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have to be so jealously guarded and might be partially at least destroyed, if not on our side from necessity, on the other from evil design. But it would be affectation on my part to detain you longer with my own opinions or views, when we have before us the prospect of listening to the words of those competent to give an opinion, and I now therefore apologise for having done so, and proceed forthwith to lay before you the evidence I promised you from
The Parliamentary Blue-Book.
This book is entitled " Correspondence with reference to the proposed Construction of a Channel Tunnel, presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty, 1882. Printed at the War Office." It consists of 368 pages, containing correspondence, reports of Committees, evidence, and opinions of military authorities, prefaced by a Précis or Summary of eight pages. This summary gives a brief historical account or narrative of the proceedings in connection with the Tunnel scheme; and I propose first giving you this in a brief form, placing the circumstances before you as there given in order of time, and after that give fuller extracts from the 368 pages I mentioned just above.
Summary.—First Period, from 1867 to 1870.—The narrative regarding the proposed Channel Tunnel opens with the year 1867. In that year "an Anglo-French Committee of Promoters obtained from the Emperor of the French an expression of willingness to consider such a project, and certain borings having been made, the French Government was in 1868 requested by the Promoters to guarantee interest on the capital required for further investigation.
"In August, 1868, a Committee was appointed by the French Government, and, in consequence of the report of this Committee, the French Government, in March, 1869, declined to enter into the engagement requested.
"For about a year no further correspondence took place, but in March, 1870, the Anglo-French Committee of Promoters applied to the French Government for a perpetual sole concession for the construction of a submarine railway.
