54 The Proposed Belfast Central Station and Railways, 



to me to find the sensible and kind way in which the 

 remarks I have made to-night have been taken. No criticisms 

 have been made that I could call unfair, or pushing a point 

 against the scheme. My old friend, I think I may call him 

 such for he knew me when a baby in arms, Mr. Young referred 

 to Brunell's shield. Brunell invented a wooden shield which 

 he wrapped around with iron and used most successfully ; in 

 fact it was the only thing by which they were able to face the 

 difficulty of piercing the Thames Tunnel after it had been given 

 up and closed for eight years. Regarding the remarks made by 

 Mr. Munce, I don't think we need trouble ourselves further 

 about them than to say we leave them with him at the Town 

 Hall where he has all the plans, and any information that may 

 be required from me in going through those plans I shall be 

 only too pleased to give fully and in any way desired, except the 

 estimates, and I ask him to forgive me about this, because I 

 am so pressed that if I had to go into the details of the estimates 

 I should collapse altogether ; and 1 also quite agree with the 

 latter speakers that the cost is a question for the gentlemen who 

 find the money. (A voice, *' Not altogether.") Some gentleman 

 says " not altogether," but I think that the gentlemen who pay 

 the piper should be left to choose the tune. The gentlemen 1 

 refer to ask the public for nothing. You as representing the 

 public have the option, a complete option — there is no coercion 

 whatever on the part of the London syndicate — of going on 

 their line or not as you choose. You cannot expect to go for 

 nothing. Is there any conveyance that you ever travel by, not 

 excepting your own property or the property of another indi- 

 vidual, that does not cost you something, be the same more or 

 less ? With regard to Mr. Gray's remarks, he is perfectly 

 correct. We meet the red sandstone for a considerable portion 

 of our work. I have simply given you the worst points in 

 order to make you understand them. I have not told you the 

 good points. Mr. Macassey has been gocd enough to refer to a 

 high level line. We had a good deal to do with that together, 

 and I must acknowledge his kind remarks of to-night as those 



