The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-15 00:00:00

ARRIVAL OF THE CHANNEL FLEET IN
BANTR Y BAY.

The following announcement of the arrival of
the Channel fleet in Bantry Bay, appears in the
Cork Reporter of Tuesday :

" BEREHAVEN, SEPT. 11.—I beg to inform you, that
on Friday evening Admiral Martin, in her Majesty's
ship Duke of Wellington, and the squadron under his
command, anchored in this harbour ; and on Saturday
evening Admiral Corry, with the ships under his com-
mand, made their appearance in Bantry Bay, south of
Berehaven, and were shortly after anchored in this fine
harbour. Yesterday the Duke of Wellington and
several other ships were visited by many of the respect-
able inhabitants of Berehaven and the surrounding
country, who were received with that politeness and
attention so truly characteristic of the royal navy. On
this day full and free liberty was given for all persons to
visit the ships."

Another correspondent of the same journal, after
mentioning the arrival of Admiral Martin's squad-
ron, says :—" Some of the natives, thinking they
were the French or Russians, ran to the moun-
tains. Their astonishment was further increased
by the arrival, on the 10th, of Admiral Corry's
squadron. They are to leave on Tuesday for
Q ueenstown."
The Cork Reporter contains the following re-
marks in connection with the arrival of the fleet :

"It is possible that they will anchor this evening in
our harbour, where, it is understood, they will be in-
spected, in the course of the week, by the First Lord
of the Admiralty, Sir James Graham. The presence
of this splendid marine armament, especially if the
present fine weather shall continue, will be a great
boon to our sight-seers, who, of course, will flock to the
harbour to witness so grand an ornament to its waters.
Queenstown, indeed, will be a stirring place during its
stay there. But the arrival of the fleet has interest for
others besides sight-seers, and we trust that the First
Lord of the Admiralty will not see it anchored in out
noble port, without being impressed with the strong ne-
cessity for making that port, in all respects, a fitting
rendezvous for such majestic craft. Nature has done all
that she could to make the task a light one. And art
has not been idle. To the anchorage, unrivalled in
safety and capacity in the British islands, and capable of
being entered or left, in all circumstances of time and
tide, which the former fashioned with her creative hand,
not a little has been added by the toil of man. At
Haulbowline already is to be found the nucleus of a
naval establishment. Extensive stores, water tanks, and
other accommodation have been provided there, at no
small outlay, by the State. Free trade has changed the
little sea-bathing village at Cove into a stirring and ra-
pidly improving town. And that town, ere a month,
will be within five minutes' communication of the Ad-
miralty-office at Whitehall. Will not Sir James Graham,
observing these things, feel that the time is come, at

length, when to make Queenstown a naval station lris
become an imperial, nay, an English, question ? We
think he must. Things will no longer be as they were
in the old days of postal intercourse, or even as they are
while we write. And, when the magic wires shall have
been completed to Queenstown, in less time than a
dispatch from London can now reach that town, the
ship ordered, by a like dispatch, to proceed seaward
thence would have accomplished 150 miles of her voyage.
' Dockyards and factories at Haulbowline have ceased to
come under the category of Justice to Ireland.' Se-
curity to the Empire' is what they mean to-day. The
importance of Cork Barbour during a war for the em-
barkation of troops has been at all times acknowledged,
and, with existing facilities of railway communication,
its advantages in this particular are greatly enhanced.
Again, as a point whence British commerce might be
watched and protected, its position, always admirable, is
greatly improved, such has been the increase of traffic
between these islands and North America, the entire of
which traffic may be said to pass within gunshot of our
roadstead. Moreover, a vast proportion of the trade of
England may be regarded as now permanently diverted
from its old destination to Queenstown, owing to the
unique situation of that town as a port for orders.
Every consideration, therefore, renders the establish-
ment of a permanent naval depot in our harbour matter
of more and more urgency, and the neglect of it more
culpable and short-sighted. At the present moment, too,
a great opportunity exists for setting about the forma-
tion of such works as are needed to put Cork harbour
in the necessary condition to accommodate and supply
the wants of ships of war. The empire has undertaken
henceforward to make its criminal population of some
utility at home, instead of pouring it out, as a noxi-
ous element, into its colonial dependencies. Amongst
the labours on which the enemies of society may be
most fittingly engaged are those which have for their
object social protection. And the convicts, who must
henceforth have employment found for them by the State,
might be most wisely occupied with the ruder and more
laborious part of those operations necessary for the im-
provement of our port. Thus what is requisite to be
done was never so requisite, nor was there at any time
so great facility for setting about it.
'The public beards of Cork, and the inhabitants of
Cork and Queenstown, we are glad to perceive, are
anxious to compliment the Admiralty authorities and the
principal officers of the fleet, on their arrival here. This
is as it should be ; and, though we do not expect much
practical good to result from a fete of any sort, it is
naturally calculated to produce a kindly feeling between
guests and hosts. But we should be glad that every
advantage was taken of the present opportunity to call
' the attention of Sir James Graham and the other official
personages to the many excellencies of the port, and to
the strong reasons which recommend its selection as a
western station for some portion of her Majesty's marine.
The presence of the fleet on its waters will sufficiently
indicate the unrivalled accommodation it is able to
afford, and when, in addition, it is shown how much has
been already expended to improve its advantages, and
how useless that expenditure has been, because of
stopping short in the middle of the work, we have every
confidence that the result must be to lead speedily to
the completion of what was wisely begun and imPra"
dently suspended.'