Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-02-13

NAVIGATION OF THE ATLANTIC.
The following letter was forwarded by Lord
VI onteagle to the Mayor of Limerick:
LEGATION OF THE u. SFATEs,.l
LONDON, Jan. IL.
To his Worshipthe Mayor and the President of
the Chamber of Commerce, of the city of
Limerick.
GeRticmen-I have delayed formal answer
to your kind address of welcome, delivered to
me ON board the Erin, till | should receive the
charts, reports, &c, you then promised me. l
thank you most heartily for the kind tone ofthat
address, and can assure you again that the
friendly spirit it breathes is fully reciprocated
by the people of the American Union.
The relief afforded by the citizens of the
United States to the people Of Ireland, when
laboring under devere dispensation of the AL
mighty, Ito which you allude,) was simply an
act of Christian duty, which [ am certain
would be repeated ifrequired, and | am equally
sure would be reciprocated by you ifthe oppor-
tunity should ever present ITSELF
You have rightly conceived the objects of my
visit to your interesting country. By an emf
grafton unparalleled in the history of the race,
no small fraction of the population of Ireland
has been transferred to the United States.-
Nearly every emigrant preserves fresh the me-
mory OF his home in the Old World, and keeps
warm the love Of kindred and friends left be-
hind. Large sums of money, are in conse-
quence, annually RENTED, you justly say
''to assist in this mighty flood of emigration y
A constant intercourse is, from the same cause,
kept UP between the two countries, until, as
you remark with truth, 'the far greater part Of
| the correspondence between North America
| and the British empire is already Irish" The
causes which have hitherto produced these i'm
portant results not likely to cease, at least
for the present. ! entirely agree with you that
we cannot over-estimate the POLITICAL the COM
mercal or the social importance of a rapid,
| constant and certain communication between
| two nations having so much in common the
| United Kingdom and the United States.
When in Ireland, | visited the harbors of
Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Bantry, Cork and
Queenstown all of which offer rare and safe
accommodation for ships. Several other har-
bors that | did not visit have been favorably spo-
ken of and reported on by persons competent to
judge on such questions.
Since my return to London have received
various charts. maps, reports, &C., all of which
[ have transmitted to the President of the
Chamber of Commerce, New York, for public
use
| did not fail to remark the capacities of
your noble river, navigabIe by steam for 200
miles, on which you dwell with such Just
pride. [ also made such observations as
| could, in our rapid passage, of the harbor of
Foynes, which seemed to me capable of being
reached at any state of the tide, and affording
shelter with a sufficient depth of water, for the
largest ships | observed, also, pier and
wharf for large steamers, and was particularly
struck with the magnificent dock under con-
T riy foJob
must prove of the greatest advantage to your
interesting city.
The people of the United States are fully
impressed with the fact that ssthe most secure
and rapid communication across the Atlantic is
a benefit that cannot be refused or postponed"
and have made, and are making, gigantic eff
forts to secure it. To these islands most of US
trace our descent in more OF less distant de-
gree. Hence we derive that liberty of action
and liberty of opinion you alude to, those fun
danenta claws which protect us in the enjoy
ment of our rights, that Language which ena-
bes us to hold an unrestricted communication
with you, and that healthy 'literature" which
is at once the production and the cause ofmanly
people; and what is, perhaps, of quite Us much
importance with nations, our dealings with
each other form the solid basis of a good under
standing between us. Since / have had the
honor to represent the United States in this
country, [ have continually endeavored to lay
broader the foundation of this friendly feeling.
In my visit to Ireland | saw much to admire.
The beauty OF your scenery, the fertility Of
your soil, the great resources of your country,
as yet undeveloped, the provisions made for the
| education of your childrep-all were objects of
striking interest. But above all these, | felt
your generous hospitality, and the kind feeling
| of all classes towards the United States. And
I assure you that l respond in all sincerity to
your wish that, for the sake Of equal and of free
| institutions, the truly amicable relations now
existing between the United States and the
| United Kingdom may be perpetuated, and that
my efforts may be constantly directed towards
that end. ABBOTT LAWRENCE.