The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-25 00:00:00

HIGH WATER. AT LONDON BRIDGE.

THIS DAT—Morn., 36 min. aft. 10 —Even., 23 min aft. 11
To-Kowtow —Morn., 0 min. aft. 0 —Even., 1 min. aft. 12

THE WEATHER—SUN OFFICE, lama 25.
IHERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
65—highest since noon yesterday.
46--lowest this morning and during the night,
50this day at noon.
BAROMETER, 30.23.
WIND, North-Easterly ; fresh, with fine cold weather.

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LONDON, THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1858.

Tnis evening Mr. ROEBUCK will bring on the
motion, which has long been anticipated, for the
abolition of the office of Lord Lieutenant and the
creation of a Secretary of Stite for Ireland. The
question has long been ventilated, and but for
the prejudiced views taken by the late Duke of
WELLINGTON, as to the possibility of disaffected
Mayors of boroughs occasioning mischief, would
have been carried at least seven years since. The
shopkeepers of Dublin have, however, made a
determined stand, and the great popularity of Lords
EGLLNTON, ST. GERMANS, and CARLISLE have
materially assisted their cause. The Dublin
people like to have a popular and wealthy
nobleman spending a large sum of money,
giving handsome entertainments, and hold-
ing courts, at which they can exhibit
their daughters or sisters. The waiters on
PROVIDENCE think it is decidedly valuable to
have close at hand a spot where they can
nibble at the crumbs of pttrortage that fall from
the official table, while the tradesmen look merely
to the expenditure that will be occasioned by an
influx of visitors coming to pay their respects to,
and enjoy the hospitality of, the Viceroy.
These are the inducements that occasion the
determined opposition offered to the change. As
may be seen, they are entirely of a private cha-
racter, and it would be difficult, if not altogether
impossible, to show a single adequate reason for
sustaining the office on public grounds, or the
slightest benefit resulting to the nation in return
for the outlay.
In the olden time, before the application of
steam to maritime affairs, the construction of
railways, or the invention of the electric telegraph,
there was reason fcr having a high functionary
invested with almost regal powers, ready to act
OD brief notice. The miserable cutters that plied
between the countries were frequently days, and
sometimes weeks, on the passage that now occu-
pies only a few hours. The enterprising traveller
intending to visit England, having duly made his
will, and taken a heart-rending leave of mourning
relatives, went on board, accompanied by baskets of
provisions sufficient to sustain him fcr at least a
fortnight. Then came the very slow coaches, or
waggons, that spent many days on the road,
so that the party who accomplished the journey
to London and back was ever after regarded as
the travelled man of his district, who had a
right to indulge in the travellers' privilege by
telling remarkable stories which any auditor
would doubt at his peril. As to instructions from
the Home Government, they were frequently de-
tained for a greater period than those despatched
to many of our colonies. Ireland consequently
required a Lord Lieutenant or Lord D2puty, just
as much as India now does a Governor-General.
But these things are all changed. There are no
longer dangers or difficulties to be encountered.
St. George's Channel is no longer dreaded, and
Hounslow Heath has lost its terrors. No
"Golden Farmer," no adventurous " CLAUDE
D"AL)" charms travellers of the gentler sex by
the urbanity and courtesy with which he abstracts
their purses, or returns a portion of the booty in
return for treading a measure with, or gently
saluting the lips of, the fair victim. The journ©y
is now a very unromantic and business-like prc-
ceeding. A gentleman packs a small black bag, or
possibly places all his travelling equipage in the
crown of his hat, takes a return ticket, starts after
dinner, has a whole day in London, and is back
to breakfast on the second morning. So far as
the travelling community are concerned, Dublin
is not farther than was Reading some sixty
years
sines ; nor would the journey there and back be

arranged
we consider that 1
-7,4oZzore expensive 1
Ina is now arran y_a single payment, --, and traA,b,
iyftetabie host of i the shape
i:' f
aiuoinki I b-e) P‘ortera, and waiters
,ck COLIChMeb, tinufzu
os of locusts *---—*
' remembered', b'
.! of Whom
S" and, in truti,
' tlleir generally gave
.
4 ~.,
an3pie ogle. to do so, have ft...a
to
exist. &him
Nor is it merely the travelling that
las
im.
Thanks-to submarine and eleztrio tele-
proved.
graphs, communications may puss between Down_
street and the Castle in a few seconds, and
the .. it officials may receive instructions, on
any don f': fat point, from head-quarters without
the slightest delay. There is, therefore, not the
• slightest necessity forany delegated authority in
Dublin more than in Liverpool, York, or Edin-
burgh. The Lord Lieutenancy is, therefore, a