The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-19 00:00:00

.DON AarzADEE AND PORTPATRICK
PACKET STATION.

(Prom the Belfast News Letter.)
We have been favoured with the following correspon-
dence between the Marquis of Londonderry and Sir J.
raham, first Lord of the Admiralty, and in consequence
ofa former letter having been published by the Belfast
soi3Loch Ryan Committee, we are authorised to pub-
milthe same :
L"TIZ MARQUIS OF LONDONDERRY TO SIR JAMES
GRAHAM, BART.

"Tower of Garron, 12th Oct., 1853.

" Sir,.—l do not often trouble her Majesty's Govern-
ment with any representation, but it appears to me a
duty from my position in the North of Ireland, humbly
and earnestly to call your attention and that of her
Majesty's Government to the consideration of the short-
est sea passage communication between the two islands.
Years have passed since I anxiously have laboured un-
successfully in calling attention of the different Govern-
ments to this subject, every day becoming of more and
more vital importance to the commercial industry and
prosperity of the coast population of the North of Ire-
land and North West of Scotland.
" I have presumed to send you to-day a Belfast
News Letter, in which I have developed my humble
views as they appear to my mind at the present moment,
but I should be sorry to forego, if there was the least
chance of their ultimate success, those long-cherished
sentiments which still have unshaken force, but been
overcome by stern impossibility.
" I would not, with the deepest desire to have the
object of a short sea passage accomplished, forego the
full considerations and weight of those who are still
strenuous in their contention for Port Patrick and
Donaghadee versus Belfast and LOch Ryan, and there
fore I enclose a paper sent to me by the late superin-
tendent of Donaghadee (Commander Hawes, R.N.), an
officer of very great experience and ability, and whom
I have sailed with often.
"Pardon me, sir, if I venture to state that I think
no one subject whatever under the consideration of the
Board of which you are the enlightened head, and of
whose great intellectual mind the country is well
aware, would afford the administration of your great
department more real credit and honour than it they
undertook and brought to a happy issue and conclusion
the shortest line of sea communication that science and
art can contrive between Great Britain and Ireland.
" Allow me to inform you of what I believe to be the
present state of the great discussions going on in Bel-
fast upon this important affair.
" The Greenock Steam Company Packets,'in having
bribed her Majesty's late Whig Government to give up
carrying the mails, at a certain expense (though really
trifling), between Portpatrick and Donaghadee, by
offering to carry them gratis, which they now do, are
extremely alarmed at the possible success of the new
scheme of steamers between Belfast and Loch Ryan,
&c., lest; by the undoubted superiority and celerity,
when the line was pet fectly established, they would
carry away both mails again, and passengers, &c.,
which they think to have secured by their late ma-
ncenvres in knocking up Portpatrick and Donaghadee.
This large body of persons in the Greenock establish-
ments are now advocating, in the strongest manner, the
return to the old ports exploded, being morally convinced
that these will never be resuscitated, but the cry thus
raised again for them will damage, by the opposition,
the Belfast and Loch Ryan line, which the Greenockers
are wofully alarmed at, from the most disinterested
views.

"The press teems with reasons de parti d'autre, by
some' noted and some anonymous writers. Unquestion-
ably, all the Belfasters, not Greenockers, it I may so
term it, are hostile to the very chance of any other place
than this modern city of Ulster, havine• the great steam
station across the channel, and its accommodation in
every way makes it most eligible, and from it, I, too, must
fear, alone the departure from Ireland must be ulti-
mately fixed.
" However, the time seems arrived when Govern-
ment will be driven to form some patriotic determina-
tion, and be no longer swayed by interested companies,
or miserable misapplied economy. Can it, in your days
of progress, be borne, that the greatest naval power in
the world, with riches, science, and means, to any ex-
tent, should, for years past and still permit the immense
advantages of a two or three hours' passage, against ten,
twelve, or fourteen, to be neglected, and entirely to be
lost sight of, and still allow two ports that cost
400,0001. to appear as barren rocks upon the verge of
the ocean. dilapidated and decayed, an emblem of former
follies and present supineness of British legislators.
" It would be worthy of you, sir, to point out the dis-
comfort and inconvenience, not alone danger the most
suffering and weak part of our inhabitants in these re-
gions are exposed to, which a very trifling sacrifice of
your superabundant means at command would so easily
remove. Immense sums have been expended on the
Holyhead and Dublin line, but Dublin is not Para. It
is not Ireland as Paris is said to be France. By the
unfortunate mistake of them and the commissioners who
originally directed all the Holyhead outlay, they entirely
lost sight of the provinces. Why was not Belfast, Lon-
donderry, Larne, and other ports considered ? But have
they got rid of the long passage by Dublin and Holy-
head ? No ; shortened as the passage may be in sum-
mer to 6 or 7 hours, you must have much more in win-
ter, when you are now offered from 11 to 31, and choice
of lines.

