Lord Rosebery made a pleasant speech on Wednesday at Stranraer,
a small but ancient burgh, which, if the Irish tunnel is ever completed, will be an important place. He praised Lord Dalrymple, whose family owns most of the district, for accepting the Provostship, and called on all citizens to repress the bacillus of municipal corruption, once, as all readers of Galt's "Provost" are aware, eo well nourished in Scotland; but observed that the great municipal expenditure of our day was due to the demand for water, light, open spaces, isolation hospitals, and, he might have added, but forgot, decent drainage. The newest portion of his speech, how- ever, referred to the tunnel, which he said would be a bond of union between Ireland and Great Britain far stronger than any Act. The only difficulty he perceived in the way was the expense, the lowest estimate for which was eight millions, and which must be provided by the State, as there was no chance of a dividend. Lord Rosebery did not seem unwilling to provide it, though not while the South African War was going on. We think Lord Rosebery is a little too pessimist about a dividend on a project which will connect not only the people but the goods traffic of two kingdoms. The engineers, however, have not said their last word.
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