The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-27 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 1853.

.An excellent Report has been drawn up by the
Select Committee of the House of Commons ap-
pointed, some time back, to inquire into the
present state of railway and steamboat communi-
cation between London and Dublin via Holyhead,
with a view if possible to the suggestion of certain
desirable improvements. It has long been felt
that in this direction there has existed admirable
scope for changes of a comprehensive character,
affecting both the speed of the mails and the
convenience of passengers. Conjectures were rife,
a considerable time before the appointment of
the before-mentioned Select Committee, that along
the important line connecting the capitals of Eng-
land and Ireland the arrangements have latterly,
instead of advancing in excellence, actually and de-
plorably retrograded. Those suppositions have been
confirmed, as unhappily but too justifiable, by the
Report here specified. That document goes even so
far as to assert that "during a period when immense
advances have been made in the science of steam
navigation, and while all other important lines of
communication, such as the Cunard to New York,
and the Peninsular and Oriental Company's lines
to the East, have greatly improved, that with
Ireland alone has deteriorated." Remember ! it is
the declaration deliberately made by a Select Com-
mittee of the House of Commons, that the line of
communication between the metropolis of Ireland
and the metropolis of England has not merely
failed to keep pace with the advance in the science
of steam navigation, but that it has even positively
deteriorated ! And this assertion is embodied in
the report just printed, after the closest examina-
tion into the evidence brought under consideration
of the members appointed to inquire into the
matter by order of the Lower Branch of the
Legislature. After this it must be sufficiently
obvious that the movement thereby adventured
upon, is one by no means premature or uncalled
for by circumstances.

The extraordinary importance of facilitating by
every means within our power the intercommuni-
cation between the chief cities of the sister islands
across the waters of St. George's Channel, would
of itself have justified an inquiry into the possibility
of carrying out some substantial measure of im-
provement. This—supposing even that no evils
in the existing scheme were in any way appa-
rent. Consequently, the labours of the Committee
must be regarded as peculiarly welcome at this
moment, when it is borne in mind that there have,
for a long while past, existed manifest reasons for 1
securing to the public at large the advantages of
greater speed and ampler accommodation. Every-
body who has ever travelled between London and
Dublin via Holyhead, is perfectly conscious that
much remains up to this moment to be attempted
in the way of
in
eterehsaecuring increased rapidity to the
postal
something like reasonable as well as in commanding
traverse
comfort to those who
are compelled.cLoorga:erse even the narrowest por-
tions of St.
Committee in reference
s Channel. What says the
sideration ? Why, it says the last-mentioned con-
of both the mail and
expyrsesthat " the inadequacy
amount oftraffic is a perpetu SI ,
a
sboats for the present
It adds, that
"ladies
are
deseeruibree of complaint."
being obliged to lie on the floor iell as
frequently
as to render it impossible to moveartioell numbers
Ve abou
over-
crowded cabins"—this, moreover, with
the h
all the
distressing concomitants of sea-sickness 1 i
If onl
for the suggestion of some beneficial Chan.- es - y
. in this
particular, the appointment of the Select Commit-
tee of Inquiry, could not be otherwise than re-
garded with peculiar satisfaction.
Beyond all other reasons, however, nowadays,
that of the present extravagant and needless loss
of time calls the most loudly upon the Imperial
Legislature for improvement. According to
existing arrangements the interval consumed in
London and Dublin,
Passing to or fro between
via Holyhead, is estimated at from 14 to 15 hours
on the average. Now this interval might be
forthwith reduced to merely eleven hours—as
we find here distinctly asserted in the Report of
the Select Committee. Eleven hours instead
of fourteen or fifteen ! A saving of from three to
four hours—a matter, surely, of no trifling con-
sideration.
It must be recollected, for example,
in illustration of the value of this economy in I
time, how many
ny reasons there are for rendering 1
desirable the utmost practicable facility in the
moving to and fro along that grand trunk line of
intercommunication. Consequent upon the Union,
there is the repeatedl
tendance of the Iris Consequent
ti p y recurringo necessity for the at-
siavoerspaaind Members of Parlia-
ment in the Logi There is the perpetual pressure
of at Westminster.
ed with private bills—bills, as thebusiness connect-
us cc the attendance
of of Re
port reminds
iefessi
men in London, and witnesses at great)ronal
c
inconvenience." Then there are the asrt,ilmand
stances resulting from the fact of the Rouse of
Lords having obtained over the Irish Courts of
Law, the privilege, the responsibility, or (as you

