The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-19 00:00:00

THE MARQUIS OP LONDONDER.RY.-BELPAST
AND LOOB RYAN PACKET STATION.-

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BELFAST NEWS-LETTER.
SIB,—In consequence of a letter of mine having been
published last week in your columns, relative to the late
experimental trip of the "Telegraph" across the chan-
nel to Loch Ryan, in which communication I expressed
my great satisfaction at the possible prospect of the en-
lightened and enterprising merchants of Belfast taking
up the measure, to secure by every possible means the
shortest sea voyage between the two countries, I am in-
duced to address you, lest I should be considered as
guilty of inconsistency in abandoning all my long-known
opinions, and my continued and untiring efforts, so long
as there was the remotest chance of success, in advocat-
ing the Donaghadee and Portpatrick communication—
and now, upholding by every means in my humble power
the great and noble project of urging the Government of
the country to turn all their attention to Belfast, Stran-
raer, and Loch Ryan. It will be seen, by reference to
Parliamentary debates of years past, that I alone, almost
unaided and unsupported, session after session, brought
the measure to retain the harbours, on which near
400,0001. had been expended, before the House of Lords,
until, in utter dispair, I was obliged to abandon it, and
here I enclose, for your information, an extract from the
last debate in June, 1849, and Lord John Russell's let-
ter, in which some strong statistics are put forth, which
cannot be overthrown or contradicted. But, in spite
of every possible effort in favour of the passage and
harbour, in defiance of all scientific opinions, urged by
many most able men—successive Governments, succes-
sive leading Ministers, successive Lords of the Admi-
ralty, and successive Postmasters-General, have all
publicly, and frequently, and deliberately declared their
decided opposition and their determination never to con-
cur in the restoration of that line ; and Mr, Hume in the
House of Commons, loudly protested against throwing
good money after bad upon most injudicious and most
inefficient ports. Under such circumstances, with the
positive certainty in my mind that no effort rill restore
the line by Portpatrick and Donaghadee, which I per-
severe, however, in thinking by far the most eligible,
and feeling, at the same time, that the merchants and
moneyed men of Belfast can well back up and carry a
measure, which poor Portpatrick and Donaghadee never
could arrive at, I unhesitatingly declare my opinion that
all friends to the real success and accomplishment of
effecting the object of the short passage and line of com-
munication should rally round the project, and unite in
support of Loch Ryan and Belfast, with the strongest
and most unanimous and general appeal to Government.
My long labour in this most interesting and important
object must plead my excuse for addressing you thus
publicly, and as my anxious object is, as early as pos-
sible, to prevent a contest of conflicting opinions as to
the eligibility of the one line in preference to the other,
being morally certain that, from the experience demon-
strated, Portpatrick and Donaghadee will never be re-
turned to, and that the other line, if universally sup-
ported by Scotland and the North of Ireland, and the
town of Belfast, might be speedily carried into effect.
If the contending writers in the press would all exer-
cise the power of their pens to influence that great,
powerful, and leading journal of England (the Times) to
take up this affair (it has already been alluded to in it),
satisfied as I am that, in these days, that paper influences
the country, the Government, the popular and the offi-
cial opinions of the English nation, I think it would be
the surest way of demonstrating and proclaiming the
real merits and sterling advantages of the scheme.
I remain, Sir, your very obedient servant,
VANE LONDONDERRY.
POST-OFFICE PACKET COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SCOT-
LAND AND IRELAND.
" The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said—My lords, I
experience considerable reluctance, and I must throw
myself on your lordship's indulgence for bringing be-
fore you again a subject which I have more than once
submitted to the House ; I am influenced, however,
solely by an anxious desire to do a public service—to
prevent the ruin of a large number of Irish and Scotch
industrious persons—to uphold the shortest communica-
tion between the South-West of Scotland and Ire-
land—and to prevent the false economy of a miserable
saving with the abandonment of public advantages. I
am aware, my lords, that I stand on very weak ground
in advocating the matters of the petition I am about to
present to your lordships. Independently of my very
humble abilities, I belong to neither of the great
par-
ties in this House. I am certainly not afavourite
with the noble lords over against me, and I can-
not rank myself amongst the household troops of the
able and talented leader of
_the Conservative party in
the House. I feel I can obtain no aid but from an
honest examination of this case on its own merits.
It will not be necessary for me to go very much at
large into the subject. a general printed outline of the
case has been sent, I hear, by the :petitioners, to every
peer. The question resolves itself under three heads :
—First, the advantages and convenience of the best and
shortest passage for postal communication and passen-
gers between the South-West of Scotland and the North
of Ireland ; secondly, the prudence and wisdom, after an
expenditure of nearly 400,0001., annually added to
for the last half century, of abandoning the harbours
constructed, for a saving of money immaterial in the
amount, and evidently detrimental to a large class of
her Majesty's subjects, who have been led to place
confidence in the preservation of these harbours, and
consequently to locate there and in the vicinity.
Thirdly, whether the economy expected from the
change in contemplation amounts to such an advan-
tage as entirely to put an end to the various advantages
derivable now from the present trade of the harbours.
I certainly had hoped, as well as the petitioners, whose
cause I advocate, that upon a deputation to the Prime
Minister, he would not so suddenly, without notice, and
against promises held out and made, and contrary to all
precedent, force this cruel measure upon an impoverished
population, and deprive Scotland and Ireland of the ad-
vantages derived more or less in a series of years from
these ports, without the most serious reflection and ex-
amination. With this view, after the noble marquis
(the Marquis of Lonsdowne) opposite had intimated to
me the intention of the Government to abandon the har-
bours, a large deputation waited on Lord John Russell.
What passed has been in substance stated in all the
public papers. Lord J. Russell desired some time to con-
sider the matter before he gave his final opinion, and on
Friday I received the answer which I will now take
leave to read to the house :
" Chesham Place, June 22, 1849.
" LORD,--Upon consideration of the memorials re-
specting the mail communication from Portpatrick to
Donaghadee, the Government have come to the decision
to abandon the postal route between those places.
" The harbours will be attended to by the Admiralty,
but it is not thought advisable to continue the expense of
the packets when the service can be more cheaply provided
for.

