The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-03-15
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.

rCoTTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.
sengers to the humiliating ordeal OF
opening and turning o-er the contonts OF
their portmanteaGs in windy dock
warehouse, unless it be from sheerly
stupid traditional custom, and to fuInish
employment to set of seedy persons
whose appearance and menners are not
calculated 20 predispose the stranger in
favor Of the country that welcomes him
in tins fashion. Of course, nothing con
and never is, as | was told by one of the
dock officials, who evidently regarded
the searchers as questionable ''lot.' In
a free II AIDE country, such as ours, this
rigorous examination of baggage is a
relic OF barbariSm; and the saving of the
State from the abolition of these Custom
more than compensate for any possible
loss to tie revenue from the act of an
occasional i'll conditioned passenger.
Nothing would more effectually serve to
hasten the conversion of our An eyican
cousins to the doctrine and practice of
free trade than to welcome them to
British soil without having to undergo
the fol bidding ordeal the y have a present
to encounter on landing on their own
shores.
respectfully submit the suggestion to
the consideration of the Chancellor of
the Exchequer.
But the most remark abIe contrast was
reserved for my return TO Scotland.
Travelling down by night train, | was
half frozen with cold till arrival at Car
Isle, where We were detained an hour
and half for the London train, and
where the fire i'll the waiting room merely
served to remind one how cold and COM
FORTRESS the place was. Sleep was out of
the question. and landed at the Prices
S rect station stiff and almost nnmb with
cold. At the hotel close by i repaired
my reduced morale with hot bath
and good Scotch break fast. But why
should one be thus tortured with cold
an,! rendered miserable i'll Difference to
an ancient Z" use and won't that is now
becoming Obsolete among all civilized
people? In America if det1iued, You
do not warm your toes at the fire, but
sit in a comfortably warmed room, and
you finish a journey of a thousand mile S
as fresh and comfol table as when you
| started.
The climax Of my home experiences
was reached at the Waverly station. to
which drove from the hotel. directing
! the cabman to dive as near the Fife
| train platform as possible: and the porter
who came up to take charge of my bag
| gage was tod to take it to the Fife train.
| Having no loose change in my pocket, |
! asked the cabman to wait till got my
ticket. On my retun, about five min
utcs afteward, neither cab nor porter
was visible anywhere; and failing to find
the latter Oh the platform or any sign OF
I my baggage ole of the officials and my
/ self explored the station, as far as time
| would permit. but without success S.
/ Having written that | would be home by
that train, and leaving the cab fare with
the official already referred t., | came
away without my baggage, whieh only
reached NE Two days afterwards. Had
this r0htrttemps occurred when on my
way To embark at Liverpool for America
it would net only have occaSicned serious
Inconvenience and delay, but possibly
the forfeiture Of my passage money.
1t is quite unn. cessary to describe the
American check Sy stem. with which al
tie travelling world is row familiar. first
became acquainted with it as boy
thiltS-ive Years ago, since when | have
been three times in the country, ant
have had on each occasion the more tt
admire this simple and admirable system
which saves one from tie worst worlit
of travelling here.
Americans cannot understand how We
! quietly submit to travel III carriges II
which are very, very stutfy i'll summer
and in which: murder and ether outrage'
may be committed with impumty, while
orr baggage system they regard as sim
ply barbaric.
1t is because agree with my Ameri
can friends chat have noted down these
re Elections, in the hope that they ma,
contribute, in however small degree, t.
rouse our railway directors to a recosni
ton of the disgraceiully uncomfortable
and ipconvient accommodations afforded
by them to the travelling public.
am, &c. ScoTTs.