may call it) the attribute of appellate jurisdic-
tion. There is, in fine, the transfer from
Dublin to London of the Customs, and
that of the Excise, and that of other pub-
lic
offices, all contributing as the Report ob-
serves, to demonstrate " the importance of an
expeditious and convenient mode of commu-
nication between the two countries, and afford
strok; claims for the favourable consideration of
Parliament." It is consequently proposed by the
Committee that a morning express mail train shall
henceforth leave London and Dublin respectively,
traversing the intermediate distance in eleven
hours at the utmost—eleven hours instead of
fourteen or fifteen. And this diminution of the
time commenced in the transit by two or three
of the most simple arrangements—by procuring
better steam-packets—by properly fitting the
relative arrival and departure of boats and trains
—by less frequent stoppages on the railway, and
increased velocity in „the general run of the com-
munication, both on land and across the Channel.
According to the Report, extraordinary prospects
are now being held out to the Government of this
increased velocity between Kingstown and Holy-
head—offers having been made of vessels engag-
ing to steam at the rate of actually 25 miles an
hour. Whether this offer be genuine or not,
it is tolerably certain that the facilitation of the
passage admits of many remarkable improvements.
While in reference to the increased speed between
London and Holyhead, that we all know well
enough, by every-day experience, to be readily
as we have already intimated,
device of diminishing the number of stop-
, by the
pspiramagcpetslie.c
Everything considered, therefore—the
manifest necessity of the proposed improvements,
their enforcement by the Report of the Select
Committee, the obvious value of their application,
the force of competition and the capacity of
modern enterprise_we.cannot but rejoice in the
conviction that before a very long time has elapsed
we shall witness the conveyance of letters and
passengers between London and Dublin, via
Holyhead, in eleven hours, by a wholesome series
of exceedingly simple and eminently rational im-
provements.