" I have the honour to be your lordship's obedient
humble servant, " J. RUSSELL.'
Your lordships will see by this that the postal commu-
nication is abandoned ; but Lord John Russell states
that the harbours will be attended to. What advan-
tages or saving of public money will or can arise if the
packets of the Post-office are to be taken away, or in
what manner the harbours are to be attended to, Lord
John Russell is entirely silent and does not oint out.
I should be very glad if I could extract such a com-
munication from her Majesty's Government as would
justify me, in point of duty to the petitioners, in aban-
doning my motion. But it is declared it is not thought
advisable to continue the expense of the packets. How
the Queen's subjects are in future to cross .without
packets, or the harbours to be made available, or what
saving is to ensue, appears to ins more than ever neces-
sary to ascertain by a searching Parliamentary inque.y.
Now, in regard to the first consideration of this subject,l
no one will deny that the shortest communication —o£
eighteen miles between land and land—if not the very
best that could have been originally devised, now exists;
it has stood the test of more than half a century.
Various reports, from time to time, by both Houses of
Parliament, have been made upon it. The majority of
these, together with the reports of a large number of
officers and scientific professional civil engineers, as also
many different First Lords of the Admiralty—Lords
Iladdington and Auckland, especially, in this House—
also, many eminent admirals, such as Admiral Sir G.
Cockburn and Admiral Beaufort—have one and all
declared in favour of these harbours, It is true, how-
ever, that a noble earl (the Earl of Ellenborough), for a
short time First Lord of the Admiralty, fired a random
shot at my humble efforts the other evening to serve a
district he was once acquainted with. W hether that
was kindly done, or in taste, the noble earl knows best ;
possibly other circumstances than the mere harbours in
some thirty or forty years have influenced his judgment.
He stated, however, he was once nearly lost in a storm
going into Portpatrick : but, allow me to remark, that
was certainly nearly half a century ago. Has the noble
earl any knowledge or insight of all that has been
done, and all the moneys laid out since ; and what the
present state of the harbours now are ? If he has not
tmaintain his testimony goes for nothing ; and cer-
__ainly, if my memory serves me correctly, I should
not be disposed to give the noble earl credit for
great knowledge either on military or naval sub-
jects, for
Jun
I.kaliehrZnk, in a celebrated speech in May or
de-
feat at prophesied the Duke of Wellington's de-
Passing, then, this single opinion of
one Filet Lordoiif the Admiralty, Lord Auckland, by
letter, not mll
measures
himself in the harbours, but
positivel
station thils
Y toeLreasures to place a steam-boat on the
This I have under his own hand-
writing.
years, the packets, eiebserve that, during the last ten
the very worst weather, have
never missed their passage Passage, great has been the con-
venienceort time ago, Lord Clanri-
carde sent round a circular de- the public to cut slits
in their hall-doors(laughterBllring enable the postman
to drop their letters withceit—ciolamrrdeunicating with the
114.0 for him to expect
servants. Why, it was rather
res(eLnatugeohntettir..)
people to cut slits in mahogany
That was very much of a piece with lrsp.
Government
Twice. It was to be hoped, however,
would see the justice of granting a committee
They could not possibly adopt this change without ?fhionaniarnY;
documentary or other evidence. He (Lord Londonderry)
had to complain, too, that he had not received
answer to the petitions which he had requested Lordan
John Russell to forward to her Majesty through the
Secretary of State ; but he hoped an answer would be
sent, for he could tell the Government and the noble
marquis that the people of Ireland regarded with the
greatest loyalty, attachment, and reverence, anything
h
coming from her Majesty e self. (Hear, hear.) They
did not pay so much regard, perhaps, to what
emanated from the Government. The people of
Ireland had looked to her Majesty's great libe-
rality in all their sad distress, never more fully ex-
emplified than in her late donation of 5001., and he could
tell the Government that, if they would only advise her
to place her foot on her "Emerald Isle," such would be
the joy with which she would be received, that the rest
of her dominions would, for a time at least, be forgotten.
(A laugh.) If her Majesty once condescended to place