Mr. Gladstone came down on Thursday in order to deliver
a special speech for Sir E. Watkin's Channel Tunnel Bill. It was a lively speech, not a little contemptuous to the alarmists who think that the Channel Tunnel would take away some part of the security afforded to England by the Channel ; but what Mr. Gladstone seems to forget is that the very same feeling which inspires him with contempt for the alarmists, might very probably in time of war inspire any Government of the day with a like contempt for similar alarmists, and so prevent measures being taken to close the Tunnel against invaders till it was too late. It is all very well to ridicule the notion that we could not protect a hole in the ground against the invaders who might emerge through it ; but the real difficulty would be, not to protect it, but to persuade the Government of the moment that protection was really needful, and that it would be justifiable to injure a great roadway of civilisation out of what would be termed "selfish panic." It is comparatively easy to protect oneself against enemies, but not so easy to protect oneself against one's own enlightened scorn and weakness. Nineteenth or twentieth centuryism on this side of the Channel Tunnel might prove a much more formidable ally to the invader than any facilities absolutely secured by the• Tunnel itself. Sir Edwrtrd Watkin's motion was defeated by a majority of 81 (234 to 153).
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