"It has been long the misfortune that the cry of the
Scotch Railway directors was, when the Government
will establish good steamers and fix their port, we will
make the railway ; while the Admiralty, on the other
hand, ejaculated, `When the directors of the railway
company will commence the railroad from Dumfries to
the port, then we will make the harbour at Portpatrick
more complete, and give the steamers.'
"These subterfuges have allowed matters year after
year to slumber. But, sir; I humbly but strongly con-
ceive, as an Irishman, that you, as a Scotchman, are
bound by every public and private duty not to let this
great object longer slumber or sleep. Take the instant
way ; let no niggardly feeling of your Cabinet arrest you
from forcing forward—not justice to Ireland alone, as
you have announced, by employing her sons in your
department and ships, but justice to the crying neglect
and wants to those large numbers that are obliged
from their duties and adventures to pass that dangerous
element, the miseries of which, to those who are unac-
customed to it, are too well known. _ .

" Why not try something immediately ? return to
Portpatrick experimentally, until Belfast and Loch Ryan
be determined on, act with your own wonted energy and
vigour, and, as you have formed and brought together a
a glorious specimen of your efforts at Spithead and
Portsmouth, extend them to the poor regioes and that
class of your countrymen and mine who now claim your
powerful protection and decision.
"I have the honour to be your obedient servant,
" VANE LONDONDERRY.

" Sir James Graham, Bart."
Letter No. 2.

THE LORDS OF THE ADMIRALTY TO THE MARQUIS OF LON,

DONDERRy.

" Admiralty, 27th Oct., 1853.
"My Lord Marquis,---I am commanded by the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you that
your lordship's letter of the 12th inst., and its enclosures,
on the subject of Portpatrick harbour, and the establish-
ment of the packet service between that place and
Donaghadee, have been laid before the Board of Admi-
ralty by Sir James Graham.
" In reply thereto, I am directed to inform your lord-
ship that Portpatrick harbour is not neglected, but that
a vote of public money has been granted for its immediate
repair, and that the work is in progress, under the advice
and inspection of a Government engineer.
"If the advantages of the short sea passage between
Donaghadee and Portpatrick be evidently superior,
the board is of opinion that private enterprise cannot
fail soon to realise them, in the immediate !neighbour-
hood of a great mercantile community so wealthy and
so enterprising as that of Belfast.
" Tbe public has provided additional harbour-room,
thus affording two commodious harbours at a great cost,
one on each shore, and still maintains them, without
harbour dues being exacted by Government. If the
wants and commerce of the neighbourhood require the
means of transit, private capital will supply them, under
the ordinary inducements of profit ; if there be no pro-
fit, and extraordinary exertions are to be made, the
capital alreadyexpended on these two harbours is a liberal
contribution on the part of the public, and some local
effort must be made to supply the steam accommoda-
tion.

" The board directs me further to observe that Go-
vernment packets are no longer employed in any part
of the United Kingdom, except at Dover ; and there,
also, the service is about to bo performed by contract, to
the exclusion of Government yessels.
" I have the honour to be, my Lord. Marquis, your
lordship's most obedient servant,
"W. A. B. HAMILTON.
" To the Most Hon. General the Marquis
of Londonderry, G.C.8., K.G., &c.
Letter No. 3.

Tim LOUIS OP LONDONDERRY TO SIR JAMES GRAHAM,
Mount-Stewart, Newtownards,
12th Nov. 1853.

Dear Sir James,—A severe accident, and a very
u.ol_tack of influenza, have prevented my earlier re-
P./Lug 2t2.t,he official letter of the Lords of the Admiralty
of the
Thalnt, and your private note of the 9th inst.
y for the latter, of course,
when their
atlordships and the board address me the mat-
ter becomes
public affair, and will be laid before
all parties interested,
" My letter to
business were iyeu anxious efforts in this
nstigate(ialu my
both by your private knowledge
of the position of matters
have
the weight which your
energy and decision must on the government of the
Admiralty.
"These various reasons induced my appeal to you in-
dividually, and you fell into no error by supposing I did
word of my let-
not address you also publicly, foryeovuery
ter of the 12th ult. called upon in all the official
character you possess.
"I thank you for giving me credit for the active
I have long taken in this business, and lftat
ir
you are right
supposing that I wish to revive my opinions befo„ the
public, and to again place them on record, having, during
the experience of a long life, found that, by continued
perseverance, and never giving up an indisputable and
meritorious cause, one is always certain to succeed.
"I will not recapitulate the arguments in my former
letter ; the clear and visible object must now be to obtain
the short sea voyage instanter. It is in vain to allow the
grass to grow under our feet. For years we have suf-
fered, and were continually the victims of much serious
inconvenience, which your department, and that of the
Post-office, in common compassion to us, should have
averted. We had small steam packets for a long time,
and it is on the records of your office, and ,to the credit,
that they never lost a mail or failed in the service during
the severest winters. To economise, the former Post-
master-General (the Marquis of Clanricarde), unmindful