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employed, while the question in all its bearings had as yet never been considered by Parliament, but this cannot be thought of for a moment as a counter-balance in favour of the project, if on national grounds it ought to be opposed. It should not be regarded simply in the light of a private enterprise or as a personal matter in any way, but as a national concern, and if it should receive the approval of Parliament (an approval which I earnestly trust it may not obtain), it would certainly be necessary that the Tunnel, whether constructed by a private company or not, should be sufficiently under Parliamentary control. It is not intended here to take into consideration the advantages or disadvantages to other countries that might result from carrying out this project, but to view the matter only from a British standpoint; and as this Lecture is not intended to be a scientific one, it will not be debated whether a Channel Tunnel (it may be one or more) could be made, but it will be allowed, for the sake of argument, that there is nothing physically to liinder it. We have the much wider question to consider first of all, whether it would be expedient to do so, if we could, and this Parliament must decide for us, and meanwhile no grievance or hardship can reasonably be shown or proved, in not allowing any works in connection with or preparatory to a Tunnel to be carried on, till such decision has been obtained.
(3) It has been stated that it is not the intention of this Lecture to treat the matter from an engineering or scientific point of view, neither is it my purpose to enter upon any geological enquiry, as to when Great Britain became an Island. Doubtless the animal life in days gone by may have been very different from what it is amongst us at present, and we may at one time have been joined on to the Continent of Europe. It is quite sufficient for my purpose to take you back only as far as the time of Julius Caesar. We know (at least I believe it to be so) that he made two invasions or descents upon England in the years 55 and 54 B.C., and that both times he came by sea. We are, therefore, authorised in affirming that all the after invasions of Saxons and Danes were also made by sea, and that Great Britain was then in truth an Island, a sea-girt land. Again the landing of William the Conqueror A.D. 1066, of
