hty cute, and shirks
Irish securities. Where are the business managers of the Irish nation
coming from? That's what I want to know."

I told him of the Galway Harbour Commissioners, who, having been
forgiven a Government debt of nearly L10,000, conceived the idea of
building a new, grand, splindid, iligant, deep dock, which should
increase the trade of the place by allowing ships of great draught to
unload in the harbour. Let me repeat the story for the readers of the
_Gazette_.

The Harbour Board consulted an eminent engineer, who said the right
thing would cost L80,000. They sent him to the right about, and called
in another man. "Now," said they, "we can only raise L30,000 by loans
from the Board of Works. Will not that suffice? We give you 5 per
cent. on the outlay, &c., &c., &c." The new man said L30,000 was
ample, took the job, and the work was commenced. Ultimately they
borrowed L40,000, which they spent, along with the L10,000 in hand.
Then it was found that big ships could not get to the dock at all! No
use in a deep dock unless you can swim up to it. To get the big
vessels in you required to hoist them out of the water, carry them a
few hundred yards, and drop them into the dock. As the Galway men
still groan beneath the cruel English yoke, this operation was found
impracticable. During some blasting operations a big rock was tumbled
out of the dock in process of manufacture, dropping in front of
another dock in full working order. The stone was just in the way of
the vessels, but as there was no Parliament in College Green, the
Harbour Board had not the heart to fish it up. So it crashed through
the bottom of a Henderson collier, the owner of which sued the Harbour
Board for damages, and was awarded a thousand pounds. The money never
was paid, and never will be. The fortunate winner of the suit will
sell his claim for L5 in English gold. He was thought to have done
well in winning, and my informant, a typical Irishman, admired the
complainant's successful attack on the Harbour Board. "But what good
come of it at last," I ventured to put in. "Nay, that I cannot tell,"
said he, "But 'twas a glorious victory."

The Galway Harbour Board spent L50,000 or so on a deep dock which they
have not got, and the harbour is in pawn to the Board of Works, which
collects the tolls, and otherwise endeavours to indemnify itself. The
Harbour Board meets as usual, but it has no powers, no money, no
credit, no anything. This