On Friday, July 7th, Mr. Balfour and Lord Cadogan received
a very weighty and important deputation of pei sons interested in the proposed Irish tunnel. Mr. Barton, one of the civil engineers interested in the scheme, declared that the tunnel would be carried one hundred and fifty feet below sea. level. Ventilation would be no difficulty, as they intended to use electric traction. Mr. Bompas, on the financial side, proposed that the Government should guarantee 3 per cent. on the £12,000,000 required to make the tunnel and pay interest during the time required for construction. Mr. Balfour in reply declared that he wanted to be satisfied (1) that passengers and goods would really use the channel and not stick to the sea routes ; (2) that water would not get into the tunnel; (3) that the financial proposals might not land the Government in great difficulties. Mr. Balfour ended by warmly sympathising with the proposals in regard to the tunnel, provided that they could be carried out without laying too heavy a burden on the Exchequer, and declared that he would lay the whole matter before his colleagues. Mr. Barton then explained that it was the general opinion that the whole of the traffic for the North of Ireland would go by the tunnel, as the tunnel would beat any other route from London to Belfast by two and a half hours. There was no fear of land springs. We do not as a rule care to see great engineering works undertaken by Government, but the public objects to be obtained by the making of a tunnel, both as regards Ireland and England, are so many and so great, that we should not in this case hesitate to agree to a reasonable use of public credit. What is the best method of Government help is a matter for consideration at the Treasury.
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