, or
with no answer at all, at last joins in the DIE rrimea t
as heartily as eny. body. The answer to the next
question on foreign policy is, perhaps, entrusted to
Mr. Layard, who is " bearded like a pard," end
speaks with a brusqueness, and with something of
aggressiveness and almost of defiance in his tone,
which sometimes conduce to anything but mild de-
bates. However, the Under-Secretary can hold his
own well, and with that lion-front of his, and a
confidence which Eastern travel may have given
him, but which more probably came to him by
nature, he is always a formidable debater.
Now Lord Palmerston rises again, and the House
listens at once in rapt attention. It is a question
of great importance—a fighting question, in fact.
This time his lordship, in pregnant statesman-like
language, enters somewhat fully into the subject,
and his voice can be beard distinctly in the remotest
corner. Now he resumes his seat, and, from the
look of the notice paper, his work for the night
seems to be at an end, the subjects which will now
be " on" resting in the hands of the Ministers, who
can take care of them thoroughly. You suppose
that the veteran statesman takes the opportunity of
going home quietly to dinner, and getting to bed
by eleven at latest ? Not at all. Yoa see he is
fixed in his old attitude, and there he will remain
until the house adjourns, no matter what time that
may be, shaming all the young members of the Go-
vernment into regular attendance, but after they
have done their best, being the most regular and
most indefatigable sitter in the Government. One
most valuable habit he possesses is the power of
inducing sleep at any moment. This is a power
which requires great concentration of thought, and
is possessed by but few people. The late Duke of
Wellington had it, and the Premier, by the aid of
his hat drawn well down over his brow, nods from
hour to hour, and yet always seems to know when
he is wanted, and always seems to be sleeping, like
a certain reputed very sharp animal, with one eye
open. If there is a hitch, he will be sure to come
to the rescue. If an angry member has to be calmed
down, or a disagreeable motion to be got rid of, he
is the man to do it. And then, having seen the
night over, and the business ended, he tales Mr.
Cowper's arm, and walks with him, as often as
not, to Cambridge House, without troubling cab or
carriage.—"Parliament Sketched" by a Correspon-
dent of the Court Journal.

Ought there to be an Irish Transatlantic

Port?

THE REASONS OF THE CURE .REPORTER.

Some time since we gave an article on this Tics-

tion, which we are glad to find the Irish correspon-
dent of the limes alluded to. Since then the out-
going and incoming steamers have only verified
the facts " that there are no freights between Gal-
way and New York." Lord Fermoy having written
to the Mayor of Cork that the subsidy should be
continued to an Irish port, as the company could
not continue running at a ruinous loss, we think the
directors and shareholders should at once meet to
consider the question of a change of ports.
We showed (as was proved by the captain in his
evidence before the Board of Trade), that Gal-
way, in its present state, is unfit for such
steamers, while our harbour, without any cost,
is ready to rcceive them ; that we have
lines of steamers running to Waterford, Glasgow,
Liverpool, Bristol, Channel Ports, and London, and
that lines would be put on to Nantes and Bordeaux
to take the goods and passenger traffic for the United
States, of Central and Southern France, Switzer-
land, and Italy, which have no steam communica-

tion with America, the lines from Genoa and Leg.
horn having been withdrawn. Consequently, all
the traffic in the rich wines, brandies, fruit, and
manufactured goods of those countries would centre
at Cork. The Cork and Glasgow steamers could call
as formerly at Belfast and Dublin, carrying freight
at one-third the rate from those towns as by rail to
Galway; while the Birmingham and central dis.
tricts of England could have their manufactures
shipped as cheaply by the Bristol and Welsh
steamers to Cork; and hence to America, as from
Liverpool. These are not myths, but facts, and the
sooner the shareholders and directors make a change
of port the better for themselves and the public.
The local trade of Cork, Waterford, and the numer-
ous towns would, with a wealthy and consuming
population, differ much from Galway, with the
wilds of Connemara and Erris.

*.* A correspondent, directing our attention to
the foregoing, remarks upon it as follows :--We
think the subsidy should get a trial from Cork,
which has so many advantages over Galway—viz.,
the best harbour in Ireland, being Equal to Mil.
ford or Portsmouth—a wealthy country round it

—lines of steamers running to all parts of
Great Britain, and a line said to be projected by
the French Government from Cherb3urg to Cork,
not enumerated in the above article. The English
people would delight in seeing a direct line paying
between Ireland and America, and on this account,
if the Royal Atlantic Mail, or any other company,
would try it with good vessels from Cork, we
should be glad to give it every support. The share-
holders, bondholders, and directors of the present
company should see if they could do it, and if not

transfer the contract to another with the sanction
of the Government. We think screw steamers, such
as the Australasian and China, would be better
adapted for the Newfoundland service than paddle-
boats.