140 Transactions. 



opening up new outlets for commerce and for our increasing 

 population. Without entering on the thorny and forbidden 

 ground of controversial politics, he might say that one of the 

 most ominous features of the day was the intensely parochial 

 character of our politics as a whole, the way in which the 

 democracy was intensely interested in local matters — in little 

 petty, secondary questions like disestablishment here and local 

 veto or local option there — while it was perfectly indifferent to 

 questions of vital consequence and vast imperial importance. On 

 these small islands we must buy bread if our teeming millions 

 were to live, and in order that we may buy bread we must 

 sell the products of our industry, and in order that we may 

 sell the products of our industry we must have markets to 

 send them to ; and as the old markets were being gradually 

 closed against us by hostile tariffs we must find new markets- 

 We must either find new markets, or we must fight to open 

 up the old ones, or we must starve. He did not think the 

 people of this country would starve. He did not think we should 

 have a war of tariffs. Then the real question of the day was the 

 opening up of new markets. Let us find these, and the depres- 

 sion of trade which had been so long upon us would vanish like 

 the morning dew. He thought if the people of Dumfries would 

 insist on the connection with the ocean of the great interior 

 waterway which Mr Scott-Elliot would no doubt tell them some- 

 thing about by the construction of the Mombasa railway, they 

 would do something to bring back the prosperity of the country ; 

 and so intimately connected in these days were remote countries 

 that the whistle of the steam engine on the Mombasa railway 

 might be a blytlie and cheerful sound in the homes of some work- 

 ing men in Dumfries. (Cheers.) Referring to the personal 

 adventures of the explorer, Sir James said Mr Joseph Thomson, 

 being once asked what was the most dangerous expedition he had 

 ever undertaken, replied, " I believe it was crossing Piccadilly 

 one afternoon at four o'clock in the height of the season." 

 (Laughter.) So perhaps Mr Scott-Elliot might tell them that he 

 was never in such jeopardy in Madagascar or Uganda as he was 

 when he visited some closes in Dumfries and described their 

 gi^iells — (laughter) — for then the tongues of municipal authorities 

 were turned on him like assegais, and the objurgations of owners 

 of property were hurled at him like showers of aiTOWs. 

 (Laughter.) But he had often been in great danger, and had to 

 trust to his ingenuity and resources. (Cheers.) 



