24 MARCH 1838, Page 10

In the Chronicle this morning, an attempt is made to

defend Mr. POULETT THOMSON from the charge of negligence in allowing the Fisliguard Harbour Bill to pass. The subject was noticed in the Spectator of last Saturday ; and the case stated against the President of the Board of Trade remained an entire week without reply. " Better late than 'lever" is an old saying, but it bad been better for Mr. POULETT THOMSON had the matter been allowed to drop. For the official gentleman, [who has undertaken his priecipal's de- fence, (query, his own also?) does not in the impugn the correctness of our facts; wlib.h, indeed, bad been all I stated, without contradiction from :11r. THOMSON, in the House slightest degree of Commons. It is true. then, that. two copies of the Fishguard Harbour Bill, which affected matenally the shipping interest and the trade of the country. were sent to the President of the Board of Trade's office, for

perusel and remark; that they were read end commented upon there ; and yet this most preposteroua mea- sure was suffered to pass the House of Commons without notice

from spflutssoe,_wlio even told the house that no copies of the bill bad been sent to his office, and that has attention had never been drawn to the bill. Inetead of controverting any part of this statement, ME THOMSON'S apologist in the Chronicle enlarges upon that gentle- man.s exertions in other matters: which may be very praiseworthy, (though, with the public, we imagined that the larger credit was due to Mr. Speaker A BERCHOMBY.) but which form no justification of his neglect or blunder in the matter of the Fishguard Harbour Bill.