The Sun.
London, England, 1827-09-18 00:00:00

BOULOGNE-SUR-MEli, SEPT. 5.

MR. MARTIN OF GALWAY.

It is absolutely necessary for the preservation ,
of the time and temper of his Britannic Majesty'
subjects,.tbat some material alteration should be
made in the present mode of obtaining passports
at the French Ambassador's in London. Every
one complains of the system, es being fraught
With inconvenience to the public, without being
attended with the slightest beneficial result to-
any person whatever. An Englishman wishing
to make a journey to Prance must have a pass-
port, as is well known. He is required to go
in the first instance to the Ambassador's, and
leave his name, between certain hours in the
day ;: and then he is told to call the next for his
passport. • The double visit is altogether super-.
fluous. The best proof that it is so, is this :
The applicant writes his name in a list on the
first day. When he comes on the following, he
expects that the Ambassador's secretary will care-
fully look at the list to see if his name be upon
it. No such thing. The Secretary never ap-
plies to the list ; and it is a fact that many of
the experienced travellers never take the trouble
of setting down their names, but proceed unex-
pectedly to the office , and make one business of
next inconvenience is one 'of still
greater magnitude. When "an individual, in
compliance with the common custom, goes to
the AmbasSador's to give his name, the porter
informs him that he must call between efts hours
of one and three the next day for his
passport.
He goes away accordingly, with the impression
that if he return on thesseeondday, at anymoivent
within these hours—say five minutes befoNTs
three o'clock—he can have his passport only for'
the asking it. He soon discovers his mistake.
He may thank his stars if he can obtain it before
half-past five o'clock. The reason of this delay
is one which seems so glaring as to excite asto-
nishment at its continuance.—There are on the
average between fifty and seventy applicants for
passports every day. There is one clerk to fill
up the passport of each person. The present
possessor ofthat office is perfectly Unobjectionable:
he is as expeditious, and as courteous withal, as
any functionary in any station. whatever ; but es
he is not endowed with the miraculous quality of
discharging more than one man's share of duty-,
be is necessarily incompetent to the demands of
the travelling public.
On the singularities in the course of making
this place peculiar, I may 'mention Mr. Richard.
Martin, the late Member for Galway—the terror
of Smithfield drovers. He is still the same
amiable patron of donkeys—as inimical to spurs
and whips, arid to the non-controllers of those'
implements of annoyance, as ever. The sands. •
at low water being the chief resort of the eques-
trians, Mr. Martin is seen regularly proceeding,
at the time of assembling, to that place, and in
no instance does he fail to interpose, when any
thing like an unfair advantage is taken' 'of the
mute,animal by his unthinking master. A few
days since lie accosted a young horseman, who'
treated his unfortunate animal in a way which he
would not have done in cane the said animal had
, the power of remonstrance or resistance. " Do.
you know, Sir," said Mr. Martin, " that you k
have no more right to torment that poor horse
than you have to tormenttiniie,,Fi'r
do you will don:
know you shall do as I please with my horse,
was the reply. " Why, h
you please with him, just whisper in his ear that,
he has got a bad master." " Sir, this is
• language that I am not accustomed to, and you
must apologise ;"and the youth presented his
card to the late Member for Galway. " Poh,
my little lad, don't be throwing your•eards about;
in this way; you'll find some other use for them
—my name is Colonel Martin, and &you want
to know any thing more aboUt me, any body in
Boulogne will do you the favour of telling where
I live." The young man went his way. Mr.
Martin, knowing that he rode a hired horse,
proceeded to the ewner, who happened to be an
English butcher at Boulogne, and to whom the
custom of that gentleman was a matter of some 1
consideration. " By this and by that, S
if ever you let that brat on your horse again, I'll
have you disgraced for ever." Regularly every
day Mr. Martin returns to the butcher's—
" Well, did you give him the horse since r
No, Colonel." " That's a good fellow." The
Roman poet informs us, -that the blessed spirits
in Elysium are wont to pursue those employ-
ments with which they were delighted in this
world. Mr. Martin, transformed from a Legis-
lator into an hile, knows no happiness but in
protecting the mute creation.