All " misogynists"—all who cultivate the an-
cient and manly amusements of insulting and as-
saulting unprotected females, must for the future
exercise a careful discrimination in selecting the
. localities in which they intend to indulge their
laudable propensities. In some districts the sport
is expensive and even perilous. There are, un-
fortunately, magistrates who, like that spiritless
" HAmmun," are incapable of appreciating the
rare enjoyment afforded by the exercise—who,
not contented with mulcting the playful assailant
of his wife or mistress, or any feminine strangers,
in the highest pecuniary penalty sanctioned by law,
actually send him to durance vile for several
months—there to learn from the strongest lessons
of the " cireumgyratory reformer of manners,"
that what is sport to him is by no means so agree-
able to his victim, who, with blackened eyes or
toothless mouth, may have suffered permanent in-
jury from the venial escapade. It is, however,
satisfactory to find that there are districts in
which the practices of the " good old times" are
still recognised, and where FITZROY and his tame
enactments are steadily repudiated—where the
luxury can be enjoyed on the most economical
terms, and any man can wallop his own or his
neighbour's spouse, without any risk of having
the flowing honours of his head curtailed by the
" county crop," or being compelled to ascend
" thirty-eight times the height of the Monument
daily," or being fed on a pint of gruel for breakfast
and supper, and three ounces of boiled meat without
bone for dinner—a light and wholesome, though
rather tasteless, diet, calculated to qualifyhim for the
active exertions required by the too rapid revolu-
tions
of the detestable wheel. Yes, the City is
the place, that paradise of unsavoury odours and
foul smells, where the horrors of defective ventila-
tion are thrown into the shade by the still more
defective drainage. There, worthy misogynists, if
in possession of 20s. sterling, may you revel to
your heart's content. There, may you, for less
than you would be compelled to pay for a turtle
' banquet at the London Tavern, if accompanied
' by the usual trimmings of iced punch and cham-
pagne, enjoy yourself to your heart's content by
wantonly outraging the feelings of a respectable
married female, and then inflicting sundry blows
on herself and her husband. There may you
sturdily refuse any apology for the occurrence,
convinced that 20s. will cover the entire damage,
and leave you at liberty to " follow your own
vagary," whenever the impulse may become too
strong to be resisted.
If any sceptic should doubt the immunity af-
forded in these classic scenes almost " under the
shadow of the grasshopper," let him peruse the
report of the doings at the Mansion-house on
Wednesday, when a person, who said that he was
a wine-merchant, having a place of business
in Mincing-lane, was charged with a gross and
unprovoked assault on a respectable married
female and her husband. The aggrieved lady
had, it appeared, left her husband's protection for
a moment to purchase some cakes for her baby;
at a confectioner's shop in Fenchurch-street.
She possibly thought that in such a locality, at
the most busy hour of the day—between four
and five o'clock in the afternoon—and with her
protector close at hand, she would have been safe
from insult. But she was speedily convinced of
her mistake, and taught a salutary lesson as to
the folly of such an opinion. While returning to
her husband she suddenly found herself " grasped
very improperly and indecently" by the defen-
dant, who said, " How do you do, my dear ?" at
the same time laughing in her face, when she
turned round in astonishment. The husband,
who was a witness to the transaction, immediately
said, " How dare you insult my wife in the
public streets ? Do you think that she is a com- 1
mon prostitute I" To which the sportive and
amiable youth replied, " She may be, for what I
know." Thus early evincing a determination to
give no satisfaction for what he himself alleged to
he an accident, although the complainant believed
it to be a wilful and deliberate insult. The un-
reasonable husband did not appear to appreciate the
wit and playfulness of the stranger—he laid his
hand on his shoulder to detain him until a policeman
could be found. This was naturally resented.
The defendant struck off his arm, calling him " a
liar, and a fool," and aiming at him two
blows, both of which struck the already-injured
woman. When taken to the station-house he
was asked—not for pecuniary compensation for
the outrage, but—for " a suitable apology."
This, according to his own statement, he refused
to give, because, forsooth, "the assault was acci-
dental." Accidental, indeed, as if a person would
BaY, " How do you do, my dear," by accident ;
or declare unintentionally that a female might be
the slightest t common. prostitute " for what he knew ;" or
call her
indeed,
it
tallsband a liar, and a fool." If,
was too
knew that
gladly havet
„lite:ad been an accident, any person with
spark of gentlemanly feeling would
h:tive
muchapologised. But no, the defendant
,i` a man of spirit." He appar-
amende with
ently
coral;,r might withhold that trifling
not mistaken in impunity. And he was
20s. (without costs), 'opposition ; he was fined
cessary to say that two fine discharged. It is unne-
A, wine merchant Would h:elmmediately paid.
raising such a sum. He can
a:°. difficulty in
'sportive propensities whenever healtnil• indulge his
1 inks proper •
1 and all others of similar disposition should '
; the :hint to avoid Whitechapel, where the • take
inexor-
able HAMMILL presides, and frequent the crowded
thoroughfares of the City, where the Lord Mayor
will visit their little ebullitions with indulgent
lenielicy, and a sovereign
cr will cover even the re_
fasali to make any apology for insult, however
unjustifiable or in defensible it may be.

T.tie Norwich dinner to Messrs. PETo and
IVAINY.IR (of which we give a report on another
pap) commemorates a triumph which ought to
be inistructive to those who promise us a New Re-
fornlßill. It foreshadows what may be looked
for with certainty as the prominent feature of the
neat_ election, especially should one be demanded
before. the Bill becomes law. In Norwich—old