The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-05-07 00:00:00

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT.

STEAM COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE WEST OF IRE-
LAND AND HALIFAX.

The Dublin Evening Mail of Friday expresses much
delight in announcing that (in furtherance of the hopes
expressed in that paper), steam communication is forth-
with to be established between Galway, on the west coast
of Ireland, and New York, the vessel calling at Halifax.
It will be remembered that, over some years past, various
parties have suggested that the most direct starting places
or ports for steamers crossing the Atlantic were to be found
on the west coast of Ireland, where there are several good
natural harbours ; and Valencia was strongly pointed out
by one writer as the most eligible, from which to make a
commencement, but his proposition was not taken up.
The plan, as far as regarded passengers or goods from
England or Scotland, involved, of course, the expense of
transit—partly by sea and partly by land—from the seve-
ral localities here to the starting port in Ireland ; but it
was argued that this would not amount to much, espe-
cially when once the Irish railways were completed ; and
that even the mails to or from America might be accele-
rated to some extent, by the overland route,—our large
steamers (to or from Liverpool, to wit) having upwards of
300 miles to navigate up or down channel, before they
reach, or arrive from, even Cape Clear. Unquestionably
the nearest points between this kingdom and America are
to be found on the west coast of Ireland ; but a ques
tion arises whether the cost of transit of the mass of pas-
sengers which would be from Great Britain, and the in-
convenience of transhipping luggage, &c., and moving
from rail to steam boat, and again from steam boat to
rail, would not countervail the gain in time of a few hours
upon the entire trip, hence—for instance—to New York.
By embarking here at once, and making the whole trip in
one ship, such inconvenience is avoided. In the convey-
ance of important telegraphic dispatches, there would
certainly be a great gain in time, as the wires might be
employed to Dublin, and the messages be thence imme-
diately sent by steam to Holyhead, and thence by wire to
London and Liverpool. We do not, for the reasons stated
(and others which we need not enter into), apprehend any
injury to our large Liverpool steam fleet from the project
being carried out even on a large scale, and there can be
no doubt but that Ireland would be benefitted by increased
communication with, and perhaps accession of capital to,
her western and generally rude shores.
The Viceroy, a fine iron paddle steam-ship, of 800 tons
burthen, and 350 horse power, has, it appears, recently
made a very rapid voyage from Dublin to Glasgow and
back, so establishing her name for speed and safety, that
her owners have advertised her to rum between Galway
and New York, calling at Halifax, and to sail on the first
of next month. The fare to either of the ports named is
£25. She will receive only first cabin passengers, for
whom she has superb accommodations; and the announce-
ment adds that passengers will be conveyed free from
Glasgow, Liverpool, Belfast, Bristol, and Dublin, to the
port of embarkation. A few tons of fine goods will be re-
ceived as freights, and each. passenger may carry half a
ton of luggage.
The Mail considers that Dublin will be greatly bene-
fitted by the success mfi this first experiment,. and calls
upon her citizens to farward.and.to,aid